Finance Manager - Projects, Property & Masterplan

Job Introduction

The purpose of this role is to form the nucleus of the Finance Team that supports the Property and Buying and Merchandising Teams. With the support of their analysts and wider team, this naturally curious individual will deliver an end to end financial service spanning planning, commercial analysis and management accounts. Their objective is to provide clear financial information to their business partners, supplemented with the relevant commercial insight that drives appropriate actions within the business. This should be done with reference to the wider remit of their team and the direction of their Senior Finance Manager and Director of Finance.

Role Scope:

This particular role will sit within the Projects, Property and Masterplan Finance Team, reporting into the Senior Finance Manager – Projects, Property and Masterplan. The role will partner the key stakeholders across the business including Property, Buying and Merchandising and Procurement Teams and will require an articulate and confident individual who is able to facilitate business decisions that improve store performance and profitability, providing insight and recommendations. The role requires a curious individual who is willing to both support and challenge at all levels. In order to provide the correct level of support to the business, this position has one direct report who the individual is responsible for developing and supporting in all aspects of their role.

This role will be responsible for the delivery of masterplan business insight reporting, and supporting the business to deliver sound business cases.The role will support in building meaningful KPIs and reporting across all Masterplan Investment areas to provide accurate and insightful reporting, including post investment reviews, enabling benchmarking and decision making.The role is also responsible for leading and supporting their business partners through the budgeting and forecasting process of our retail investment programme, Utilities hedging decisions and relevant Property and Design P&L lines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare business cases in the application for funds and complete post investment reviews, considering the wider implications on the business outside of their immediate area of expertise
• Provide timely trading updates on live retail projects to support business decision making
• Manage all requirements for the budget, forecast and 5YP for allocated retail projects
• Responsible for Facilities Management balance sheets, ensuring that actions / balances are understood and dealt with in an appropriate manner.
• Be familiar with the relevant KPIs of their business area, financial and non-financial and how these impact financial results
• Support applications for allocated retail projects, including detailed cost review and ensuring all investment requests are well understood and sufficiently challenged
• Ensure allocated ongoing retail projects are accurately tracked including a latest view on cost value and project timing by partnering with the relevant project manager and attendance at relevant steering committee and cost meetings
• Own and manage the relevant areas of the month end timetable and accounting requirements for WIP and fixed asset value and depreciation, including submission requirements and understanding of variances to budget
• Take ownership for all Masterplan AFEs including AFE application and ongoing management of cost and timing
• Responsible for the bi-weekly Selfridges capital approval process across Masterplan including review and delivery of submissions to deadline
• Work closely with the Non-Retail Investment finance team to ensure alignment of working and reporting across both areas
• Be able to manage and develop their team of one direct report
• Build effective working relationships with stakeholders across the business

General Responsibilities:

• To represent the finance community in line with the Selfridges values and embed into the teams ways of working
• To be seen as a key leader and role model within the finance community
• Understand and support the delivery of the Selfridges Strategy and initiatives
• To contribute towards the creation and delivery of the Finance People Plan

Person Specification:

Experience

• Held a number of finance roles across various areas of a business
• At least 2 years PQE
• Preferably managed a direct report or team
• Sound business knowledge, preferably retail

Technical Skills

• Qualified - CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW or international equivalent

Personal Attributes/ Behavioural Skills

• Curious, analytical and numerate
• Strong customer orientation – passionate about setting and delivering exceptional standards of service
• Knowledge and experience in project accounts desired but not essential; but a willingness to learn
• Clear and confident questioning style, with the ability to influence customers
• Competently applies their technical qualification and ethics to the situations at hand, seeking out assistance where needed
• A change mindset, happy in an environment of continuous review and improvement
• Good verbal and written presentation skills, able to adapt their style to the audience
• Acts with authenticity, honesty and integrity
• Works effectively and collaboratively cross functionally
• Flexible in work style able to reprioritise effectively according to the changing demands of the business
• A credible manager who is able to develop and motivate a team.