The ideal candidate will contribute to the overall success of the organization by effectively managing all financial tasks. They will oversee the financial operations of the business and provide frequent financial reports. They will also assure strict adherence to financial regulations and compliance.
Responsibilities
Budgeting and Forecasting:
Responsible for submission of timely, accurate and commercially focused budget and forecasting, in line with agreed templates and timetables
Challenge commercial team on business issues and revenue/cost assumptions, including demonstrable ROI on all costs incurred
Work with commercial team to identify key commercial issues and ensure commentary highlights these issues concisely
Anticipate likely review questions and answer them in advance (with supporting analysis where appropriate)
Cost and investment appraisal:
Demonstrate a deep, fundamental understanding of all costs in product and portfolio P&Ls, including investment/capex
Be able to clearly advise and communicate the reasons for incurring costs, demonstrating financial/commercial returns
Review and challenge cost budgets from a granular zero-base (i.e. building from scratch, not rolling forward prior year)
Prepare and challenge investment/business cases
Understand the importance/priority of each cost line so that savings can be made to fund investment
Physical & Digital Event/Product planning:
Provide commercial and strategic insight and analysis to the business in setting product/portfolio strategy
Take shared responsibility - with commercial team - for ensuring event plans are delivered on time and in line with agreed format and TM1 Product Tracker
Liaise with internal JV partners and external partners to agree event plan strategies, financials and timetables
Ensure best practice is followed when preparing plans, using experience across multiple events/portfolios
Support decisions/recommendations with accurate and relevant data
Work with commercial team - for setting pricing and re-book targets
M&A proposals:
Work with commercial team to create projections and estimate synergies
Shared responsibility - working with commercial team - for producing integration plan
Work with SSC as needed
Event launches:
Shared responsibility - working with commercial team - for evaluating attractiveness of launches
Help commercial team to create projections based on underlying market data and customer segmentation
Prepare launch proposals using Group template
Revenue accruals:
Review and approve any revenue accruals
Ensure third party contracts are place and approved by Legal
Ensure commercial team and the Finance Team have copies of contracts with third parties
Cost accruals:
Review and approve any expense accruals working with product/event teams
Review balance sheet on a monthly basis
Approve significant items as required
Work with Finance Team to determine risks/upsides on a monthly basis and make timely adjustments to P&L
Ensure material releases do not come as a surprise to CFO
Month end reporting:
Review and approve month end flash report highlighting key variances
Review and approve month end performance bridges
Provide relevant and concise commercial commentary to central team
Sales commissions:
Review and approve sales commission payments
Ensure commission structures and targets aligned to deliver budget and strategic goals
Capital expenditure:
Shared responsibility - working with commercial team - for creating clear and concise capex proposals, including financial returns, cash flow, implementation and risks
Challenge commercial team on assumptions and returns
Sales reporting:
Review and approve weekly sales report, ensuring it includes concise commentary on trading vs target and risks/upsides
Raise trading issues with commercial teams and propose solutions for material variances
Audit and compliance:
Support external and internal audit processes as necessary
Qualifications
Commercial agility: able to use technical accounting and analytical skills to highlight data trends and deliver business results
Customer orientation: able to develop a deep understanding of products and markets, as well as the needs of customers and other stakeholders
Operational excellence: able to instill a strong and seamless control environment, developing and using KPIs to support growth and tightly manage costs
Technology: has a good understanding of reporting systems and analysis tools to provide commercial insight
High performance: able to contribute to the success of a high performing team, communicating effectively with others and influencing in a matrix without direct authority
Degree in Finance or Accounting with 10 years of relevant experience preferably in the Event or Media business.