Date: 22 Apr 2026

Location: London

MISSION

The Head of Commercial Finance plays a key role in helping the UK business shape and deliver both short term forecasts and long-term strategic plans. Leading a team of 7, they are responsible for all aspects of SUK’s financial planning (3 y plan, budget, estimates & forecasts) for all brands in the SUK Portfolio and they are responsible for routine & ad hoc business analysis & insight in all areas of the P&L and Retail Sales. They provide business partnership to Senior SUK Leadership, supporting on shorter term P&L management decisions to bigger picture, medium to long term strategic decisions thus supporting the SUK business in delivering its KPIs and optimising commercial performance. They are a key UK finance contact responsible for explaining financial performance and outlook to EMEA RHQ team.

ORGANISATION

Reports to: Finance Director

Job Location: London

Contract type: 12m FTC

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Forecasting and Business Planning
• Lead the annual budget, latest estimate and rolling forecasting processes for SUK, ensuring on time delivery of all aspects (presentations, BPC etc) and alignment with overall business strategy and objectives
• Identify areas for growth and efficiency and p roactively identify risks and opportunities, ensuring that these insights are communicated to management in a timely manner to facilitate informed decision making and suggest & implement corrective measures
• Drive improvements in estimate accuracy
• Support S&OP process from financial perspective
• Business Partnership and commercial support
• Collaborate closely with LT to actively drive business performance by providing strategic insights and recommendations.
• Drive initiatives to enhance profitability and operational efficiency
• Fosters a culture of “high challenge, high support” between the finance function and other departments, encouraging open dialogue and collaboration to achieve business goals.
• Deliver comprehensive analytics to support critical business decisions, including but not limited to new retailer/door entries, promotional evaluations, resource allocation, contract negotiation, retailer profitability, providing high quality commercially focussed financial advice
• Prepare insightful commentary, presentations & present analysis as required for local and EMEA business reviews Provide critical,
• Uphold accounting principles and promote adherence with policies & procedures to stakeholders
• Partner with Accounting team to support monthly close as required
• Ensure delivery of accurate, timely& relevant management reporting for the business, ensuring that reports are actionable and aligned with strategic objectives
• Drive consistency in data quality and automation initiatives to ensure a single trusted version of financial information is maintained through the organisation
• Develop and mentor direct reports, providing guidance and support in the day to day operations of the brands, including month end cycles and variance analysis.
• Foster an environment focused on continuous improvement through automation and process enhancement

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Graduate calibre qualified accountant (ACMA, ACCA, ACA) with approx. 10 years PQE
• Extensive experience operating in Senior FP&A/Commercial Finance roles within matrix of multi stakeholder organisation (ideally Retail/FMCG)
• Strong expertise in planning/forecasting/budgeting and performance analysis Experience of leading a commercial strategic planning and forecasting process
• Leadership and Team Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop a high performing team.
• Knowledge of SAP and reporting tools incl SQL & PBI
• Experience of the beauty industry and a strong understanding of business drivers
• Commercial & Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of financial principles, & practices. Commercially astute with ability to apply analytical skills and to bring them to bear on a broad range of commercial issues and influence decisions, thinking “beyond the numbers”
• Collaboration and Influence: Ability to collaborate with other departments and excellent stakeholder management skills including relationship building & influencing
• Communication: Excellent communication skills to convey financial information clearly and effectively to both financial and non financial stakeholders. Proven ability to communicate at senior levels and present information in an impactful way
• Prioritisation: Ability to work under pressure with agile mindset, able to manage deadlines across multiple stakeholders
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement mindset: Encouraging innovation and seeking continuous improvement in financial processes and systems. drive change within the finance department and the broader organization.

Job Segment

Retail Sales, Strategic Planning, Financial, Accounting, Retail, Strategy, Finance