Head of Finance

Job Introduction

At Sodexo, we care for each person's quality of life by staying true to our values. We also uphold ethical principles like loyalty, respect, and support to local communities. 

We have an exciting opportunity as Head of Finance for an experienced professional to join Sodexo. In this position you will help drive and contribute to the growth of the business, maximising and governing profitability of the Island of Ireland via rigorous management of the finances. Your role will be providing support to the Managing Director, operations, and members of the finance team.

You will engage effectively with and support the regional oversight, working with the Country President. Be the conduit for finance activity in the Island of Ireland, creating a business partnering relationship with key stakeholders including key clients and wider Sodexo functions.

Role Responsibility

• Ensure that all the Group finance policies, processes and procedures are consistently followed in the delivery of the monthly performance.
• Build a strong control and compliance environment within the Sodexo Ireland business, with a specific focus on tax compliance in country.
• Overview of Debt management ensuring we maximise closing cashflow position, engaging with stakeholders as required to resolve issues as they arise
• Deliver consistent, high quality, timely reporting to support all key commercial decisions
• Create a culture of continuous improvement across the team, leading and taking personal responsibility for key work areas- people development, efficiency projects, control environment and service delivery to stakeholders
• Balance effectively operational delivery needs with the need for achieving sound financial results and proactive risk management
• In a complex and diverse environment, design, organize and grow a diverse, talented, and efficient Finance team in supporting the country operational and sales teams.

Accountabilities

• Leading Finance team to ensure effective setting of and delivery to budget, action plans and forecasts for the Island of Ireland
• Understand intimately the drivers of the monthly accounts with the support of the finance shared services team with actions clearly identified to resolve issues and maximise future profitability
• Working alongside budget owners to identify, support and implement key initiatives to drive efficiency, control, and standardisation across the Island of Ireland
• Encouraging effective relationships between Finance, Operations, Transversal Functions, Service Operations, and clients, providing analysis to stakeholders
• Provide sustainable advice on how to optimise opportunity whilst mitigating risks 
• Effectively and clearly communicate potential risks in a timely manner. Be a key point of contact for internal/ external audit
• Supporting the UK&I FP & A team in the preparation of the ROI year end statutory accounts
• Create, lead, and grow a diverse team and be responsible for getting the highest results out of the talent within the team
• Support budget and forecasting process with GSA reporting team

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Lead the monthly review process to understand performance and optimise future financial performance through setting and monitoring effective actions plans which also manage risk.
• Partner, yet challenge key internal customers- Managing Director and Senior Operations teams
• Present information with real insight regarding the performance of the business to stakeholders in operations, functions, senior management and the UK&I Directors and Regional leadership
• Attend client meetings as required aligning with the operations teams
• Support retention and new bid development work. Support the construction of solutions along with helping shape the commercial and client value propositions. Understand and assist with the management of risks
• Be the focus of challenge and support for driving operational performance and have a hands-on approach to support operations to increase contract profitability
• Manage risks around legislative change and work with colleagues to ensure profitability is maximised
• Bring innovation and new insight to all activities

Competencies

• Strong finance acumen, ability to manage full financial responsibilities
• Positive, friendly reliable resilient determined hard-working individual who understands the culture in Ireland
• Collaborative leadership style, strong interpersonal and communication skills, strong partnering capabilities with senior management
• Proactivity and re-activity in a challenging day to day operational environment
• Process and progress driven – demonstrates initiative and anticipates needs of key stakeholders
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to deliver consistently to multiple and competing deadlines
• Flexible and pragmatic able to deal with complexity
• Strong communication and presentation skills – ability to produce and crucially able to credibly deliver concise and meaningful PowerPoint presentations to all levels

The Ideal Candidate

• 10 years professional experience in roles which have required a hands-on approach to finance
• Managing a small team
• Effective client and internal negotiation experience
• Working with, supporting, and enhancing the decision making of teams outside of the finance community
• Degree qualified and holding a recognised professional accounting qualification
• Process and progress driven, based on factual analytics, combined with very transparent skills (up, transversally, and down) of simple financial reflexes,
• Pro-activity and reactivity, combined with a strong sense of constructive challenge, thereby assisting commercial and operational teams in building solutions,
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to respect deadlines,
• Flexible and pragmatic, able to deal with complexity,
• Experience in change management, ability to challenge teams in a transformation situation and to be a business partner for organizational transformation,
• Strong culture of team support/teamwork and business advancement,
• Fluency in English is essential
• Role model Sodexo values and ethical principles

Package Description

Monday – Friday / Permanent fulltime

Competitive Salary + Bonus & Sodexo Flexible Benefits Package.

As part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for our employees, Sodexo offers include life assurance, 24hrs GP access and the ability to purchase or sell annual leave.

We also have a Sodexo Discount scheme, which offers employees and their friends and family the opportunity to benefit from over 1,200 discounts from top retailers both online and in-store.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process