Head of Operations - Finance

Job Introduction

We’re looking for a Head of Finance Operations to join our UK&I Centre of Excellence.

As the Head of Finance Operations you will be reporting to the Finance Director, you will utilise your proven leadership and business partnering experience working closely with the Operations finance for platforms team and Supply Management team to drive business performance. With great insight and deep understanding of your priorities you will be able to lead your team to ensure best value purchasing and transparent allocation of costs and benefits.

Role Responsibility

Operations finance for platforms

To support the Platform function with:

• Deliver Business Insights to the platforms, Global Service Operations Finance and key Regional Stakeholders
• Collaborate with the Reporting and Analytics Centre of Excellence to Define, design, develop, test and deploy high quality, visual reporting that provides insight to the Platforms
• Performance Analysis: Analyse business processes and operations through data to understand performance issues, range and opportunities. Provide recommendations for solutions that will drive performance improvement.
• Contribute as part of the Commercial Finance Centre of Excellence team that provides challenge and curiosity with insight, improvement and outcomes that can be measured in value and quality
• Challenge and support development of service offer proposals and business cases, to ensure clarity and alignment with segment finance teams on associated costs and benefits
• Establish strong collaboration with Global Service Operations Finance to ensure that a Global standard and methodology is developed, best practice is documented, and duplication is avoided
• Support the implementation of a process of continuous improvement and innovation
• Ensure all operational activity is carried out in compliance with all established standards and Group policies

Supply Management

To support the Supply Management function with:

• Commercial business partner support to the Director Supply Management UK&I and team
• Oversight of monthly and quarterly submission of regional volumes, savings, inflation, broker fee & other Supply Management KPI’s
• Monitoring and supporting Group SM projects
• Participation at bid price and into-unit pricing meetings, reviewing and agreeing vendor negotiations
• Supplier (Major) contract approvals via Vendor governance process
• Engagement & deployment of Entegra visibility matrix & alignment of rebate management for Entegra volumes across Supply Management-led deals
• Oversight of the prompt payment reporting & decision making, aligned to prompt payment code
• Management & oversight of aged debt issues with vendors and working with operations and finance to improve the Accounts Payable process to reduce debt issues
• Oversight of vendor rebate process and timely receipt of payments, working with the UK team and SBS Europe to manage debt portfolio
• Engagement with Finance Directors on inflation & segment income payments
• Oversight of FM compliance reporting – part of regional business plan & significant savings to be delivered in FY22-24
• Supporting Supply Management in delivery of the overall targets for initiatives, inflation management and purchasing income through robust financial governance and reporting
• Oversight of initiative reporting for Supply Management

The Ideal Candidate

• Ideally, qualified accountant (CIMA/ACA/ACCA) with evidenced PQE
• Understanding of inflation management
• Experience of complex pricing models
• Analytical and commercial skills
• A strong technical grounding and first-class forecasting and budgeting credentials
• Highest levels of personal integrity
• Outstanding communicator with the ability to distil complexity to most senior levels
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Strong decision maker, with time management skills and able to manage conflicting demands
• Good team player with the ability to influence others and portray sense of direction, leadership and commitment to people at all levels
• Strong evidence of resilience, energy and drive
• An innovator who is able to lead and manage change
• Ability to work under pressure; think clearly and act decisively

Package Description

Salary - Upto £85,000 depending on experience plus bonus, car allowance and flexible benefit fund

As part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for our employees, Sodexo offers a Flexible Benefits Scheme, allowing you to tailor a reward package to suit your needs:

• Dental insurance
• Critical illness cover (for yourself and your partner)
• Kids Pass (offering a range of discounts on family friendly attractions)
• Travel insurance
• Technology
• Gourmet Society membership
• Tastecard
• Will writing
• Wine offer
• GymFlex
• Holiday trading
• Private Medical Insurance

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