Director of Commercial Finance, Americas

The Director of Commercial Finance is a strategic Finance leader who serves as the regional point of contact for Partners and senior stakeholders, providing expertise in financial planning and analysis, commercial profitability initiatives, and comprehensive P&L performance analysis and reporting. This role collaborates heavily with other Finance teams within Group and other regions, as well as other Corporate Services departments.

Role tasks and responsibilities

Leadership and enablement

• Provide impactful leadership for a team of commercial analysts.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and “One Firm” behavior.

Reporting

• Lead the production of monthly management accounts ensuring major variances are explained and remedial actions are identified. Ensure that reporting is insightful and supports business decision making and direction setting.
• Collaborate regularly with peer groups in EMEA and APAC in weekly Global Commercial Finance meetings to align on and standardize best-in-class reporting aspects.
• Monthly Group Reporting – responsible for submissions into Group Finance: flash results, full performance insights, supporting the Group Commercial Finance Director in formal presentations.
• Develop and continuously improve reporting packs as group priorities / structures change.
• Collaborate with the Project Operations and the Shared Services Center accounting function to ensure project WIP is correctly recorded to support project revenue analysis.

Financial planning and analysis

• Lead the annual and quarterly planning processes, including timetables, target setting, system enhancements and RexCo papers, among others.
• Lead the production of periodic re-forecasts, ensuring risks and opportunities are highlighted.
• Ensure that Partners are thoroughly briefed on the planning process, empowering them to own their numbers and obtain Partner sign-off prior to formal submission (including CEO review).
• Provide strategic and long-term financial planning support to the Group Commercial Finance Director.

Business partner support

• Build strong and positive relationships with budget holders and senior managers, providing the necessary assistance and professional advice to assist them with the financial aspects of their duties.
• Ensure the analysts are supporting each area of the business appropriately so that leaders understand and “own” their numbers and receive analysis that informs and supports effective decision making.
• Be the focal point for commercial financial queries, providing advice to stakeholders (Finance and Business).
• Apply various tools such as investment appraisal techniques to better inform decision making and adopt a partner / challenger role in evaluating business plans and business cases.

Pricing

• Active involvement with the business on: bid support / RFPs; setting annual rate card / pricing to ensure margins are maintained or improved; challenging the business on take-on activities to meet gross margin thresholds.

Systems, processes and controls

• As the lead for the Regional budgeting, forecast and financial management reporting processes, responsible for identifying and implementing efficiency and value improvements.
• Work with the Systems team and Regional Financial Controllers to investigate and implement improvements in “self-service” budgeting / forecasting and reporting.
• Work with Financial Control to ensure the integrity of the financial data supplied is robust and accurate.

Other / ad hoc

• Drive financial compliance with existing company financial controls policies.
• Contribute to the calibration and creation of financial controls policies and coordinate proper policy interpretation and execution in the region.
• Make recommendations to improve month-end close processes and engage with the implementation team.

Requirements

• 12+ years’ experience as an FP&A professional, ideally with a professional services background
• Certified Public Accountant license
• Proven experience managing budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting processes in a complex environment
• Strategic mindset with ability to understand business goals beyond the numbers and interpret broader organizational context
• Strong analytical skills, including trend identification and financial forecasting
• 3+ years’ experience as an effective people manager, capable of developing talent and addressing performance issues
• Exceptional interpersonal and influencing skills, able to challenge and collaborate with diverse stakeholders at all levels
• Clear a