Manager Finance Business Partnering

***Limited Term 2-Year Contract***

 

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Finance Manager to lead our Italian Finance team. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in supporting all Pearson’s divisions, by bringing expertise in business partnering, financial operations and compliance. This is a unique opportunity for a finance leader who thrives in a dynamic environment, working closely with various stakeholders in Italy and across Pearson.

Position Purpose to:   

•   Strategically partnering with ELL and HE regional organisation.

•   Providing financial expertise to the business across ELL and HE Divisions

•   Driving strategy, planning and overall financial performance on Italian entity.

•   Supporting ELL and HE Divisions in accelerating regional business performance and playing the key role in driving regional growth.

•   Taking responsibility for leading, coaching and developing teams, including the virtual ones, and annual Operating Plans.

•   Every day striving to put the consumer/customer at the heart of everything we do.

•   Dealing with ambiguity, competing priorities and a wide variety of cultures and local markets’ differences.

•   Ensuring the business always remains in line with control standards.

•   Representing the Italy entity’s interests externally, including the governmental level.

 

Key Accountabilities:

 

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), and Strategy:

Lead the development and execution of Italy’s financial plans and strategies in collaboration with each function groups leaders.

Work closely with various stakeholders to develop and manage annual budgets and periodic forecasts.

Monitor performance against budgets and provide actionable insights to drive financial discipline and accountability.

Identify opportunities for cost optimization and efficiency improvements.

Develop consistent and high standards of financial/operational processes to ensure the best practice with full compliance

Provide comprehensive financial analysis, forecasts, and insights to support strategic business decisions.

Provide comprehensive financial analysis on business performance.

Develop and deliver regular, insightful global financial reports to aid decision-making within the various function teams and other stakeholders.

Partner with the business to develop business cases for key initiatives and investments.

Work closely with cross-functional teams to understand business drivers, market dynamics, and operational challenges.

 

Strategic Business Partnership:

Build strong relationships with leaders across the business, serving as a finance advisor in strategic decision-making.

Support the business to maintain high standards of operational performance.

 

Ensure consistency and alignment of financial goals with overall business objectives globally.

 

Risk Management and Compliance Across Regions:

Identify and assess financial risks associated with the business and proposing risk mitigation strategies.

Ensure compliance with financial regulations, reporting standards, and internal policies across different regions.

 

Global Liaison and Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Act as a bridge between global Finance and various function’s teams, fostering effective communication and collaboration.

Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure a cohesive global financial strategy.

 

Process Improvement on a Global Scale:

Drive continuous improvement in global financial processes and reporting tools, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and consistency.

Implement best practices to enhance global financial controls and streamline decision-making processes.

 

Leading a finance team:

Lead and develop a finance team of two and provide strong professional leadership, guidance and support.

Drive implementation of global Finance process, policies, controls, and procedures.

Develop and motivate team to provide a continuously improving service and functional bench strength.

Conduct regular one-on-one sessions to provide mentorship, discuss career development, and address any concerns or challenges.

Set clear, achievable goals for each team member and provide the necessary resources and support to achieve them.

Ensure alignment of individual goals with the overall objectives of the finance department and the organization.

Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track team performance and identify areas for improvement.

 

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or a related field; MBA or