Head of Finance Operations

Company Description

Following years of accelerated growth, Culina Group is now a £2.2billion+ turnover business, employing over 22,000 staff, with a fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles. Culina Group operates from over 100+ depots across the UK and Ireland, serving more than 1,000 clients over its framework of chilled, ambient, contract packaging solutions, and fresh and baked goods.

Company Overview

Great Bear (Part of the Culina Group) provides distribution services to FMCG clients. Customer-centric service focus is delivered through a site-level empowered culture.

At Culina, we have a winning culture; we believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive… A place where you're valued, challenged, and inspired!

Job Description

We are currently seeking a Head of Finance Operations for Great Bear. This role can be based at most sites but would involve regular travel.

As Head of Finance Operations, you will be responsible for leading and driving operational excellence within the Finance Operations team. This role partners closely with the MD and board members, actively contributing to the senior management team to shape the financial strategy of the business unit. Responsibilities include financial planning, budgeting, end-to-end weekly reporting, and ensuring compliance with the GO while fostering team development and alignment with organisational goals.

This is a full-time, permanent position working Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (some flexibility on this will be required), offering a competitive salary and the opportunity to work with a market leader.

Job responsibilities of Head of Finance Operations include:

• Lead, coach, and develop the Finance Operations Great Bear team.
• Oversee the delivery of the weekly reporting, management accounting (Operational), forecasting, and budget report cycle in line with Group requirements.
• Work collaboratively with the wider finance team, including Financial controlling, cross-BU finance teams, and Group finance.
• Be an active part of the senior management team for Great Bear, working directly with the CEO, MD, Directors, IT, and HR, ensuring Finance has a voice.
• Work closely with Finance teams across the Group, including Ambient division to support with consistency of reporting and operational excellence.
• Report, identify, and challenge financial trends that impact Great Bear’s profitability. Collaborate with commercial and operational teams to optimise revenue and profitability.
• Review FP&A reporting, identify gaps, and identify better ways of working including analytical tools, AI, and reporting developments. Embed a culture of continuous improvement. Develop ways of tracking efficiency and accuracy of reporting.
• Play an active part in the Finance Excellence programme, driving change and the vision for ‘Culina Group Finance’/One Finance.
• Leverage technology to streamline financial processes and support digital transformation initiatives in alignment with Group goals.
• Drive initiatives to enhance financial governance and minimize operational risks.

Qualifications

To apply for the role of Head of Finance Operations, you will possess the following skills, experiences, and qualifications:

• Experienced qualified accountant with relevant experience.
• Robust personality to stand up to competing organisational demands.
• Experience of business partnering with operational teams.
• Experience of leading large teams, including FP&A and business partners.
• Logistics/3PL experience.
• Flexible, adaptable, and a can-do attitude.
• Tenacious with a focus on delivery and closure.
• Good communicator and ability to adapt to the audience.
• Experienced in Office applications.
• High attention to detail, ability to make information stand out to tell a story.

Additional Information

As part of our drive to make Great Bear a great place to work, we are proud to be an inclusive and diverse organisation where we are committed to employee development and recognising success for hardworking performers.

Our dedicated learning and development programmes are open to every employee to give you the opportunity to shape your own future within logistics and continue to work in an environment where team culture thrives.

Our People are the driving force behind our success, which is why we offer a wide range of benefits which include:

• Annual Leave – Competitive holiday entitlement of 25 days + 8 bank holidays.
• Company Bonus – We do our best work to succeed together. When we achieve our goals, you'll be rewarded through our bonus scheme.
• Private Medical Cover – This gives you peace of mind; you have choice, flexibility, and speed of access to the most clinically appropriate care via Bupa.
• Car Allowance.
• Pension scheme – We want colleagues to enjoy a comfortable retirement, so we offer a great contribution.
• Life Assurance - x4 your annual salary.
• Wellness – Via our Employee Assistance Programme, we offer immediate access to a confidential telephone counselling and legal information service that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Eye Care Vouchers – We can provide you with substantial savings with free eye tests and discounts on prescription glasses.
• Reward & Recognition – We recognise that employees have gone the extra mile via Employee of the month and year, special recognition, and long service awards.
• Everyday discounts - via our benefit platform, you will have access to over 50 retailer discounts for everyday savings!