Head of Commercial Finance (Fashion/Retail)
3 days ago
Guildford
Reports to: CFO (functional), COO (day-to-day) Direct reports: Management Accountant + Transactional Finance (if applicable) Location: West Sussex (Must be able to come into the office 3 days a week) Role Purpose This is a pivotal role that blends commercial insight, financial leadership, and team management. You will lead the day-to-day Finance team, drive commercial performance, and act as the business’s primary source of trading, margin, pricing and forecasting insight. Working alongside a part-time CFO focused on corporate governance, this role owns the commercial engine of finance: • Weekly trading and performance insight Budgeting, forecasting, and margin analysis, • Decision support for product, retail, digital and operations, • Developing and managing finance team capability Ensuring high-quality financial reporting and analysis, • This person is hands-on, commercially strong, and confident working directly with senior leaders across the business. Key Responsibilities Lead the Finance Team (Day-to-Day) • Manage and develop the Management Accountant and wider finance team., • Oversee the month-end process and ensure accurate, timely delivery., • Set priorities, review outputs, coach the team and drive a culture of accuracy, accountability and improvement., • Ensure the finance function is well-organised, efficient, and continuously improving. Commercial Insight & Business Partnering • Lead weekly trade reporting with clear, actionable insight., • Analyse category, product, channel, margin and customer performance., • Partner with Product, Merchandising, Retail, Digital and Operations to drive profitable decisions., • Support pricing strategy, promotions, and discounting decisions., • Translate data into insights and insights into actions. Forecasting, Budgeting & Planning • Own the budgeting and reforecast cycles (P&L, margin, opex, cashflow)., • Build and improve driver-based forecasting models., • Provide scenario modelling to support growth decisions (new products, channels, markets, stores, pricing changes)., • Ensure forecasts are realistic, commercially grounded, and aligned with trading behaviour. Financial Reporting & Month-End Support • Review management accounts, KPIs and financial packs before submission to the CFO/COO., • Provide clear, concise commercial commentary., • Ensure accuracy of key margin and stock-related entries in partnership with the Management Accountant., • Tighten the link between operational data and financial results. Cashflow Oversight (CFO leads governance; you manage the operational rhythm) • Maintain a weekly cashflow model with clear visibility of peaks and pressures. Work with procurement, operations, and sales to improve working capital. Support CFO with cash planning and funding requirements. Audit, Governance & Compliance (Support Role) (CFO owns; you ensure operational readiness) • Ensure accurate, robust audit files are prepared by the team., • Strengthen controls, reconciliations and processes across the business., • Maintain integrity of financial data and reporting systems. Systems, Reporting & Process Improvement • Improve BI dashboards (Power BI/Looker Studio) to increase clarity and speed of insight., • Enhance processes across reporting, forecasting and operational finance., • Drive automation and simplification of finance workflows. Skills & Experience Required Essential • ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified (or equivalent commercial finance background)., • Strong commercial finance experience in retail, consumer, product or multi-channel businesses., • Proven experience managing or mentoring finance staff., • Strong modelling capability and advanced Excel skills., • Ability to interpret complex trading data and turn it into actions., • Confident working alongside senior leaders and challenging constructively., • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hands-on SME environment. Desirable • Experience with BI tools (Power BI, Looker Studio)., • Experience with stock, margin, costings and product economics., • Exposure to ERP systems (Netsuite, SAP B1, Sage Intacct etc.). Personal Attributes • Commercially curious and insights-driven., • Confident leader who enjoys developing people., • Strong communicator: simple, clear, fact-based., • Proactive, organised and able to work at pace., • Hands-on and comfortable balancing commercial and operational priorities., • Collaborative team player who can partner with all departments.