Who are we?
Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
What we’re looking for
We are looking for someone to lead the execution of Group FP&A reporting deliverables and budgeting and reforecasting cycles and contribute to a wider overall transformation of the Group FP&A function.
You will report into the Group FP&A Director and will be responsible for ensuring that Group FP&A’s regular reporting deliverables are to a high standard, providing insight appropriate to the audience and produced on a timely basis. You will be managing the budgeting and reforecasting cycles, ensuring communications to the Divisions are clear; that submissions from Divisions are properly reviewed and challenged and appropriate analysis and insight is provided to the Group CFO and HGH Board to ahead of any approvals sought. We need someone who will help support in driving the enhancement of our analysis of actual and forecast performance, driving greater understanding and insight of the drivers of our financial performance.
You will support work to develop, refine, and implement the operating model for FP&A to ensure the Group has strong foundations from which to achieve its future strategic goals. Collaborating with the Group FP&A Director, Head of FP&A Transformation and Head of FP&A Modelling and Appraisal, you will help address emerging finance activities and support the development of solutions. You will also help develop the Group FP&A business partners, delegating responsibility as appropriate with the goal that they will take full ownership of their Divisional relationships and associated Divisional updates for various reporting, budgeting and reforecasting deliverables. This role also provides direct engagement with our private equity investors and lenders, driving reporting deliverables and coordinating Q&A.
Please note that this is a full-time, permanent role based in our Central London office. Following a hybrid work pattern, you are expected to be onsite 3-4 days per week on average.
What you’ll be doing
- Responsible for the timely execution of all management reporting deliverables including flash, management accounts as well as lender reporting (front half), ensuring sufficient time available for review of deliverables by Group FP&A Director and other senior finance colleagues ahead of final submissions
- Responsible for budget and reforecasting timetable and deliverables, leading high level communication with Divisions (supporting Group FP&A business partners)
- Supporting the development of, and ongoing implementation of an overhaul of FP&A at Howden Group.
- Provide input and support to draft deliverables produced by Head of FP&A Transformation, testing for viability and providing challenge as part of delivery process
- Provide input and support around finance systems review
- Leading insight and analysis for Group CFO related to management reporting and budgeting/reforecasting deliverables
- Ensuring Group CFO / CEO are well prepared for Divisional meetings around financial results, budgeting and reforecasts
- Ensuring Group CFO / CEO are well prepared as part of the quarterly lender reporting, ensuring back up materials and speaker notes are detailed and provide appropriate Q&A support
- Support other ad hoc finance projects for the Group FP&A Director as they arise.
- Support investor relations requirements as needed across both debt and equity capital raising, ongoing reporting and Q&A
- Embraces agility and new ways-of-working improving collaboration, use of technology and increasing the throughput of improvements into the FP&A organisation.
- Acts as an agent for change through inspiring a diverse workforce to commit to stakeholder engagement, communication and change management actions.
- Engaging with non-finance departments to ensure that any projects that impact finance, include budget and finance representation, and are governed accordingly.
- Ensuring business cases for ad hoc CEO / Group projects are available to help support priority decision making where and when required.
- The role requires specific attention to the execution of overall Group objectives working in collaboration with other colleagues internationally and across joint ventures.
- Support for more junior FP&A team members ensuring the team remains motivated and appropriately resourced.
- This role has responsibility to build relationships and engagements with key stakeholders within Howden, including Group FP&A Director, Group FP&A Team, The Divisional CFO’s and Divisional FP&A teams and The Group Internal and External Financial Reporting team.
What qualifications we’re looking for
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or equivalent) with 10+ years PQE
- Ability to work in a fast-paced dynamic environment with high degrees of ambiguity arising from a period of significant change
- Strong financial acumen and analytical mind set, capable of synthesising large and complex data sets.
- Ability to present financial and non-financial information and trends concisely which is engaging to the target audience.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, working with demanding stakeholders and senior management with the ability to write and present complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- An understanding of the importance of excellent customer service and a “can do” attitude. Ability to work well in a team environment including actively contributing in meetings and a collaborative mindset.
- Proven experience and evidence of senior stakeholder management and change/transformation projects
- Ability to work pro-actively, under pressure and independently with minimal direction.
- Tactful, diplomatic, and able to thrive in an ever-changing environment.
- Ability to develop a business case and track costs, negotiate vendor contracts and develop a statement of work (SOW)
- Patience and empathy when dealing with internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent financial/budget management experience
- Ability to work with technology, MS Excel, and systems such as OneStream competently
- Experience of using a group financial reporting system
- Experience of production of aggregated financial reporting for a multiple businesses or projects
- A good understanding of the following: FP&A systems, Data Management platforms, Unit 4, One Stream XF Financials, analytical tools and visualisation software
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
Reasonable adjustments
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent