Finance Business Partner

Nottingham
February 14, 2024

Job Description


Job title: Finance Business Partner

Company: Potter Clarkson

Job description: We have an excellent opportunity for a Finance Business Partner to join our Finance team based in our Nottingham office.

Potter Clarkson LLP is one of the leading pan-European Intellectual Property law firms, with seven offices across the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

We offer clients a full IP service to support them in achieving their commercial objectives. We pride ourselves in the exceptional level of client care offered by our approachable and engaged team.

We have over 90 patent and trade mark professionals and 10 IP solicitors, who are expertly assisted by over 130 support staff and state of the art IT infrastructure.

The firm is consistently ranked in the top tier of major legal guides, such as Legal 500 and MIP. We also hold three independent ISO accreditations which evidence our high level of environmental awareness, service provision and information security.

We are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance, and supporting the wellbeing of all our people. We offer a wealth of health and wellbeing benefits and resources including healthcare, attractive flexible working options, sports and social groups, virtual mindfulness sessions, a virtual wellbeing hub, mental health first aiders, and a busy social calendar.

The Role

The Finance Business Partner, will provide insight and analysis to drive commercial decisions. They will ensure, whilst directing the Commercial Finance Analyst, that management information is accurate, delivered on a timely basis and is sufficiently granular to support review and decision making at the fee earning department and office levels.

To support the Head of Finance and CFO by providing key metrics and analysis to enable improved operational and strategic business decisions. Working closely with the fee earning teams to ensure a good understanding of the key drivers to improve performance and profitability.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • To work closely with fee earning teams to ensure they have sufficient information to drive good commercial decisions and to develop their understanding of financial metrics and KPIs through coaching. Challenge appropriately as necessary. Have a strong oversight of each team’s main areas of profitability, key clients and team structure.
  • Responsible for the preparation of budgets and forecasts for income and costs for their respective fee earning teams.
  • Ensure the timely delivery of monthly reporting to their fee earning teams and support production of the management information pack.
  • To understand the components and drivers of income, including both time billed and other/disbursement income, and provide back to the business insights on variances to budget/prior year and opportunities for profitable growth.
  • To work with large volumes of data, highlighting any inconsistencies or inaccuracies and creating meaningful and insightful information presented in a variety of formats to suit the audience.
  • Work closely with the Head of Finance and CFO to deliver financial information for strategy and board using a variety of presentational aids.
  • To develop the Commercial Finance Analyst.
  • To take on ad hoc duties as and when they arise including high level cover for the Head of Finance during periods of absence.

Requirements

Technical

  • Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, logic formulas and look ups.
  • Excellent knowledge of Microsoft packages including Outlook, Word and PowerPoint.
  • Relevant qualification and experience i.e. ACCA/ACA/CIMA.
  • Excellent systems knowledge.
  • Experience of working within a changing and dynamic finance environment undertaking a broad range of finance tasks and responsibilities.
  • Working within a professional services sector is desirable.

Personal

  • Excellent time management and organisation skills required. The ability to prioritise work is essential.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to influence decision making. To be professional at all times and build good working relationships.
  • Flexible and adaptable in approach with an enquiring mind to challenge appropriately where necessary.
  • Process driven, organised individual who excels at meeting deadlines when working within a busy team environment.
  • Excellent team working ethic to ensure a seamless finance service is provided across the business.
  • Use of initiative when problem solving demonstrating logical and consistency.
  • Demonstrable business acumen and commercial awareness.
  • To work flexibly to meet the needs of the service is essential.

Benefits

  • Competitive salary based on experience.
  • 24 days holiday + Bank Holidays.
  • A generous company pension scheme.
  • Healthcare package.
  • Birthday leave.
  • Flexible working policy.
  • Travel loan scheme.
  • Discretionary annual bonus.
  • Purchase of extra holiday scheme.
  • Company away days & social events.

We are committed to providing a highly supportive, inclusive and stimulating workplace for all our people. Read more about how we’re building a more equal, diverse and inclusive culture .

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