Finance Business Partner (Senior Commercial Finance Manager)

In a nutshell

Are you a commercially astute finance leader who thrives on influencing decision‑making and driving performance?

We’re looking for a Senior Commercial Finance Manager to provide high‑quality financial and commercial insight to Finance Partners and senior stakeholders across the business. Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, this role plays a critical part in enabling the firm to achieve its financial objectives through robust analysis, trusted advice and forward‑looking commercial support.

This is an opportunity to operate as a true business partner - shaping strategy, driving efficiency and supporting sustainable growth in a dynamic professional services environment.

What you’ll be doing day to day

• Acting as a trusted commercial partner to Finance Partners and budget holders, providing clear, timely and insightful financial information to support effective decision‑making.
• Delivering high‑quality financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting and performance reporting, including variance analysis and ad‑hoc business insights.
• Acting as a sounding board on new initiatives, identifying commercial risks and opportunities at an early stage.
• Establishing and embedding effective processes for regular performance reviews, offering the right balance of challenge and support.
• Collaborating with local and central teams to ensure an efficient, effective and joined‑up finance service.
• Researching market and competitor activity to inform commercial thinking and best practice.
• Designing and delivering training to the wider business to improve financial understanding and commercial performance.
• Building strong relationships with Partners, Directors and senior stakeholders, confidently leading stakeholder meetings and influencing change.
• Supporting and developing team members through coaching, feedback and performance management.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of the department’s operational strategy.
• Actively promoting the firm’s ESG, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity initiatives, and encouraging sustainable ways of working.

About you

• Professionally qualified (CIMA, ACA, ACCA or equivalent) with strong, relevant post‑qualification experience.
• Proven experience in financial planning, analysis, forecasting, budgeting and commercial decision support, ideally within a complex or professional services environment.
• Strong people management experience, with a track record of developing and coaching others.
• Advanced Microsoft skills, particularly Excel, with the ability to translate data into meaningful insights.
• Commercially minded, with a clear understanding of how finance adds value to a business.
• Confident communicator with the presence and credibility to influence at Partner and Director level.
• Highly organised, resilient and able to manage multiple workstreams in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proactive, solutions‑focused and comfortable driving change and improvement across the business.

Why work at PKF Francis Clark

As the largest firm of independent chartered accountants and business advisers in South West England, PKF Francis Clark offers a wide range of opportunities to develop your career in the way that’s right for you.

Established in 1919, we’ve grown to nearly 1,000 people across offices in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. Our size means we can offer ambitious work with exciting clients and a friendly, supportive culture.

We want you to belong, be yourself and do your best work as part of a forward-thinking team, with a flexible approach to hybrid working and a strong focus on wellbeing, learning and development.

For the past four years, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces, rising to 6th out of 100 large organisations.

We’re a top 10 Best Workplace for Women, as well as being ranked for Wellbeing, Development, and Consulting and Professional Services. These rankings are compiled by Great Place to Work, based on confidential, independent feedback from our people. In addition, we’re one of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers.

Being a Certified B Corp means we’re held to high standards for environmental and social performance. We’re independently assessed to ensure we support our people, act responsibly and make long‑term decisions that balance people and planet.

We’re proudly independent, while collaborating internationally through the PKF Global family of firms. Together we’re the 13th largest provider of accountancy services in the UK, with connections to like‑minded advisers in 150 countries.

Your core benefits

• Group personal pension to help you build your future savings through employer and employee contributions
• Group life assurance providing cover up to four times your basic annual salary
• Group income protection available after six months’ service
• Health cash plan giving money back on everyday health costs, with free cover for up to four dependent children (up to age 24 in full‑time education) and the option to add a partner or spouse

Mental wellbeing

• Counselling and emotional support for you and your immediate family
• Virtual GP and second opinion services for you and your immediate family
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders for confidential, peer to peer support

Physical wellbeing

• Group private medical insurance, providing access to diagnosis and treatment
• Cycle to work scheme, with the option to purchase a bike and accessories up to £4,000*
• Discounted membership at gyms, pools and studios across the UK
• Digital health and wellbeing tools available through the employee health cash plan
• Support for colleagues experiencing menopause, as part of our Menopause Workplace Pledge, including webinars and a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel for ongoing support

Additional benefits

• Family friendly benefits, including enhanced pay, family leave coaching sessions and a parent network
• The option to buy up to five extra days of holiday (pro rata for part‑time colleagues) *
• One paid volunteering day each year to support local organisations
• Electric vehicle lease scheme (grade and pay criteria apply) *
• Gifts to mark key career and family milestones
• Expert led webinars on mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Francis Clark Charitable Foundation, offering support for current and former employees experiencing financial hardship

* These benefits are provided via a salary exchange and are subject to employee’s post exchange hourly rate remaining above the national minimum wage

Additional information

Please be aware that the job title used internally may not align exactly with the title displayed in this advert

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