Financial Planning & Analysis Senior Business Partner

The Finance Department provides financial reporting for the firm, including the preparation of partnership and statutory accounts, along with regulatory financial and capital reporting and appropriate tax filings. We manage payments on behalf of the business, payroll, pensions and process staff expenses. We provide full Board support on all finance matters including support to business development initiatives as well as financial modelling to support decision making., Reporting into the Financial Planning & Analysis lead, you will support in the development of financial reports, forecasts and analysis to support performance improvement and decision making. Working with the other team members this is a brilliant opportunity to help shape the direction of travel in an area that is of strategic importance to Baillie Gifford.

To be successful in this role you're someone who is endlessly curious in the pursuit of understanding the commercial and operational drivers of business with a focus on customer service. You like building relationships, are self-sufficient and have the confidence to understand complex information, distilling the information into the key points for stakeholders across the firm.

Responsibilities

• Finance business partnering and development of financial insight to support decision making.


• Have a solid understanding of how the overall firm works and the areas of the firm you support to understand key drivers that impact financial outcomes.


• Bring together history, actuals, trends and forecasts, as well as both financial and non-financial data to provide high quality data driven analysis with a commercial viewpoint.


• Create, monitor and analyse key financial and operational metrics to support firm initiatives, including scenario analysis and early identification of risks and opportunities to enable a pro-active approach.


• Delivery of group level financial information to partners, senior committees, heads of department and key stakeholders.


• Utilise long-term financial planning models, including appropriate scenario development, for input into business planning and capital and liquidity projections


• Assist with decision support for business initiatives, including building and tracking financial business cases.


• Ensure quality, accuracy and timeliness of outputs


• Collaborate closely with the teams within Finance to ensure all financial aspects are considered in financial planning and ensure joined up thinking.


• Role model the behaviours expected of members of the FP&A team and Finance department.
  
  Qualified Accountant (preferred.)


• Evidence of being financial savvy and having a commercial understanding of finance.


• Delivery of presentations to senior stakeholders and guiding through business cases.


• Evidence strong business and financial acumen of the key commercial and operational drivers impacting an organisation.


The Type of Candidate That We're Looking For

You'll be confident and able to drive forward change in our approach and methods of FP&A through influencing those around you, and generating insights through critical thinking, challenging assumptions and experimentation.

You have the ability to make connections between commercial and operational activities and how they link to strategic objectives. You're proactive in building a strong network of relationships with people from all relevant parts and levels of the firm.

You enjoy getting close to our data and how best it can be analysed, interpreted and visualised to tell a story. Colleagues would describe you as resourceful and that you enjoy collaborating with others. You'll be keen to get close to our forecasting system and take ownership of developing our long-term business plan to inform strategic decision making. You will respect the aspects of the firm's culture that directly impacts on FP&A.

Critical Skills (not limited to)


• Adaptability


• Nurture relationships


• Team working


• Systems thinking


• Data literacy
  
  At Baillie Gifford we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful culture in which each of our colleagues can thrive and develop. We believe that our clients are best served by a diverse workforce with the experiences, ideas and perspectives that this brings.