Job title: Finance Business Partner

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Shoreditch, London

Reporting into: Finance Director

Hybrid/ Remote: WFH Monday & Friday. In the office Tuesday-Thursday

Purpose of the Role

The Finance Business Partner acts as the financial lead for two agencies within the group. The role provides commercial financial insight, owns agency P&L reporting, supports project financial management and ensures accurate revenue recognition, forecasting and statutory reporting. Acting as back-up for Finance Manager for payroll.

Key Responsibilities

1. Agency Financial Leadership

· Act as the finance lead for two agencies.

· Partner with leadership teams provide financial insight and challenge.

2. P&L Ownership

· Own the monthly P&L for assigned agencies.

· Prepare monthly management accounts and provide variance analysis and valuable commentary.

3. Revenue Recognition & Gross Profit

· Identify, drive and deliver improvements in Gross Profit

· Ensure revenue is recognised in line with client agreements and accounting policies.

· Review WIP, accrued income and deferred income balances.

4. Client Profitability & Utilisation

· Deliver reporting on client profitability and staff utilisation.

· Provide the FD with regular updates on actions taken to improve profitability

· Run regular post project review sessions identify learnings and ensure that they are applied to future projects

· Work with leadership teams to improve margins.

5. Revenue & GP Forecasting

· Maintain rolling revenue and gross profit forecasts.

· Update forecasts regularly with input from client teams.

6. Financial Planning

· Lead the annual budgeting process for assigned agencies.

· Provide budgets to the Operations head and monitor budgeted spend.

· Prepare quarterly financial reforecasts reflecting current performance and pipeline.

· Present budget and forecasts to the Finance Director, meeting the board deadlines set.

7. Work in Progress & Project Financial Management

· Monitor WIP balances ensuring timely billing.

· Ensure that there are regular WIP reviews with project teams.

8. Client Billing

· Ensure invoices are issued promptly in line with project milestones.

· Ensure no jobs close with unbilled costs.

9. Debtor Management

· Liaise with outsourced finance function on debtor chasing.

· Monitor aged debt and support collection of overdue balances.

· Maintain database of client payment terms.

10. Statutory Reporting

· Support the statutory audit process providing information to Auditors/Finance Manager as required to agreed deadlines.

11. Other

· Lead on finance system improvements and enhancements.

· Be the finance system super user, whilst ensuring rest of finance team are trained to a high level of system knowledge.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

6-Month KPIs

· Deliver accurate monthly P&L reporting within four working days of month-end.

· Deliver quarterly forecast within set deadlines.

· Establish regular utilisation, profitability and post project review sessions.

· Establish weekly revenue and gross profit forecasting processes.

· Ensure WIP reviews completed regularly for all major projects.

· Maintain aged debt over 60 days close to zero through proactive follow-up.

12-Month KPIs

· Deliver annual budget for assigned agencies in line with agreed timelines.

· Complete three quarterly reforecasts with forecast accuracy within 10–15%.

· Improve client profitability visibility and margin performance across key accounts.

· Maintain WIP ageing under agreed targets and improve billing discipline.

· Deliver at least one finance process improvement or efficiency gain.

Skills

· Qualified Accountant.

· Knowledge of working with international divisions an advantage.

· Exposure to working in a large group an advantage

· Strong commercial finance and analytical skills.

· Excellent attention to detail.

· Excellent communication with non-finance stakeholders.

· Strong Excel and financial modelling capabilities.

· Ability to influence operational decision-making.

At Captivate Group we are committed to providing an inclusive environment where everyone feels seen, heard and celebrated. We welcome applications from everyone. If you are invited to an interview, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to best accommodate your needs.