Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

Role Summary:

The FP&A Manager will lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis for the business, providing forward‑looking insights and decision support to senior management. The role will work closely with operations, sales, supply chain, and the Controller to drive profitable growth, capital efficiency, and disciplined resource allocation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Planning, budgeting and forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting and long‑range planning process across all functions (sales, production, overheads, CAPEX), ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Run monthly and quarterly forecasting cycles; update outlooks based on actuals, market trends, and business assumptions.
• Build and maintain integrated financial models (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) at various operational levels. 

2. Performance analysis and management reporting

• Analyse monthly results vs. budget/forecast, providing clear variance explanations, risk/opportunity assessment, and recommended actions.
• Develop and deliver dashboards, KPIs, and management reports for senior leadership (profitability, cost trends, working capital, CAPEX, ROCE, etc.).
• Perform deep‑dive analyses on margins, yields, product/ customer profitability, plant efficiency, and overhead trends, particularly for manufacturing operations.

3.

• Act as strategic finance partner to business heads (sales, operations, supply chain, procurement), challenging assumptions and supporting data‑driven decisions.
• Evaluate commercial proposals, pricing changes, discounts, contracts, and new customer opportunities through scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Support strategic projects such as capacity expansion, new product introductions, make‑or‑buy decisions, and automation/efficiency initiatives with robust business cases.

4. Cash flow, CAPEX and investment analysis

• Prepare cash‑flow projections linked to plans and forecasts; highlight funding gaps, liquidity risks, and levers to improve cash generation.
• Analyse CAPEX proposals (IRR, NPV, payback), track post‑implementation benefits, and ensure learnings are fed back into future decisions.
• Assess impact of working capital changes on profitability and returns and partner with Controller/treasury to improve metrics.

5. Process improvement and systems

• Drive continuous improvement in FP&A processes, calendars, and templates to shorten cycles and enhance accuracy and insight.
• Champion better use of ERP, BI and planning tools; automate reports and models where possible to reduce manual work.
• Ensure data quality, consistency of definitions (KPIs, cost classifications), and robust documentation of models and assumptions.

6. Leadership and collaboration

• Mentor and guide finance team and accountants, setting high standards for analysis, accuracy and ownership, and stakeholder engagement.
• Foster a culture of fact‑based discussion and financial accountability across the organisation.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Chartered Accountant (CA) with 8–10 years of post‑qualification experience, including strong exposure to FP&A; manufacturing / FMCG / dairy or food processing experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, and management reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and strong experience with ERP and BI/reporting tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Business Central, Power BI, Tableau).

Skills & Attributes:

• Strong analytical, modelling, and problem‑solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable messages for non‑finance stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder‑management skills; comfort challenging assumptions constructively.
• High ownership, curiosity, and willingness to work hands‑on in a dynamic environment.