Commercial Finance Manager

Why BT?

BT has a key role in British society, fostering change and leading technology innovation. From delivering the Olympics, to supporting the emergency services, to investing more into research than any other UK technology company, we take pride in everything we do - and in the people who work here. 
We're now a global company operating at the forefront of the information age, employing 90,000 people in 180 countries. And we're on a mission. Guided by our core values of Personal, Simple and Brilliant our goal is to help customers, communities and businesses overcome barriers and release their potential.
So, if you're interested in the power of potential, why not join us today and release yours? 

Read more about what it's like to work at BT.
 

Why Business Unit/Function

With customers in 180 countries, we're a leading global business communications provider. We have 17,000 people serving multinational companies, providing the services they need to create the digital transformation of their businesses.

Thanks to our portfolio strategy, we provide high-performance, integrated and secure network and IT infrastructure services to global customers. It means our customers can connect easily and securely to the applications and data they need, wherever they are in the world. Our Digital GS strategy we are moving to will help create a better future for GS and our people. With a business focused around a global customer base and a portfolio of scalable repeatable solutions, supported by outstanding customer service and market-leading security.

To deliver it we need to focus where we can be brilliant, be more straightforward to do business with and meet customer needs with greater agility. This will help us to become a more profitable, predictable and customer-focused business.
 

Why this job matters

The role holder will operate in a highly complex Global environment where there is high financial impact. 
Winning and retaining profitable business across GS’s largest accounts is critical. Through engagement and financial leadership on BTGS’s deals, the role holder will have the ability to influence the quality and accuracy of bid responses, drive financial risk mitigation, positively influencing win rates and directly impact BT’s drive for profitable growth.  
This is a great role for someone who is looking to develop their commercial and customer facing skills and experience.  You may not have direct commercial finance experience and come from a background of business partnering or a technical background and be looking to step into a dynamic sales focussed role.
Great career development opportunity including support for CIMA studies.
Some international travel to co-locate with bid teams or attend customer meetings may be required.
 

What I’ll be doing – your accountabilities

•    Leading or supporting the Commercial Finance work stream of a cross-functional bid response team, the Finance Manager (FM) is responsible for structuring deals to achieve the right outcome for BT and the customer.
•    Ensuring that bids have been costed and priced accurately and have been thoroughly prepared in accordance with BTGS policy and adhere to the published governance rules.
•    Ensuring that associated material financial risks and considerations are captured and communicated to the approval authorities.  
•    Working closely with global bid teams consisting of sales, technical, service design, legal and product specialists, to accurately price new business proposals in accordance with Customer tender requirements.
•    Driving bid teams on key commercial aspects (for example: delivery penalties, discount structures, billing models and cashflow optimisation, foreign exchange, contract termination provisions) and pricing strategy.
•    Proactively approaching to understand the basis, underlying assumptions and drivers of BTs offering, ensuring these are aligned with Customer requirements (pricing structures, budget) and clearly communicated in BT offer documents where required.
•    Preparing and presentating briefing papers and analysis up to BT GS/Board Level, ensuring decisions are taken in an open and honest way with full transparency of numbers and issues.
•    Driving initiatives that improve the underlying processes for Commercial & Bid.
 

Skills required for the job

•    Communication & influencing: Compelling communication and influencing skills, with ability to articulate and optimise design based on the value to the user and BT Pragmatic team player, adept at holding others to account
•    Collaborator: An ability to globally matrix-manage cross-business teams to complex and multi-phase solutions 
•    Financial & commercial acumen: high financial literacy to create, evaluate business cases, as well as experience of governing the allocation of a substantial transformation budget. 
•    Outcome orientation: this role requires a strong orientation towards outcomes, combined with willingness to disrupt
•    Agile Mindset: customer centricity, outside in thinking, empowers others to fail, learn and grow. Drives a culture of collaboration, transparency, safety and trust

Connected leaders behaviours
•    Collaborative partner - I break down silos, and work brilliantly with partners both within and outside of the organisation to deliver business results. I understand the agendas and needs of others, alongside the needs of the business.
•    Commercial thinker - I come up with ideas, provide insights and create propositions that benefit our business. I understand the wider market and commercial drivers.
•    Change agent - I adapt quickly and perform effectively – even when there’s ambiguity. I identify, create and lead smooth business changes.
•    Customer champion - I champion our customers’ in everything I do. I understand customers’ needs and challenges and don’t stop until we create brilliant experiences for them.
•    Bold decision maker - I use the right blend of analysis, intuition and experience to break down problems and reach decisions.
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Experience you would be expected to have

•    Graduation /Post Graduation /  Further qualification to support specialism (.e.g. CIMA, ACCA, IIA, CISA, ACT, CTA, MCT, IR Society Certificate or equivalent), or exceptionally equivalent experience 
•    Minimum experience of wide range of financial disciplines
•    Demonstrable, successful business partnering experience owning relationships at a senior/mid level both internally to Director and Senior Finance Business Partner
•    Strong communicator with the ability to present ideas and influence to senior managers and customers.
•    Experienced working across a wide range of teams and stakeholders to align plans and deliver business outcomes

Key decisions
Accountable for managing business case and presenting numbers to Agreer’s and Decider under RAPID