Head of FP&A

Job Title: Head of FP&A

Reports to: European CFO

Employment type: Full time, permanent Hybrid with two days a week in our Burntwood head office

Salary: Competitive with annual salary bonus and company car or car allowance

 

 

About the role

Busy Bees Group, a leading global childcare and early years education provider, is expanding rapidly in the UK. We are seeking a highly skilled and commercially focused Head of FP&A to join our team. In this key leadership role, you will provide financial insight, analysis, and strategic guidance to support decision-making and drive business performance.

 

Working closely with operational leaders, department heads, and senior management, you will lead financial planning, forecasting, and performance reporting with oversight of European financial planning activities as part of the wider remit while acting as a trusted business partner across the organisation.

 

 

About Busy Bees

Busy Bees is a world leading international early years business which has experienced a period of rapid expansion over the last ten years in both the UK and overseas. Worldwide, the Group has over 1,000 centres across nine countries and a global turnover of approx. £1 billion. The Group’s ambition is to become the largest global early education provider through continuation of its buy and build strategy.

 

 

About the Benefits

• Sector leading Family Leave.Enhanced maternity/paternity and adoption leave
• Up to 25% Annual salary bonus
• Hybrid working
• Big Benefits. Dedicated 24/7 employee benefits platform Hive (Reward Gateway)
• with retail, cinema, and travel discounts
• 35% Childcare discount.
• 33 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays and an extra day off for your birthday every year
• Health and Wellbeing.We know that sometimes life can be tricky, or you might need guidance so you can lean on our Employee Assistance Program and our Peppy and Mental Health Apps
• Further Training and development.Access to our own training company to help support you in your development and gaining further qualifications

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive financial analysis to provide insight into business performance, preparing accurate and timely reports and presentations for management that highlight key trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead the annual budgeting process and collaborate with stakeholders to develop budgets and forecasts aligned with strategic objectives, monitoring performance against targets and investigating variances.
• Oversee financial planning, forecasting, and performance reporting activities across Europe as part of the wider FP&A remit, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with group standards.
• Partner with business leaders to develop and evaluate strategic initiatives, business plans, and investment opportunities, providing financial analysis and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Establish, monitor, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), analysing performance against targets, identifying areas for improvement, and supporting the development of action plans to enhance results.
• Build strong relationships with operational and senior stakeholders, acting as a trusted financial advisor and providing guidance to support commercial and operational objectives.
• Collaborate across functions to drive operational efficiency, improve financial effectiveness, and support the successful delivery of business projects and initiatives.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities, conduct risk assessments, develop mitigation strategies, and ensure compliance with financial regulations, company policies, and internal controls.
• Drive continuous improvement within the finance function by streamlining processes, enhancing reporting capabilities, improving financial systems, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency and accuracy.
• Lead, manage, and develop a team of two finance professionals, ensuring high performance, effective workload management, and ongoing professional development.

Key skills & Experience

• Professionally qualified accountant with a recognised qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, or ACA.
• Proven experience in a Head of FP&A, Senior FP&A, Finance Business Partnering, or similar leadership role within a UK-based organisation.
• Strong financial analysis, modelling, and reporting skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data from multiple systems and communicate insights effectively to non-financial stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance management processes.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build relationships, challenge constructively, and influence decision-makers at all levels.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with a commercial mindset and attention to detail.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong experience using financial systems, planning tools, and reporting software.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outcomes within a fast-paced environment.

Key skills & Experience

• Professionally qualified accountant with a recognised qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, or ACA.
• Proven experience in a Head of FP&A, Senior FP&A, Finance Business Partnering, or similar leadership role within a UK-based organisation.
• Strong financial analysis, modelling, and reporting skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data from multiple systems and communicate insights effectively to non-financial stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance management processes.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build relationships, challenge constructively, and influence decision-makers at all levels.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities, with a commercial mindset and attention to detail.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong experience using financial systems, planning tools, and reporting software.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outcomes within a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive financial analysis to provide insight into business performance, preparing accurate and timely reports and presentations for management that highlight key trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Lead the annual budgeting process and collaborate with stakeholders to develop budgets and forecasts aligned with strategic objectives, monitoring performance against targets and investigating variances.
• Oversee financial planning, forecasting, and performance reporting activities across Europe as part of the wider FP&A remit, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with group standards.
• Partner with business leaders to develop and evaluate strategic initiatives, business plans, and investment opportunities, providing financial analysis and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Establish, monitor, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), analysing performance against targets, identifying areas for improvement, and supporting the development of action plans to enhance results.
• Build strong relationships with operational and senior stakeholders, acting as a trusted financial advisor and providing guidance to support commercial and operational objectives.
• Collaborate across functions to drive operational efficiency, improve financial effectiveness, and support the successful delivery of business projects and initiatives.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities, conduct risk assessments, develop mitigation strategies, and ensure compliance with financial regulations, company policies, and internal controls.
• Drive continuous improvement within the finance function by streamlining processes, enhancing reporting capabilities, improving financial systems, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency and accuracy.
• Lead, manage, and develop a team of two finance professionals, ensuring high performance, effective workload management, and ongoing professional development.