Commercial Finance Business Partner

The role

DLA Piper, a leading global law firm, is looking for a commercially minded professional to join as a Commercial Finance Business Partner who will be a key part of our Finance Business Partnering team sitting within the Finance function.

The Commercial Finance Business Partner will be responsible for partnering with specific Service Directors and other budget holders and ensuring that there is rigour and control over the management and reporting of costs. This will include BAU analysis and reporting, cyclical work such as the budget and reforecasting processes and ad-hoc analysis.

Working in a small team of three; two Finance Business Partners (Costs) and one Senior Finance Business Partner, this role will have an overall focus on cost management across the firm.

Headcount will be a key focus for the Business Partnering team and this role will ensure that the Firm has regular, comprehensive and easy to understand data on headcount and commentary on variances to budget.

The Business Partner will be responsible for ensuring high quality commentary and insight to Service Director, Head of Operations and Senior Costs BP whilst providing knowledge of financial budgeting, strategic planning, innovation and projects and communication in the context of the business service areas they are responsible for.

This is a new role, which will develop over time and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to actively shape the role content and impact.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Influencing senior stakeholders and acting as a trusted advisor to the business by providing valuable commercial insights and challenge to cost plans
• Take the monthly MI and commentary to the Service Directors, highlighting progress against budget/reforecast, highlighting any emerging issues, potential challenges, and proposed actions.
• Ensuring Headcount data is prepared, reviewed and commentary given on any variances
• Working with the Costs Senior BP to provide a consistent, insightful and regular reporting and data set across specific Service Areas.
• Ad hoc analysis, reporting and modelling on a range of costs across the Firm.
• Analysing costs to identify trends, where the business might mitigate identified risks or overspend and working with the Senior Finance BP – Costs to implement changes.
• Investigating and seeking remedies for discrete issues which may be adversely affecting business performance
• Liaise with other finance leads, ensuring that the firm’s cost position and cost trajectory is understood e.g. Regional Heads, Local Finance Managers, Tax team
• Suggestions for methods of improving processes and reporting, delivering efficiency enhancements and cost savings.

ABOUT YOU

• ACCA / ACA / CIMA qualified
• Excellent written and verbal communication and has strength of personality to ensure the Finance view is clearly communicated.
• Excellent analysis and financial modelling skills
• Pro-active can-do approach and self-starter initiative are essential to success of this role
• Ability to work independently and part of a team
• Evidence of results-based delivery
• Decision support / enablement
• Great team working skills and a passion for delivering results
• Ability to flex working style to collaborate across functions and geographies and adapt to change

ABOUT US

DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers and business service professionals located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES

In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative – we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
• Be Bold – we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional – we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.

Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

HYBRID WORKING

We recognise that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That’s why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING

In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits and where relevant, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and work-related references.