Finance Business Partner

Finance Business Partner

Harrogate

Salary: £Genuinely Competitive (we can advise you on application)

Benefits: Hybrid working with 3 days on site, flexible start/finish times, 6% pension, private medical and 25 days holiday

Seymour John is acting as the retained search partner to our client, Smithers.  This is an opportunity to join a profitable, well-run and growing international business with a supportive culture and a strong sense of collective ownership. The role offers genuine autonomy, visibility with senior leaders, and the chance to influence how finance supports the Environmental Risk Sciences (ERS) division as the business continues to evolve.

Smithers is a long-established, international provider of testing, consulting, information and compliance services, supporting clients across a range of technically complex and essential industries. Within its Environmental Risk Sciences division, the business is seeking a commercially minded Finance Business Partner to provide high-quality financial insight, challenge and support to operational leaders.

This is a broad and influential role, where you will work closely with senior leaders across the ERS business and finance colleagues in the UK and the US. The successful candidate will play a key role in financial reporting, planning, forecasting, business case support and decision-making, helping the business understand performance and identify opportunities to improve commercial outcomes.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Finance, Europe, you will provide proactive financial support to the Smithers ERS European business and act as a trusted partner to business leaders. You will help translate financial information into meaningful insight, support investment and resource planning decisions, and contribute to the continued development of finance systems, controls and processes.

• Produce accurate monthly management accounts, analysis, quarterly forecasts and annual business plans.
• Partner with operational leaders to review performance, understand variances and support better commercial decision-making.
• Prepare and present financial insight for local and global ERS leadership meetings.
• Support business cases for capital expenditure, expansion, pricing and resource planning.
• Review balance sheet and working capital balances, including accruals, prepayments, cash and bank balances.
• Help maintain robust financial controls, risk management and compliance with Group accounting policies.
• Support the implementation and ongoing development of Sage Intacct and related finance systems.
• Work collaboratively with finance peers across the UK, Europe and the US to share best practice and improve processes.

The Person

We are looking for a qualified accountant, or an exceptionally experienced QBE finance professional, with a strong background in commercial finance and business partnering. You will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, able to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues, and confident providing constructive challenge where needed.

• Qualified CIMA, ACCA or ACA, or exceptionally experienced QBE.
• At least three years’ experience in commercial finance, ideally within a business services environment.
• Experience across reporting, planning, control, forecasting and financial management.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn financial data into practical insight and action.
• Experience supporting business leaders to improve commercial performance.
• Exposure to cloud-based finance systems or ERP platforms (they use Sage Intacct).
• A collaborative, engaging and principled approach, with the confidence to influence at different levels of the business.

Smithers Benefits

Benefits include a genuinely competitive salary (we can tell you on application), hybrid working, flexible start and finish times, employer-matched pension contributions up to 6%, private medical cover following probation, 25 days’ holiday, life assurance, an Employee Assistance Programme, hybrid working, reward and recognition schemes, eyecare vouchers, Ride2Work scheme, employee engagement events and other wellbeing initiatives.

How to Apply

For a confidential discussion or to apply, please contact Phil Topper at Seymour John Recruitment Limited. Seymour John is retained by Smithers as the executive search partner for this appointment.  Any CVs sent directly to Smithers will be forwarded to Seymour John for inclusion in their assessment process.