Overview
Cera is one of the UK’s leading providers of digital-first home healthcare, delivering high-quality care that enables people to live well and independently in their own homes. As we continue to scale, we are investing in a best-in-class finance function that drives operational performance and underpins our long-term ambition.
The Role
We are appointing a Head of Business Partnering to lead operational finance partnering across the business. Sitting between the Director of FP&A and a team of three FP&A Business Partners, this is the senior finance counterpart to the Chief Care Officer and a key voice within the wider senior leadership team.
The remit is deliberately operational, not all-encompassing. The focus is on driving better commercial decisions and tangible performance improvements across our care operations. You will raise the standard of business partnering, evolve the reporting suite and cadence, and ensure that operational leaders not only understand the financial drivers of the business – they act on them.
This is a senior appointment with substantial exposure to the C-suite, where credibility, clarity and commercial judgement will set the tone for how finance influences the operation.
We are looking for a hands-on, commercially-minded finance leader who is energised by being close to the operation – someone genuinely interested in what the business does, not just the numbers that come out of it.
Key Responsibilities
- Operational business partnering: Act as the principal finance partner to the Chief Care Officer and the operational leadership, providing challenge, insight and decision support on the issues that move the P&L.
- Translate operational performance into clear financial narratives, surfacing the drivers behind revenue, hours, margin and cost.
- Ensure finance is embedded in operational decision-making – not consulted after the fact.
- Leadership & team development Lead, coach and develop a team of three FP&A Business Partners, raising the standard of partnering across the regional network.
- Set clear expectations on quality, commerciality and stakeholder engagement; manage and develop the team against them.
- Build a high-performing partnering team known for insight, influence and impact.
- Budgeting, forecasting & financial models: Own and lead the annual budget and in-year re-forecasting cycles for operations end-to-end – from planning assumptions through to Executive sign-off.
- Further develop the operational budgeting and forecasting models, using AI to incorporate new data points and signals that were previously inaccessible to finance.
- Build models that operational leaders can use, interrogate and trust – not just inherit.
- Ensure clear ownership of forecast assumptions across the operational leadership, with disciplined tracking of risks, opportunities and changes.
- Pricing, tenders & strategic projects: Provide finance leadership on key bids, pricing decisions, and the financial modelling behind new tenders and re-tenders.
- Lead the financial assessment of carer pay uplifts, modelling P&L and margin impact and supporting recommendations to the Executive.
- Lead the analysis behind investment cases, branch performance reviews and operational change programmes.
- Identify and quantify opportunities to improve margin, productivity and capacity utilisation across the branch network.
- Own the operational reporting suite: what is reported, to whom, how often and to what end.
- Redesign and continuously improve monthly and in-month reporting to be sharper, more actionable, and tailored to the questions operational leaders need to answer.
- Drive a step-change in how reporting prompts action – embedding clear narrative, KPI focus and follow-through into the rhythm of the business.
- Present financial performance, risks and opportunities to the CFO, CEO, Chief Care Officer and wider Executive Team with confidence and clarity.
- Distil complexity into the few things that matter; back recommendations with evidence and conviction.
Skills & Experience
- Hands-on and commercially-driven, with a genuine interest in the operation – at your best working close to the business rather than at arm’s length from it.
- Significant FP&A experience at a senior level, with a strong track record of operational business partnering.
- Demonstrable experience leading and developing high-performing finance teams.
- Experience in the domiciliary care sector – or in a comparable multi-site, low-margin, service-based industry (e.g. healthcare, social care, hospitality, logistics) – is a strong advantage.
- Credible with the C-suite and senior operational stakeholders; a confident presenter able to land a message with the Executive Team.
- Sharp commercial instinct – able to cut through detail to the few drivers that actually move the business.
- Excellent financial modelling, analytical and reporting design skills.
- Practical day-to-day fluency with AI tools (Claude in particular), with a clear view on how AI can be applied to financial modelling and analysis, is a distinct advantage.
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
What We Offer
A senior, high-visibility role at a business scaling rapidly with a clear strategic agenda.
The opportunity to materially shape how finance influences operations across Cera.
Direct exposure to the CFO, CEO, Chief Care Officer and the wider senior leadership team.
A values-driven organisation focused on the quality of care we deliver.
Competitive senior package and clear scope for professional development.
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