Commercial Finance Manager
Location: London, UK (Hybrid – 3 to 4 days in office)
Reports to: VP, Finance (London)
Role Overview
The Commercial Finance Manager serves as the primary commercial authority and financial co‑pilot for the agency’s UK operations. Acting as a strategic advisor to Client Partnership and Project Management, you will be the final financial gatekeeper for the end‑to‑end commercial lifecycle—from formal review and approval of all client and vendor contracts to high‑accuracy performance reporting. You will leverage AI tools (Gemini, CoPilot, Claude) to transform manual workflows into predictive analytics, ensuring margin protection and root‑cause transparency across high‑value client portfolios. Mastery of NetSuite, NSPB and the transition to Mediaocean will drive operational excellence and position you as the single source of truth for our commercial stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- A. Contractual Control, Procurement & AP Lifecycle
- Final finance gatekeeper for all Client and Vendor contracts, reviewing and approving Statements of Work (SOWs), Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Vendor Service Agreements.
- Oversee the Media/Vendor Accounts Payable lifecycle in partnership with Accounting and the Shared Service Team to ensure end‑to‑end efficiency.
- Review and approve Purchase Orders (POs) against signed vendor contracts and audit billable costs within NetSuite to safeguard margin integrity.
- Ensure all contracts adhere to agency margin targets, payment terms, and liability requirements.
- Lead technical procurement negotiations with client‑side procurement teams to defend pricing models and resource plans.
- Translate financial risks into contractual safeguards for the Legal team during negotiations.
- B. Commercial Performance & AI Innovation (FP&A Partnership)
- Own the monthly performance analysis for the portfolio, identifying root causes of margin erosion at the client level.
- Provide timely, detailed, and accurate monthly performance reports on variances against budget, forecast, and prior year, focusing on root‑cause analysis.
- Serve as the primary source for the commercial narrative provided to FP&A, translating project variances into management commentary.
- Build and maintain AI‑driven dashboards (using Gemini/Claude) that give Client Partners real‑time visibility into margin health and burn rates.
- Drive continuous improvement in monthly financial reporting cycles and data integrity in partnership with Accounting, FP&A, Shared Service, Tech, and Procurement.
- C. Systems & Forecast Integrity (NetSuite & NSPB)
- Full accountability for vital forecast input data in NSPB, including revenue, compensation adjustments, and below‑line rephasing.
- Lead commercial transition and onboarding of Mediaocean while utilizing NetSuite as the primary ERP for monitoring actuals.
- Partner with Project Managers to review monthly project burn, ensuring revenue recognition aligns strictly with work completed.
- D. Strategic Operations, Audit & Compliance
- Manage the hiring approval workflow in partnership with POPs and PET, ensuring each new hire is client‑justified before Compensation Committee review.
- Collaborate with Accounting to provide all necessary monthly accruals for billable costs and intercompany charges.
- Lead support for internal and external client transparency audits.
- Maintain knowledge of UK VAT compliance for media spend and intercompany recharges.
- Trigger Shared Service invoicing, act as escalation point for overdue status, and recommend bad‑debt reserves to Accounting.
Qualifications
- Commercial Experience: 4–6 years in Commercial Finance, ideally within a fast‑paced agency environment.
- System Proficiency: Strong experience with NetSuite and Enterprise Planning Modules (NSPB, Adaptive Insights, or Hyperion).
- AI Growth Mindset: Genuine interest in using tools like Gemini, CoPilot, or Claude to reduce manual inputs and enhance insight generation.
- Data Visualization: Experience using BI tools such as Tableau or PowerBI to automate reporting solutions.
- Communication Mastery: Ability to translate complex financial data for non‑finance stakeholders (Sales/PMs).
- Operational Organiser: Detail‑oriented nature capable of managing complex hiring workflows and high‑volume contract reviews.
- Technical Extras: Proficiency in MS Excel/PPT is essential; exposure to coding (JavaScript, Python, R) is a significant plus.
VaynerMedia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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