Permanent, full time. Location: London (Paddington) – hybrid (3 days per week in office).
About Us
DS Smith, together with International Paper, is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre‑based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time.
About the Role
This is a permanent, full‑time position based in London (Paddington) with a hybrid working arrangement (3 days per week in office). The Commercial Finance Business Partner will support the Sales, Marketing and Innovation (SMI) function and the Sub‑regional Finance teams and FP&A within the central Packaging division. The role supports the Head of Commercial Finance in aligning the SMI teams to the organisation’s strategic objectives, embeds an updated forecasting/budgeting process in line with the new o9 Forecasting tool, and owns and governs the tool.
Responsibilities
- Own and drive the forecasting and budgeting process, managing the timetable of key delivery dates.
- Produce monthly and yearly statistical forecasts (volumes, revenue), validate forecast accuracy, and meet stakeholder requirements.
- Manage the revenue cycle, conduct deep analysis of revenue drivers and impacts (including the paper market).
- Develop and manage pricing strategy and pricing adjustment mechanics, linking these to margin.
- Develop a deep understanding of DS Smith’s sales environment, key customer trends and packaging market challenges.
- Own and drive the rollout of the new divisional sales forecasting process in alignment with the o9 tool; work closely with sub‑regional contacts.
- Oversee the monthly reconciliation of the o9 tool versus the Finance reporting system (HFM) and drive automation of this process.
- Ensure the overall integrity of data within the o9 tool and work closely with IT, the Transformation team and external service providers for maintenance and escalation.
- Govern the Sales Database tool.
- Oversee the suite of monthly reports to Sales, Marketing and Innovation, driving automation with the Business Intelligence team.
- Develop insightful and analytical reporting to demonstrate the value of the o9 tool.
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholders, providing timely and proactive communication.
- Influence and challenge: partner with sales teams, understand their trading environments and challenge assumptions based on fundamental analysis.
Qualifications
- Formal finance qualification desirable.
- Strategic and commercial acumen with strong critical‑thinking skills and ability to navigate a multinational, matrix environment.
- Profound experience of working in matrix roles.
- Experience within FMCG desirable.
- Proven ability to communicate with and influence senior‑management level stakeholders.
- Ownership of sales forecasting, budgeting, demand planning; ideally prior experience with S&OP planning tools (Anaplan, BY, FuturMaster, IBM planning analytics, Kinaxis, o9, OMP, etc.).
- Process design and redesign experience is a bonus.
- Advanced skills with MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint).
- Financial modelling experience preferred.
- Experience with Power BI, Cognos reporting or similar is desirable.
- Critical thinking will be a key attribute.
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Discretionary bonus
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Car allowance
- Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
- Private medical insurance
- Salary sacrifice electric car scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Employee discounts
- Cycle to work scheme
Diversity & Inclusion
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. We welcome all candidates, even those not meeting every criterion.
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