Senior Finance Business Partner

Act as the primary financial business partner to the Technology function, owning the full budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis cycle for a ~$35M Non-Employee IT expense base supporting 400+ employees. This role goes beyond data consolidation: it requires proactively engaging Technology leadership in business discussions, independently translating those discussions into financial numbers, and delivering decision-quality insight, dashboards and follow-through on actions — reducing the need for Director-level involvement in day-to-day business partnering.

Some of the things you’ll be doing

1. Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the first point of contact for Technology leadership on all financial matters, independently engaging in business discussions.
• Proactively ask the right questions of Technology, Procurement and Vendor Management stakeholders to understand cost drivers, new initiatives, vendor contracts and renewal terms ahead of time.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships across the Technology organization to gain early visibility into spend decisions and changes.

1. Budgeting & Forecasting

• Own end-to-end Non-EE budgeting and forecasting for the $35M Technology cost base across all managed ERPs.
• Download, consolidate and reconcile transaction-level data from NetSuite, SAP, Tally and other regional ERPs, mapping consistently to EPM cost categories.
• Partner with Technology leaders to validate assumptions, vendor renewals, contract changes and new project spend ahead of each budget/forecast cycle.

1. Variance Analysis & Commentary

• Deliver high-quality, insight-led variance commentary (Actuals vs Budget/Forecast) that clearly explains root causes and business drivers rather than restating numbers.
• Prepare a “no-surprises” analysis ahead of monthly/quarterly reviews, anticipating leadership questions.

1. Reporting & Dashboards

• Maintain and continuously improve the Power BI Technology dashboard (Non-EE, EE and headcount views), ensuring accuracy and timely refresh.
• Enable self-service reporting for Technology and Finance stakeholders.

1. Action Tracking & Follow-Through

• Maintain a structured action/issue tracker for open items with Procurement, Finops and BU stakeholders, ensuring clear ownership, due dates and closure.
• Drive items through to measurable resolution rather than repeated status-only follow-ups; escalate stalled items proactively.

1. Governance & Controls

• Ensure accurate cost centre, project and vendor cost allocation across Business Units.
• Support audit and compliance requirements relating to Technology spend and cost recharges.

1. Process Leadership & Automation

• Identify and drive automation opportunities to reduce manual, multi-ERP consolidation effort (e.g., Power Query/Power Automate).
• Guide and review the work of any junior finance resources supporting Technology reporting.

What technical skills, experience, and qualifications do you need?

• Qualified accountant, MBA (Finance), or equivalent senior finance qualification, with 8+ years of overall finance experience including 3+ years in a Finance Business Partnering / FP&A role.
• Proven experience managing a large, multi-million-dollar Technology/IT cost base, including SAAS, licensing and vendor spend.
• Practical, hands-on experience with multiple ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Tally or similar), including consolidation of data from disparate systems.
• Advanced Excel and Power BI skills; experience with Oracle EPM or similar planning/consolidation tools is preferred.
• Prior experience supporting or partnering with a Technology/IT organization is highly preferred.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to independently engage Technology leaders, ask probing questions, and translate discussions into financial plans without close supervision.
• Excellent variance analysis and financial storytelling skills, producing clear, insight-driven commentary suited to senior leadership audiences.
• Strong sense of ownership and follow-through, driving actions to closure and measurable outcomes rather than status updates alone.
• Ability to manage multiple ERP data sources, consolidating and reconciling large transaction volumes efficiently and accurately.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and presentation skills across finance and non-finance audiences.
• A process-improvement and automation mindset, with the ability to simplify and streamline recurring reporting tasks.

Key Competencies

• Commercial and analytical thinking
• Ownership, follow-through and cross-functional coordination
• Constructive challenge and clear stakeholder communication
• Root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving
• Ability to convert detailed data into focused management actions
• Agility and adaptability in a fast-changing technology cost environment
• Own the full budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis cycle for the Technology function's ~35M Non-Employee IT expense base.
• Proactively engage with Technology leadership, understanding their business needs and translating them into financial insights.
• Develop and deliver decision-quality dashboards and reports, providing actionable financial intelligence to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Vendor Management, and FinOps teams to optimize expense management and contract negotiations.
• Partner with Corporate FP&A and BU Controllers to ensure alignment and consistency in financial planning and reporting.
• Conduct in-depth financial analysis and provide recommendations to support Technology's strategic initiatives and investment decisions.
• Monitor and analyze financial performance, identifying trends and variances, and proposing corrective actions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures, maintaining accurate records and documentation.
• Support the Director of Finance in special projects and ad-hoc financial analyses as required.
• Stay updated on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies to enhance financial strategies and processes.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a finance business partnering role, preferably in a technology or IT environment.
• Strong knowledge of financial principles, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Proficiency in using financial systems and tools such as NetSuite, SAP, Tally, Oracle EPM, and Power BI.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience in providing financial insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Familiarity with regional ERPs and experience working with diverse financial systems is preferred.
• A proactive and collaborative approach to working with cross-functional teams.