Group FP&A Senior Manager

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Role Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Group FP&A, the Group FP&A Senior Manager plays a key leadership role in delivering group-level management information, planning and forecasting. The role is accountable in overseeing high-quality financial reporting cycles, including Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), long range planning and for reviewing and validating insight-led analysis to support senior decision-making.

Working closely with Finance colleagues across multiple time zones, the role will lead preparation of key reports and support strategic planning and modelling for senior leaders. This role will also provide leadership and guidance to the Group FP&A Manager and FP&A Centre of Excellence (CoE) to deliver financial models, dashboards and reports in Anaplan, and standardisation of planning and forecasting processes within the CoE.

Role Accountabilities

Group FP&A Reporting

Lead the preparation and end-to-end delivery of monthly management information (MI), including cash flow forecasts, P&L, performance management and reviews. Oversee the initiation and consolidation of the annual budget, Quarterly Business Review, Flash reporting cycles and monthly re-forecasts across the P&L, balance sheet and cash flow. Monitor and report on Group liquidity and facilities headroom, providing senior leadership with clear visibility of funding availability and ensuring financial constraints or risks are proactively identified and managed through planning and forecasting cycles. Lead the preparation of clear and precise papers and financial packs for the Board of Trustees, SLT and FCDO. Review and validate deep-dive variance analysis and financial KPIs, providing the definitive narrative to support executive-level decision-making. Support strategic long-range planning, scenario modelling and high-value ad-hoc analysis in response to evolving business needs.

Partnering and Delivery

Work strategically with the FP&A CoE to create advanced financial models and insights, ensuring the delivery of all key planning and forecasting milestones. Mentor and guide the Group FP&A Manager and CoE FP&A Manager – Group in their deliverables, fostering technical excellence and ensuring all outputs meet high standards. Serve as a point of contact for the global FP&A community, providing the process documentation and leadership required to ensure alignment between SBUs and the CoE. Coordinate with the wider Group function, including Controllership, to unify finance processes, including Month End reporting. Provide clear guidelines and frameworks to the wider Finance community to ensure timely and accurate data submissions from all business units.

Continuous Improvement

Drive process and reporting improvements with the FP&A CoE to standardise Anaplan reporting templates and automate manual processes, reducing cycle times and increasing consistency. Direct the gathering and consolidation of data from Strategic Business Units, ensuring the highest standards of data integrity and quality. Identify and champion opportunities for improvement across all outputs, including the monthly close, quality of financial commentary and forecasting accuracy across all financial statements. Lead the functional design and implementation of Anaplan alongside the CoE, ensuring that new tools and dashboards meet complex Group reporting requirements.

Knowledge & Experience

Education

Essential:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Professional accounting qualification (CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent).
• Recognised International Accounting or Finance qualification or equivalent such as a relevant Accountancy or Finance degree

Experience

Essential:

• Experience of providing comprehensive finance support to senior stakeholders at Group level
• Demonstrable experience of operating in international and multi-cultural organisations
• Excellent Excel and technical skills
• Report writing and presentation skills
• Experience working in matrixed, multi-country environments..

Desirable:

• Commercial finance experience gained in an organisation undergoing change and driving for growth
• Experience of working with Centre of Excellences and global finance teams
• Expertise in financial systems (e.g., SAP, Anaplan, Hyperion, Power BI).

Important Information

• Location: UK
• Contract Type: Indefinite
• Pay band: Grade 9
• Department: Financial Planning & Analysis
• Right to Work Requirements: You must have the legal right to work in the location in which the role is based.
• Languages: Written and verbal proficiency in English is required

Closing date for applications:

Tuesday 29 September 2026 (23.59 British Summer Time, BST)

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org