Finance Commercial Business Partner

LHH is hiring a Finance Commercial Business Partner for an international company operating in FMCG field.

The Finance Commercial Business Partner will be responsible for both finance/controlling and pricing activities. The Finance Commercial Business Partner will be focused on the following areas:
**1.** **Forecasts**:leads and owns the financial re-forecast, budget and 5 year plan processes within the Italy team

a) Provides challenge and support to the commercial team in equal measure to drive commercial and financial plans that are robust, coherent, deliverable and meet the strategic and financial objectives of International Markets and are within appropriate parameters.

b) Leads the re-forecast process and provides the appropriate tools to the commercial team in order to meet clearly defined milestones within IM and within Group.

c) Works closely with the Italian distributor and IM central demand planner to ensure that demand information is phased correctly and accurately reflected in submitted forecasts

d) With the assistance of the commercial team, develops the narrative on performance and forecast through the business review cycle within IM and within Group.

**2.** **Reporting of, and understanding implications of, actual financials**: Robust financial management, trend identification and understanding, plus course correction proposals to allow delivery of Italy financials***

a) Works closely with IM central finance to report all required monthly financial information for Italy in line with IM central finance deadlines.

b) Investigates variances to forecasts and budgets using a variety of data sources (ex-factory, category, IMS) as well as input from colleagues and distributor. Helps to determine if variances are a short term one off, or reflect a performance trend

c) Uses understanding of actual results to maintain a solid grip on short, medium and long term sales and profit delivery for Italy, and works with colleagues to suggest and present options to course correct if required.

d) Monitors profit margins, clearly understands how pricing, cost and investment decisions affect margins, and works closely with commercial colleagues ensure that accurate profit margins are included in forecasts

**3.** Improves profitability of the Italy market portfolio**

Marketing

a) Champions a disciplined ROI process and tracks returns from APTID decisions

b) Support NPD process and build the value chain on products

c) Pro-actively identifies potential cost savings, and represent Italy on wider IM/ Supply Chain cost saving initiatives

Commercial

d) With commercial colleagues, identifies value driver problems/opportunities, including
- pricing
- distributor value chain
- clients’ value chain
- clients’ range/listing priorities
- sales incentives

e) Monitor, validate and report the trade budget and all the resources shared with the distributor.

f) Control and report clients’ performance against the investment made.

g) Assists with the analysis of the expected profitability of new product proposals, ensuring the full P&L impact of their introduction is correctly understood, and identifies benefits from recent NPD activities (together with any implications for future projects).

The requirements needed will be:

- University degree;
- 5-7 years of experience in similar role;
- Commercial awareness gained in FMCG environment;
- Financial analysis and planning skills - P&L, budget, 5yr plan;
- Strong experience in reporting and analysis;
- Strong Excel skills;
- Familiarity with ERP systems (SAP preferable);
- Good interpersonal and influencing skills;
- Speaks good English.

Location: Milan

Annual Gross Salary: 50.000€ - 60.000€

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