Head of Strategic Projects - Finance

Job Introduction

A leader in Motor, Home, Travel and Health Insurance; Saga offers an environment where we will do the best thing for you to develop your skills and develop your career.

This role is an important part of the Services Finance team who strive to facilitate, to help and support the insurance and personal finance businesses.

Reporting to the Finance Director for Saga Services and Saga Personal Finance, the role has responsibility for 6 areas:

1. Saga Services strategic projects - SID/Guidewire (platform upgrade) and Lego (overall responsibility, liaising with Commercial Finance team for Pillar 1 & 2 and Operations Finance for Pillar;
2. Saga Personal Finance strategic projects including financial analysis for new propositions / contracts with new & existing suppliers and all aspects of SPF’s financial planning;
3. Customer insights & profitability – utilise Commercial Finance’s LTV insights to provide Saga Services  financial support to GMD, Group Marketing and the Membership team; Support Services move towards regularly reporting customer profitability;
4. Working with Group Change to develop business case governance – ‘Connecting the Dots’;
5. Tie together Group Finance teams supporting discretionary costs of Marketing, IT and Property with Services Finance;
6. M&A financial support and any ad hoc projects for Saga Services and Saga Personal Finance.

In order to deliver these responsibilities, you will need to build strong internal and external relationships quickly and have a proactive approach to identifying risks and opportunities which will ultimately drive value added commercial outcomes.

And in return, you can look forward to all of the responsibility and involvement of an integral role, providing you with a rewarding and fast paced career with an excellent benefits package including life assurance, pension, high street and online discounts, and concessions for holidays and travel.

Role Responsibility

• As a member of the leadership team of the company, lead the delivery of Saga Services and Saga Personal Finance’s financial requirements noted above.
• Attend all relevant meetings for the role and contribute to and provide challenge in those meetings as appropriate.
• Submit non-std reports to Saga Personal Finance Board meetings.  Attend and contribute to those meetings as required and appropriate.
• Review monthly performance reports for FD’s presentation to the Saga Personal Finance Exco or Saga Personal Finance Board as appropriate, and to the Saga plc team. Deliver clear, detailed understanding of performance and variances during review meetings.
• Own and deliver weekly management information to the Saga Personal Finance trading meeting, monitoring and understanding performance variances, identifying actions and holding people to account for delivering those actions.
• Track and manage risks and opportunities flagging emerging issues as they arise, identifying potential actions to implement, and track.
• Create and develop a strong finance team which works in partnership with the business delivering support, expertise and challenge to the leadership, operational managers and other finance teams.
• Mentor and develop staff, provide strong leadership and motivation to both direct reports and other members of the wider Saga Personal Finance and Saga Services teams. Lead by example, always championing the “Saga Truths”.
• Provide commercial support and challenge to the business through building excellent working relationships with operational and change managers.
• Manage the provision of finance data for Saga plc reporting purposes and maintain strong working relationships with the Group Financial Controller and the central plc team.
• Manage the planning and budgeting cycle for your areas and deliver requirements in accordance with business needs and central data requirements.
• Manage all financial due diligence requirements for Saga Services and Saga Personal Finance, and review contracts to appropriately assess commercial risks prior to sign off.
• Develop and deliver business models to support potential new Saga Personal Finance products or changes to existing products, robustly challenging the commercial position.
• Seek out financial information on competitors to aid benchmarking and to understand industry trends, pressures and best practice.

The Ideal Candidate

Capability, Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of working in a commercial or business partnering role.
• Experience of working in a financial accounting and control role, with up-to-date knowledge of relevant accounting standards.
• Experience of managing and motivating a team, and operating as part of the senior leadership of a comparable business.
• Able to identify commercial opportunities, and act upon them.
• Able to build excellent working relationships, with both finance and non-finance colleagues.
• Able to challenge processes and assumptions.
• Strong IT skills.
• Experience of working within a regulated entity would be advantageous.

Education and Qualifications:

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified, minimum of 6 years post qualification experience within a large organisation.

Personal Characteristics:

• Excellent leadership qualities, with an approachable, engaging enthusiasm.
• Able to prioritise and manager to deliver against multiple internal and external deadlines.
• Able to delegate effectively, creating appropriate guardrails.
• Strong, articulate, written and oral communication skills, with the ability to deliver information in a clear and concise way.
• An open and collaborative approach, and able to work cross-functionally with multiple stake holders.
• Excellent influencing and relationship building skills. Able to quickly establish credibility by winning the respect and co-operation of both finance and non-finance staff.
• Proactive, commercially minded and always looking for potential opportunities to explore further.
• Analytically strong with a willingness to question and challenge.

Package Description

The standard benefits when you join Saga include:

• 33 days holiday
• Option to purchase a further 5 days annual leave per year
• Free private medical insurance after 1 years service
• Pension
• AXA Be Supported
• Apples Nursery (Folkestone only and on a waiting list basis)
• Free fruit 
• Give as you earn
• Free eye tests
• Honeymoon benefit
• Sharebuy
• Salary finance
• Discounts on Saga holidays and insurance products
• A range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
• Long service awards

About the Company

When you join Saga you will see that we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement. 

We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better. Creating a culture in which everyone feels welcome and offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement is incredibly important to us. Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities. If you need support at any point with your application please let us know as we will be happy to help.

Learn more about the Saga business by watching our Saga plc Interim results for the six months ended 31st July 2018

To all recruitment agencies: Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the HR Recruitment Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.

Saga Group