Finance and Commercial Manager

Legal & General is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor. We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, aiming to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone and create value for our shareholders.

Our Group Functions provide the services that all areas of the business need. This requires a talented and diverse team behind the scenes, who enable everyone at L&G to do what they do best. 

Joining us means helping to improve the lives of our customers and contributing to the success of the business every day.

We’re recruiting for a Finance and Commercial Manager to join our Group function, specifically the HR Programmes team. 

The HR Programme & Change team drives people-centric change throughout L&G, emphasising enhanced employee experiences and improved performance and value through physical and behavioural transformations. Despite its small size, the team oversees substantial projects and programmes, necessitating the establishment of a robust financial control framework.

This role will form a partnership role between Group HR, HR Programme & Change team and Group Finance. Key partners the role will support are the Senior Finance and Commercial Manager, Programme Director and other workstream leads as well as providing wider support for Group HR budget holders and cost centre managers. The role will provide accurate forecasting and reporting, strong cost management discipline, and contribute to benefits case analysis in supporting key strategic initiatives under the HR programme portfolio. In the first instance the priority will be programmes of work falling out of the UK Location Strategy, but the framework developed should be transferable to future initiatives under HR programmes and areas of Group HR where applicable.

What you will be doing

• Ensure there is financial control and a commercial framework in place with suppliers engaged under the UK Location Strategy programme and other HR programmes, providing cost assurance to the Programme Directors and Group Property Director by raising visibility of property wide cost related issues and resolution plans
• Develop and monitor investment cases and cost models in collaboration with key third-party suppliers to establish a framework for tracking costs outlined in HR Programme business cases. This ensures effective cost management and reporting, and the implementation of suitable cost models for each project.
• Provide effective communication and partnering interlock with internal functions within Group Finance to ensure business cases are built in line with expectations to avoid downstream challenge.
• Ensure adherence to company treatment strategy for fixed assets delivered under HR Programmes with Group Finance. 
• Lead the monitoring and reporting of benefits case analysis across HR Programs, aligning with the agreed business cases to ensure the programs are on track to meet both financial and non-financial objectives.
• Proactively work with and challenge the HR Programme team to ensure financial controls and monthly reconciliations are in place, cost risks are being mitigated and drive identification and realisation of opportunities to help drive return on investment.
• Link up financial control between HR Programmes and Group HR Run to coordinate and manage all expense plan and forecast processes, coordinating the production and presentation of monthly financial results for major HR programmes to the Property and Workplaces Director and Programme Director, explaining key messages, variance analysis, opportunity and risk factors to the business case targets.
• Assist the Senior Finance and Commercial Manager in developing Analytics and MI solutions for HR Programmes and Group HR by contributing to the enhancement of reporting efficiency through digitization..

Who we're looking for:

• ACCA / CIMA Qualified Accountant with post qualified experience in a management and project accounting environment 
• A degree is desirable but not essential if comparable experience in an analytical finance role can be demonstrated
• A good awareness of UK GAAP and an excellent understanding of the ethical framework for finance professionals
• Strong understanding of expense allocation methodologies and their applications in meeting business requirements
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate and influence at all levels using negotiation and diplomacy and translate complexity into straightforward and simple language.
• Operated in business partnering role 
• Experience of providing high quality, clear and concise reporting for corporate governance purposes 
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to clearly draw out key messages from a large volume of data
• Benefits management experience – including supporting the production of business cases with measurable benefits.

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer: 

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance-related bonus plan and valuable share schemes  
• Generous pension contribution  
• Life assurance   
• Private medical insurance (permanent employees only) 
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday 
• Competitive family leave 
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand-new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice 
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online   
• In 2023, some of our workspaces were redesigned. Our offices are great spaces to connect and collaborate and have your wellbeing at the heart

Legal & General is a leading financial services group and major global investor, named Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2023, for the second year running. Rated top in our sector and top for inspirational leadership, we have a strong heritage and an exciting future.

We aim to build a better society for the long term by investing our customers’ money in things that make life better for everyone.

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We strive to be open, mindful and inclusive, so are always willing to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs.

If you’re open to find out more, we'd love to hear from you.