Procurement Finance Senior Business Partner

Overview

Nomad Foods is Europe’s leading branded frozen food company, with a portfolio of well-known brands including Birds Eye, Findus, iglo, Goodfella’s, Aunt Bessie’s, Ledo and Frikom.

Operating across multiple European markets, we manufacture and distribute trusted frozen food products to millions of consumers. Our ambition is to build a best-in-class portfolio of food brands through organic growth, innovation, disciplined investment and strategic acquisitions.

Nomad is going through an exciting period of change with a clear strategy in place for further growth. The Group has plans to continue to grow organically, whilst pursuing strategic acquisitions and continuing to build a best-in-class frozen food company

Nomad operates a centralised Procurement team which is responsible for the purchases of all raw materials used for the manufacture of Nomad products, as well as other goods and services across the Group. With spend of over €1.5bn on raw & packaging materials and co-manufactured finished products as well as €0.5bn of spend on other goods and services.

As a valued business partner to the Head of Categories responsible for Fish and Indirects, worth a combined spend of ~€1bn, the Procurement Finance Senior Business Partner is a member of the Group Supply Chain Finance team working to provide a stewardship mindset, transparency, challenge and integrity to commercial buying decisions to generate value for Nomad. The role also supports setting the commercial buying and productivity strategy along with the approach to supplier relationships and agreements.

More specifically the role is responsible for the analysis of Nomad’s spend versus budget and forecast as well as providing management with guidance on future outcomes, working with buyers to deliver a robust budget, forecast and productivity pipeline of future cost saving opportunities.

With an analyst reporting into them, the successful candidate will have the ability to encourage, motivate, and guide individuals in high performance, learning and development, and improving effectiveness.

The role is a fantastic opportunity to the right individual and Nomad offers significant opportunities for future career progression, both within and outside of the finance organisation, given its European scale and clear strategy for further growth.

Responsibilities

Business partner Head of categories for Fish and Indirects and the 10 buyers / senior buyers in those teams

Preparing the annual Budget for Procurement purchases for the year ahead. Ensuring that assumptions are clear and challenged with buyers and Heads of Category

Performing analysis of actual purchases and re-forecasting of expected future pricing with comparisons versus budget, explaining and communicating the key drivers of variances

Working closely with planners in Strategically important factories to help understand raw material stock, deliveries and consumption in order to accurately forecast expected price variances

Identification of risk and opportunities and work with buyers to mitigate and close any gaps to target

Owns procurement price and cost information and supporting the communication of this information and trends to the commercial market teams to support retailer discussions

Work with procurement team to identify, verify and track key procurement cost savings projects and initiatives

Accountable for ensuring that accurate financial information and insights are used in decision-making and performance is accurately measured and forecasted

Support the evaluation of alternative supply chain and sourcing opportunities

Understands trends in the external environment and competitive landscape and translates these into opportunities and insight for Nomad

Works with buyers and planners to understand inventory positions, contractual call-offs and coverage to ensure optimisation of stock positions and pricing

Evaluation and decision support for procurement cash and working capital impacts

Defines and implements small scale process simplification projects

Lead, coach and develop direct report in business partnering and financial activities

Undertake formal appraisal reviews with direct report, i.e. mid-year and year end reviews

Coach and train buyers on financial issues / requirements

Qualifications

Essential

Education: University graduate, qualified accountant

Experience: Min Qualified Accountant. A track record of 5+ years delivery in business partnering roles

FMCG experience

Excellent communication and analytical skills distilling detailed information down into key clear messages

Highly numerate + analytical, with good attention to detail

Able to apply intellect + judgement to influence cross-functional colleagues to act on financial recommendations in commercial decisions

Able to lead, coach and develop a direct report to out-perform targets

Able to work collaboratively with peers and deliver through team members

Organised, strong prioritisation skills and delivery to tight timescales

Drive for results and high personal resilience

Self-motivated individual with an analytical mind-set to challenge the business

Career progression - an active learner who wants to develop others and progress across nomad as a finance leader. Progression will offer opportunities to relocate within Nomad