Senior Opex Finance Business Partner

The Senior Opex Finance Business Partner at Version1 strategically manages operating expenditure, procurement, and transformation initiatives. This role involves partnering with Opex owners, ensuring effective budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and supplier optimization. The partner will provide accurate reporting, variance analysis, identify risks, and recommend efficiencies to support strategic decision-making. This position offers a unique opportunity to advise senior business stakeholders, influence decisions, and add significant value.

Must Have

• Act as trusted advisor to finance and business stakeholders.
• Drive development of Operating Expense Business Plans, Budgets, and Forecasts.
• Prepare and present expense reports to senior management.
• Review actual operating expenses against budget and forecast.
• Ensure robust cost management measures and governance.
• Develop financial models for expense management.
• Collaborate with procurement for cost-effective purchasing.
• Support procurement transformation initiatives.
• Qualified accountant with 4-5 years+ PQE.
• Experience with cost centre owners for budgeting and performance analysis.
• Ability to articulate financial performance to non-financial partners.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in financial software and advanced Excel.

Good to Have

• Curious mindset
• Inquisitive nature
• Strong problem-solving skills

Perks & Benefits

• Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme
• Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching
• Flexible/remote working
• Pension
• Private Healthcare Cover
• Life Assurance
• Financial advice
• Employee Discount scheme
• Gym Discounts
• Bike to Work
• Fitness classes
• Mindfulness Workshops
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous holiday allowance
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• Marriage/civil partnership leave
• Special leave policies
• Educational assistance
• Incentivised certifications and accreditations
• Reward schemes
• Environment, Social and Community First initiatives

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated over 28 years in Technology Services and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver solutions that drive customer success. Our expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly changing Digital-First world we live in. We foster strong partnerships with leading technology giants including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.

We’re an award-winning employer reflecting how our employees are at the very heart of Version 1 and what we do:

• UK & Ireland's premier AWS, Microsoft & Oracle partner
• 3600+ strong, €350/£300m revenue business
• 10+ years as a Great Place to Work in Ireland & UK
• Best Workplace for Women in the UK & Ireland by GPTW
• Best Workplace for Wellbeing in the UK by GPTW

We’re a core values driven company, we hire people who share our values, and we reward those who display and foster them, it’s deeply embedded within our DNA. Invest in us and we’ll invest in you!

Job Description

The Senior Operating Expenditure (Opex) Business Partner plays a strategic role in managing the operating expenditure expenses of Version1, including procurement processes and transformation initiatives. This role will partner with key Opex owners across the organisation and play a critical role in cost management by ensuring effective budgeting, forecasting, cost control measures, supplier optimisation and transformation projects are in place. Through the provision of accurate reporting and variance analysis for actuals, budgeting and forecasting, you will identify and communicate risks and recommend opportunities to the business to drive efficiency and support effective strategic decision-making.

This role presents a unique opportunity to work closely with senior business stakeholders as a trusted advisor, providing real-time support, influence decision-making and add significant value.

Job Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to key finance and business stakeholders.
• Drive the business to develop detailed Operating Expense Business Plans, Budgets and Forecasts in line with the organisation strategy and processes.
• Prepare and present monthly, quarterly, and annual expense reports to senior management and their teams, as relevant.
• Review actual operating expenses against budget and forecast with the business. Provide insights into variances and where necessary, agree remediation plans with the business and monitor the execution of these plans.
• Conduct regular reviews / analysis of operating expense categories to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and highlight key drivers and areas for improvement.
• Liaise closely with the Financial Planning and Analysis team to develop key operating expense analysis and insights as required.
• Ensure, maintain and monitor robust cost management measures and governance.
• Develop financial models to support expense management and decision-making.
• Act as a financial advisor to various departments, providing guidance on expense management.
• Work closely with procurement and other teams to ensure cost-effective purchasing decisions.
• Support strategic initiatives by providing financial insights and recommendations.
• Support procurement transformation initiatives including contract renegotiations, supplier consolidation, and strategic sourcing.
• Ensure alignment of procurement activities with business strategy and financial goals.

Qualifications

• A qualified accountant with 4-5 years+ PQE with experience in expense management, budgeting and financial analysis.
• Experience working directly with cost centre owners to develop plans, budgets and forecasts and analysing month end performance, identifying risk and opportunities and driving actions to deliver cost within budget.
• Ability to articulate clearly financial performance and practices to non-financial business partners
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication skills and presentation abilities.
• Experience and confidence in challenging assumptions and non-finance stakeholders and propose solutions.
• Curious mindset, inquisitive nature strong problem-solving skills are beneficial to delving deep into Opex data to identify cost management improvement opportunities.
• Strong proficiency in using financial software and tools, including advanced Excel skills.

Additional Information

Why Version 1?

At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their wellbeing, professional growth, and financial stability.

• Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits.
• Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme.
• Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance.
• Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme.
• Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more. Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies.
• Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat.
• Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & ‘Call-Out’ platform.
• Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.

And many more exciting benefits… drop us a note to find out more.