Automotive and Industrial is one of Ricardo plc’s five operating business units and is a trusted global engineering services partner for clean and efficient integrated propulsion and energy systems. Our experience and history over more than 100 years at the forefront of mobility innovation enables us to deliver solutions to the most complex challenges, allowing our customers across all global transport sectors to achieve a sustainable zero-carbon future. 

Purpose:

Senior Business partner to the President of the Emerging Practice and the President of Technical Consulting. Supports budgeting and forecasting processes, financial analysis, and financial planning. Drives margin and payment term improvements through the business. Looking for a growth-oriented employee who wants to jump in and make a difference.

Key activities

• Develops monthly forecasts of high integrity based on operational inputs and drivers of the business. Conducts trend and variance analysis. Identifies risks and opportunities to the budget and communicate with management
• Works closely with Program Management to establish revenue forecasting milestones
• Identifies cash opportunities such as invoicing, improved terms and conditions, and payment schedules
• Pre-bids risk assessment and mitigation strategy through contract terms or scope definition and participates in CAT4 reviews to contain risks and lead lessons learned discussion
• Oversees project financial activities from initiation to closure. Improves project finance disciplines that generate increased business value.  
• Supports the preparation, development, and presentation of the 5-year business plan and annual budget ensuring appropriate profit, cash and capital targets are reflected by sub-practices and departments
• Performs benchmarking studies. Identifies and leads management of structural costs initiatives to achieve best in class levels of overhead cost. Reports on progress and obstacles to senior management
• Provides training and mentoring to non-finance colleagues (e.g., Program Managers and Engineers) in sound financial analysis methods. Works with business leaders to improve commercial decision-making
• May conduct competitive and market analysis in support of acquisition growth strategy. May participate in due diligence efforts and perform valuation analysis on potential targets. May support integration efforts including development of roadmap of task ownership and timing
• Delivers superior levels of customer service to both internal and external customers while demonstrating Ricardo’s core values of respect, integrity, creativity and innovation, and passion
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned

Key accountabilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
• 7 to 10 years of progressively more responsible operational and corporate finance experience; CPA or CMA certification preferred
• Experience in a project accounting environment desirable
• Sound strategic thinker: ability to identify opportunities; nimbleness in thinking; initiator of improvements
• Strong but customer-aware negotiation skills; ability to influence
• Demonstrated ability to effectively multi-task 
• Excellent presentation skills and communication skills; ability to condense complex issues into succinct messages
• Strong problem solving, analytical and listening skills
• Ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic, and matrixed organization 
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office to include Excel, Word, and Power Point
• PowerBI experience is a plus

Working here

Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. Alongside having a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalized approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have driven, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, height, weight, gender identity and sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, arrest record (MI only), parental status (IL only), military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Benefits

Our core benefits include paid vacation time off, emergency/sick time, plus 14 holidays, Medical/Dental/Vision plus 401k. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Once you have submitted your application, if qualified, a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

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