Senior Commercial Finance Manager

(BEL671)

FCO - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Brussels, Belgium

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Job Subcategory: FMCU (Facilities Management Client Unit)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The Facilities Management Client Unit (FMCU) is seeking an exceptional individual to lead, develop and motivate the Commercial Management Team.

The senior Commercial Manager will be based in Brussels and report directly to the Director of FM in London. The commercial team is responsible for the contract management of the UK, Europe, Berlin PFI and Asia Pacific FM contracts plus the world wide Global Maintenance Projects, ensuring service benefits and contractual targets are delivered to specification. A major part of the role shall involve developing and maintaining key stakeholder relationships with FCO head office London, Posts and Suppliers; ensure efficient funding, obtain regular updates to report actual status and financial performance to date including any potential issues and key risks.

These updates shall form part of the FMCU and Estates and Security Directorate (ESD) monthly KPR process. The senior Commercial Manager will manage a team with responsibility for optimising the efficiency and effectiveness of the service provided, striving for continuous performance improvement, increasing value for money and providing appropriate FM performance data to Regional Posts.

The successful candidate will be experienced in Financial and Commercial Management, be stakeholder smart, innovative, energetic, self starter and will thrive on challenge, have the drive and resilience to see a job through and deliver exceptional standards in customer service. Good IT and analytical skills are essential. Language skills and knowledge of Prism are desirable.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

• Oversee formal commercial contract governance of the FCO Facilities Management Contract for UK, Europe, Berlin PFI, Asia Pacific and other contracts once awarded;
• Implement and monitor change control procedures;
• Negotiate and authorise all contract variations;
• Monitor the monthly performance review against the Balanced Scorecard performance mechanism, and obtain performance agreement/sign-off with the service provider;
• Track and resolve disputes/issues;
• Develop and manage supplier relationships;
• Carry out benchmarking exercises and customer satisfaction surveys;
• Undertake annual contract performance reviews;
• Responsible for advising and supporting the FM Director on all commercial and financial issues with respect to the FM contracts.

Financial Management

• Preparation and submission of annual Admin & Capital budgets;
• Monitor and consolidate FMCU monthly financial reports with commentary;
• Monitor Global Maintenance project funding allocations and financial performance;
• Financial compliance and assurance; ensure proper financial controls are in place and being followed; including the review the departments FCPI scores;
• Oversee the processing of all contract related invoices and purchase orders;
• Ensure forecasts are duly updated on Hyperion;
• Meet FCO reporting deadlines and conduct monthly financial reviews with the RMU;
• Prepare and submit Government Property Unit annual and adhoc data requests.

Stakeholder Management

• Develop professional positive working relationships with Corporate Service Managers, Technical Works Supervisors and Officers as Post. Track and resolve disputes/issues;
• Liaise with Suppliers, Local Tax Authorities, FCO Corporate Departments, Asset management and Security; Corporate Procurement Group, Global Transaction Processing Centre, Central Finance and FCO Services.

Team management

• Management, coordination and development of the commercial and contract support team (7 people).

Essential qualifications and experience

Essential Qualifications & Skills/Experience Required

• Degree in accounting and finance or equivalent;
• At least 5 years experience of financial and commercial/contract management;
• Understanding Facilities Management (FM) products/service range;
• Projects and minor works experience;
• Strong IT, analytical and financial modelling skills – complete familiarity with Microsoft Excel;
• Team management;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a strong customer focus;
• Strong organisational, analytical, project and time management skills, combining attention to detail with an ability to see the wider perspective; 
• Decisive, resilient under pressure and flexible with a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines;
• Ability to work with contacts and colleagues at all levels, including the ability to bring different groups of stakeholders on board.

Desirable qualifications and experience

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of Oracle Systems (Prism, Prism Projects, Pyramid and Hyperion);
• Skilled working with multiple currency accounting;
• Language skills in any other languages will be an asset;
• International FM experience;
• EU procurement rules knowledge;
• VAT recovery processes;
• Knowledge of Key Property Management processes (Business Administration, HR, Finance, Quality and Health and Safety Systems).

Required competencies

Making Effective Decisions, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Delivering Value for Money, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Demonstrating Resilience.

Application deadline: 1 May 2016
Grade: D6 (L)
Type of Position: Fixed Term, Full-time
Working hours per week: 36.25
Region: Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Country/Territory: Belgium
Location (City): Brussels
Type of Post: British Embassy
Number of vacancies: 1
Starting monthly salary (EUR): 4,960.61
Start Date: 1 June 2016

Other benefits and conditions of employment

This is a full-time, four fixed term contract, for 5 working days (36.25 hours net) per week.

Terms and Conditions

The monthly salary for this position is €4,960.61, D6 (L) level (The British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium salaries are not subject to annual indexation).

Please note that Belgian nationals will be paid their salary gross and are expected to comply with their tax obligations through completion of a tax return to the Belgian authorities. Non-Belgian nationals will receive their salary net, minus the deduction of an equivalent level of Belgian tax retained at source. Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process. The successful candidates will be subject to professional background checks and security clearance.

Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.

Additional information

Only applications submitted until 1st May 2016 at 11.55 pm will be accepted.