Commercial Finance Manager

Purpose of the Role and Overview

The Commercial Finance Manager (CFM) plays a pivotal role in partnering with the Consulting business and Sector Operating Units to deliver real-time financial insight, strategic guidance, and commercial support. Acting as a trusted advisor, the CFM collaborates closely with Unit leadership to influence decision-making and drive value creation across bids, contracts, pricing, team structures, and operational delivery.

This role is central to ensuring financial rigour and commercial effectiveness through accurate and timely reporting of weekly and monthly results, variance analysis, and the preparation of quarterly forecasts and annual budgets. The CFM also leads on ad-hoc financial analysis and contributes to strategic projects that support business growth and performance.

Reporting into Corporate Finance and the CFO, the CFM operates across multiple business functions and engages regularly with senior stakeholders, offering high visibility and influence within the organisation.

What It Takes to Be a Great Commercial Finance Manager

Core Attributes of Excellence:

• Strategic Influence: Actively shape business decisions and strategy by delivering timely, relevant commercial and industry insights.
• Business Partnering: Operate as a trusted advisor and translator between Corporate and Consulting Units, aligning financial priorities with operational goals.
• Commercial Awareness: Anticipate and respond to the evolving needs of both business units and corporate stakeholders.
• Leadership & Communication: Demonstrate strong influencing skills, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to present complex information clearly and persuasively.
• Data-Driven Insight: Interpret and assess both large-scale and granular data using appropriate analytical tools, tailoring outputs to diverse audiences.
• Ethical Judgment: Uphold integrity, form well-reasoned opinions, and stand by them with professionalism and conviction.
• Resilience & Agility: Thrive under pressure, adapt quickly to changing demands, and maintain focus on detail while managing ambiguity.
• Forward Thinking: Learn from past performance while proactively identifying risks and opportunities ahead of time.
• Credibility & Passion: Represent the CFO and organisation with professionalism, enthusiasm, and a commitment to excellence.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Business Partnering

• Deliver forward-looking financial analysis and performance reporting at client and Go-to-Market (GtM) levels.
• Present insights to stakeholders in impactful formats, driving action and value through meaningful engagement.
• Educate Unit Leads, Partners, and Consultants on financial principles and commercial acumen.
• Lead workshops on finance topics such as bid modelling, the PA model and value creation strategies.
• Provide commercial risk management support, including open book reporting and high-risk assignment reviews.
• Engage across the full lifecycle of service delivery—from bid modelling to job closure—ensuring sound financial setup, pricing, and risk mitigation.

Financial Planning & Reporting

• Deliver weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance reporting with variance analysis and actionable insights.
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and sensitivity modelling for business units and leadership.
• Perform earned-value analysis to ensure accurate revenue and profit recognition.

Revenue & Profitability Oversight

• Monitor job profitability against bid projections and advise on corrective actions.
• Oversee job setup, invoicing, payment terms, and debt collection to manage working capital.
• Review subcontractor arrangements and ensure accuracy in P2P processes.

Commercial & Risk Management

• Actively manage contract risk portfolios, raising concerns and proposing commercially sound solutions.
• Advise on non-routine financial matters including currency exposure, taxation, and interest implications.

Audit Preparation & Compliance

• Lead internal audit readiness by preparing documentation, reconciling financial data, and ensuring compliance with internal controls.
• Support external audit cycles, including the preparation of IFRS templates and coordination with auditors.
• Ensure all financial activities are SOX compliant and follow established processes and policies.
• Oversee subcontractor arrangements and P2P processes to ensure audit trail integrity and financial accuracy.

Risk & Controls Oversight

• Actively manage contract risk portfolios, flagging concerns and proposing commercially sound solutions.
• Monitor expense and cost anomalies, investigate out-of-policy spend, and implement corrective actions.
• Provide commercial risk management support for high-risk assignments and open book reporting

Hybrid working - our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment.

The equivalent of a UK 2:1 degree

Qualified Accountant or CIMA, ACCA, ACA

Experience

• Experience in dealing with and influencing senior stakeholders, excellent interpersonal skills required
• Experience at managing cross-function/business relationships at all levels within an organisation is desirable
• Strong commercial acumen and awareness
• Advanced excel skills and data analysis
• Previous experience in a global professional services environment and/or dealing with UK Government is desirable
• Previous Line management experience.

We know the skill-gap and ‘somewhat need to tick every box’ can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply – we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today by completing our online application

Please be aware that some of our UK roles at PA Consulting require a UK security clearance.

All PA people are required to undergo background checks and to achieve the Baseline Personnel Security Standard however, some UK roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting, where applicants must have at least 5 years of continuous residency in the UK.

We therefore ask that you only apply if you meet the residency requirements (i.e. you are a British citizen or have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years), as this is the prerequisite for a security clearance. If you're unsure about your eligibility, we encourage you to review the UK Government’s guidance on security vetting before applying.

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Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self. 

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We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits: 

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days 
• Generous company pension scheme 
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives 
• Annual performance-based bonus 
• PA share ownership 
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn) 

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. 

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on [email protected] 

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