The Company

Golden Charter are one of the UK’s leading providers of pre-paid funeral plans, operating successfully since the inception of the funeral plan market in the late 1980s. They are proud to have helped over 800,000 customers plan for their future funeral by connecting to their preferred funeral director, selected from the country’s widest network. Their active funeral plans account for 24% of the total funeral plan market as overseen by the FPA as of December 2021.

Golden Charter have been proudly owned by SAIFCharter, an association of 738 independent funeral director firms since 2006.

Golden Charter work with more than 1,100 local, independent funeral director businesses across the UK with a branch network of more than 2,800 branches. Many of these companies are family run, with strong roots in their communities and a reputation for service and support. Working alongside their independent funeral director network, everyone at Golden Charter believes they have a responsibility to go the extra mile for their customers and their families.

The UK Treasury confirmed that the sale of funeral plans will become regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), commencing in late July 2022.

Golden Charter have been fully engaged in helping shape the future regulatory environment and submitted their formal application for authorisation in September 2021. The Board expect to be amongst the first in the sector to receive the necessary approvals from the FCA and the work to ensure that they are ready for regulation is advance.

This is a pivotal time for the organisation, with customer preferences about what is expected from a funeral plan rapidly changing as they emerge from the pandemic, while older customers increasingly adopt digital channels. FCA regulation will alter the competitive landscape and it’s likely there will be new entrants from adjacent markets.

Golden Charter believe their independent funeral businesses partners continue to provide the best service and value for consumers, evidenced by the recent Competitions and Markets Authority investigation into pricing in the at-need funeral market. Recent investment has ensured sales processes always treat customers fairly and have equipped the business to operate successfully under statutory regulatory oversight.

Golden Charter have an ambitious transformation agenda with a particular focus on digital capability.

The Role

The role holder will lead the Financial Planning & Analysis team, reporting to the Chief Financial Officer. The purpose of the role is to ensure that the Executive team are provided with high quality and insightful financial information, commercial business cases and financial projections to allow the business to deliver on its short and long-term objectives.

The Head of Financial Planning & Analysis will own the financial budgeting and forecasting processes across the Company and will lead the financial evaluation of potential future business opportunities that are identified by the commercial, technology and operational teams.

Responsibilities and Main Accountabilities

• Provide leadership to the Financial Planning & Analysis team, ensuring that stretch objectives are developed and personal development plans are in place
• Develop the wider Finance team functional strategy in conjunction with the Head of Financial Accounting
• Own the annual budget and target setting process for the Company
• Ensure that the team meet with the budget holders monthly to analyse variance to the budget and prepare a narrative for inclusion in the monthly management accounts
• Provide longer-term financial forecasts and supporting analysis to the Executive team
• Prepare formal papers for the Executive Team, Audit Committee and Board as required
• Support the Executive and wider leadership team with data driven analysis and commercial business case preparation
• Challenge current thinking, making recommendations on how to optimise business opportunities and minimise risk/cost to the business
• Oversee the preparation and accuracy of the periodic FCA financial returns in conjunction with the Head of Financial Accounting
• Ownership of the Finance function risk register in conjunction with the Head of Financial Accounting

The role of Head of Financial Planning & Analysis requires a professionally qualified accountant who possesses excellent analytical skills and can develop a full understanding of the business strategy, the wider competitive environment and be able to translate that understanding into high quality financial analysis, insight generation and the enabling of higher levels of financial return within the business.

The individual will work closely with the Commercial Teams, analysing data and presenting it in a provocative way that will drive change and decision making.  The ability to take a ‘big picture’ view is key as well as being highly emotionally intelligent and able to build relationships across the organisation and with stakeholders.

Key Candidate Requirements

• Fully qualified accountant with appropriate PQ experience, who has operated at a senior level within FP&A
• An experienced leader, proven experience in motivating and managing others successfully and ability to lead, empower and develop a team of 5
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and influencing skills across a range of levels including Board and Senior stakeholders
• Ability to develop strong, mutually beneficial relationships across the business that leads to being trusted as a Business Partner
• Excellent attention to detail
• Able to interpret numbers and provide analysis and insight concisely to a range of different stakeholders
• Able to design, implement and monitor KPIs and metrics to ensure performance is monitored and early action facilitated
• Experienced in developing complex financial modelling
• A sound knowledge of technology platforms and data to provide accurate and insightful information
• A knowledge of FCA regulatory requirements would be beneficial

Remuneration

Along with providing a competitive salary in the region of £70,000, £6,000 car allowance, opportunities for development and career progression, successful candidates also receive:

• An annual personal bonus and company bonus
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (with an option to purchase or sell holidays)
• Enhanced pension contribution
• Subsidised gym membership
• High Street Discounts
• Enhanced Family Friendly policies
• Long service awards

The role is 35 hours per week and the new model of working means that this role will usually be based at home for 3 days per week and 2 days in the office, but this could be more or less, depending on workload. The offices are in Bearsden on the outskirts of Glasgow with onsite parking and excellent links to public transport