Head of Finance

Specsavers is known for providing accessible eye and hear care across the globe. In the Netherlands, the Finance team is proud to serve 143 Optical and Audiology stores as well as the support office in Maarssen (where this role will be based). The Dutch market is on an exciting journey, as we’re expanding our hear care/Audiology business, which presents lots of interesting challenges. We’re now recruiting our next Head of Finance, who’ll oversee financial accounting & control, securing correct and timely reporting, and help drive the commercial agenda delivering business insights, just to name a few. So, if you are an experienced and commercially driven finance professional, looking to progress your career within the retail market, this opportunity might just be what you’re looking for

**What’s the role about?**

As the newly appointed Head of Finance for The Netherlands, you’ll get the responsibility of support office accounting, the in-house shared service accounting for the Specsavers’ stores, and the shared service accounting support in the UK. You’ll guarantee the integrity of financial operations by monitoring and enhancing internal controls and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. You’ll also develop business acumen in the management and store-facing teams to help formulate and deliver business strategy.

Working closely with internal stakeholders (e.g. Senior Management team, Country Retail & Commercial Support and Northern Europe Finance) as well as external (Store partners, Local & Group Auditors, and suppliers), you’ll ensure alignment with, or in support of, regional and global processes and initiatives. Overseeing a team of 2 direct reports and a total Finance team of 10, your role will be pivotal in shaping the future NL Finance support function, and there’ll be many exciting tasks to get involved in. Some examples of your primary tasks and responsibilities:

- Accounting & Control

Application of Group/local Accounting Policies

Oversee all accounting procedures and systems

Period and year end processing

Ensure annual and interim audits are completed to plan
- Business decision analytics and reporting
- Provide and support commercial analysis in Specsavers’ Dutch business by bringing insights and provide analysis as a valued business partner
- Work with the Country Management Team to develop, execute, and track the impact of initiatives that transform the performance of Specsavers and Specsavers’ partners’ stores
- Enabling the functions of the Dutch business to make fact-based decisions, and review investment decisions and advise on commercial best outcomes
- Ensure that store support services are appropriate and delivering an effective high quality financial services package
- Leading and managing
- Be a motivating and engaging leader and manager of the Country Finance team, ensure direct reports are qualified & efficient, and provide a supporting environment for them to develop in their roles
- Planning & Projects
- Sponsoring and contributing to a variety of cross-functional commercial projects
- Contributing to and ensuring local delivery of the Country and Regional business plans
- Implement new procedures and systems as required for the Dutch business

Some travel to other NE countries, UK, and Guernsey offices is to be expected.

**Your new team**

As Head of Finance, you’ll become an integral part of the dynamic Finance team, collaborating closely with talented colleagues from other Commercial functions. Our team boasts an impressive collective experience of many years in the field, with some members having dedicated many years to Specsavers while others bring fresh perspectives.

**Your qualifications**

To drive our Finance agenda forward, we seek a talented and experienced professionally qualified accountant with ideally a post-graduate qualification. You should present minimum of 10-15 years of post-qualified experience, with at least 5-7 of the years in a commercial environment.

We anticipate that you bring several years of experience in comparable roles and thrive in an international environment. On top of that, we hope that you can recognise yourself in the below essential and desirable requirements:
Essential/fundamental/ requirements:

- Commercially driven
- Team leader with good managerial skills
- Relationship creator and comfortable in navigating in a matrix organization
- Accountant with extensive years of post-qualified experience, preferably as Head of Finance
- Ability to question and challenge peers, and store partners in a constructive manner
- Excellent communication skills in both Dutch and English

Desirable/secondary/requirements:

- Previous experience in a retail environment and experience in a franchise environment would be a benefit
- Broad knowledge of the competitive retail landscape

**What awaits you upon joining Specsavers**

As our new Head of Finance, you’ll work at our support office in Maarssen. Our o