Finance Director

Finance Director ¦  La Vallée Village ¦  Permanent Contract /Full time

Something Extraordinary Every Day™

As our Finance Director, you will be part of the Village leadership team and be responsible for the Finance strategy at the Village reporting to the Business Operations Director.

What you will be doing

The key responsibilities of this role will include some or all the following.

Drive and lead the Village Finance Strategy

• Provide vision, direction and leadership to the Finance Team in order to achieve business objectives
• Management of 3 direct reports: Chief accountant, Business Accounting Manager, Brand Accountant Manager.
• Assist the Senior Management team develop the overall strategy through: analysing the sales and income reports, calculating and reporting all rent charges, managing tenant invoicing, and following up on debtors
• Ensure consistency of all Administration and Finance activity
• Organise and follow up on tenant audits, ensuring tenant and landlord are compliant with the lease terms
• Preparing financial statements
• Producing quarterly management accounts as well as year-end accounting
• Preparing draft tax computations, corporate returns and income tax returns for tax partners
• Cash management and forecasting
• Provide financial overview and manage capital investment projects
• Implementing and reinforcing the use of a purchase ordering system
• Monitoring and reporting on loan compliance requirements.
• Working closely with the Central Finance Team to drive standardization and efficiency in all finance related processes

Work alongside other team leaders for the strategic development of the Village

• Partner with other Team Leaders to create a strong, stable management team capable of successfully running the day-to-day operation of the Village
• Identify future business development opportunities, promoting forward thinking
• Maintain relationships with banks and external advisors such as tax experts and auditors
• Provide general advice on accounting and tax issues to other teams
• Provide budget and long term forecasting for the Village
• Monitor and report actual spend versus budget and liaising with budget holders to understand and explain variances.
• Foster a financial and budget management culture amongst the teams

What makes you special

We are looking for an individual who can display the following experience and skills:

• Proven experience with direct responsibility running a Finance department, Master or MBA are desirable
• An international profile preferably having lived and worked both in Europe and internationally
• Strong leadership skill with the ability to inspire, command respect and bring a level of calm to the teams in order for them to work together
• An excellent problem solver who takes a dynamic and proactive approach to finding effective solutions and possess critical thinking skills
• Ability to think strategically and to anticipate and plan for greater results
• Able to work well with all levels across the business and to adapt to a fast pace environment
• Possess good commercial instincts and hands-on approach
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• Fluent in English and local Village language, any other European language would be beneficial

There’s no one quite like us

The Bicester Collection are the worlds’ leading luxury shopping destinations, and we are committed to creating magical and memorable experiences for our guests. Taking the name of the founding Village, The Bicester Collection distinguishes the 11 Villages in Europe and China as one collection of destinations for our guests, our brand partners, our travel and tourism partners, our corporate and financial media, and our internal teams.

Our Vision is to be the best shopping destination in the world. Our Mission is to make the lives of others better - our brands, our guests, our people and our communities. Our Brand Promise is to offer something extraordinary every day. Our Five Values are the glue that bind us together and allows us to lead ahead:

• Authenticity - Always do the right thing
• Innovation - Think outside of the box
• Passion - Do what you love and love what you do!
• Critical Thinking - Challenge the obvious
• Vision - Be mission driven always

Why we’re exceptional

The key to our success is the quality and commitment of our people. To work in one of the teams at any of the Villages is to play an active role in redefining both the art and the science of retail. This creates a dynamic approach that underpins our ability to anticipate future trends in a fast changing world. In return for your Authenticity, Critical Thinking, Innovation, Passion and Vision, you’ll receive a generous salary and we’ll also reward you by:

Looking after you: You’re entitled to 25 days of annual leave (plus French Bank Holidays) and your birthday off, plus extra leave if you are getting married or moving. We provide above industry average private healthcare, cycle to work scheme and flu vaccinations.

Treating you: discounts throughout our villages, discounts with other retailers (known as My Choices) and a very generous employee referral bonus.

Championing you: you’ll be working within a creative and collaborative environment like no other, with the opportunity to develop your professional and personal skills while advancing your career.

Come and live your story with us

The key to our success is the quality and commitment of our people. The Bicester Collection is made up of 1,200 colleagues of 50 nationalities. We are diverse in background, age, experience and leadership style. We believe that an inclusive workforce makes magic happen, and with this in mind we welcome everyone - regardless of age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability or ethnicity - to be a part of our family. We are offering a fantastic opportunity for a professional and commercially focused individual to join us. We have huge ambition for what we can achieve together and we want to have fun!