Role: Finance Business Partnering Manager Area: Finance Sub-Area: Financial Planning Location: Dublin Duration: Permanent Salary: Competitive Reference Number: 014FE15 Irish Water is Ireland’s new national water utility, bringing the water services of the 31 Irish Local Authorities together into one national service provider, with the aim of providing a secure, high quality and sustainable service to the Irish public. A state-owned subsidiary within the Ervia Group, Irish Water is responsible for the operation of public water and wastewater services and provision of these services to over 1.5 million households across Ireland. This involves an expenditure of circa €1.1 billion per annum in the management of national water and wastewater assets, maintenance of the water and wastewater systems, investment and planning, managing capital projects and customer care and billing. Irish Water will continue to grow into a high-performance organisation based both centrally in Dublin (with shared services in Cork) and across a number of regional offices. It is currently seeking talented and dynamic individuals across a range of skill sets and backgrounds who can work in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment to support the establishment and success of Irish Water. The Role The Finance function within Irish Water, which will comprise of circa 38 resources, will ensure effective financial management of the organisation and provide the expertise, services and information to support the business in achieving its required business outcomes, including supporting the financial and information requirements of the Ervia Group. Reporting to the Financial Planning and Analysis (F,P&A) Manager, the Finance Business Partnering Manager will be responsible for the development of the Business Partnering model in Irish Water to support operational decision making and to drive cost efficiency throughout the business. The Finance Business Partnering Manager will be responsible for providing direction to a team of six accounting professionals (4 direct reports and 2 indirect reports) to support the Irish Water business functions and the F,P&A Manager by the provision of comprehensive, business focussed financial reporting and analysis. Main Duties and Responsibilities • Development of standard processes, systems and reporting to optimise the efficiency and value of the Business Partnering Model in driving Business Change and delivering on strategic objectives including the delivery of CAPEX and OPEX efficiencies • Responsible for the management, mentoring and development of a team of six accounting professionals in the Business Partnering team (4 direct reports and 2 indirect reports) • Responsible for the development of automated reporting solutions and key reports to support financial discipline and control • Develop and implement a process to best capture, validate and report the benefits that Irish Water delivers, and facilitate a common approach to benefits tracking with key stakeholders such as Commercial and Procurement, and Business Change • Deployment of Business Partnering Model to best support business decision making and prioritisation of scarce resources • Work with the F,P&A Manager and Corporate Planning Manager to develop an Enterprise Performance Management reporting framework to cascade strategic business plan objectives into measurable targets and key performance indicators • Drive change and efficiency through financial analysis and provide commercial advice and financial support to the business • Inform and influence strategic and operational decision-making through rigorous, factbased analysis • Liaise with the extended Finance team to develop quality analysis of business performance to improve business performance/results and to ensure robust financial management of the business • Provide corporate planning, budgeting and forecasting support to the business - support the business in daily operations and to plan effectively over the short, medium and long term, and review and collate inputs to EPM • Proactively identify areas of continuous improvement to enhance financial management of the business • Anticipate and proactively identify financial risks and issues that may impact the business and work with the extended Finance team and the business to provide visibility of key financial issues, mitigate financial risk and resolve issues • Support the wider Financial Planning team in shaping and implementing efficient and effective finance processes and adoption of best practice  Conduct the performance management and development processes for direct reports  Other duties as required from time to time Knowledge, Skills and Experience • A minimum of 7 years relevant experience in similar finance roles working in large-scale, complex organisations • A recognised accounting qualification (ACA; ACMA; ACCA) or equivalent is necessary • Experience of…  Working in a constantly changing environment  Developing effective cross-functional relationships with the business to accomplish objectives  Engaging and influencing senior stakeholders  Analysing complex business problems and recommending appropriate solutions  Anticipating and proactively managing issues  Driving continuous process improvements – identifying opportunities, generating ideas, and recommending and implementing solutions  Previous experience of supporting business units to manage significant cost budgets would be an advantage  Operating in a utility company or in a regulated industry would be an advantage  Previous staff management experience would be an advantage  Previous experience of Oracle and Hyperion would be an advantage  Ability to…  Prioritise tasks, delegate effectively, and deliver high-quality work within tight timelines  Work independently but also as part of a team • Skills  Excellent interpersonal skills  Excellent verbal and written communication skills  Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills  Strong organisational skills  Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint • Attributes  Dynamic  Driven  Professional  Proactive  Adaptable Applications, including a current Curriculum Vitae should be emailed to the following address stating the job title and reference number in the subject line of your email: careers@water.ie The closing date for receipt of applications is the 9th April 2015 Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted. IRISH WATER IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER