Job Title: Personal Care Europe Finance Lead and UK&I Head of Finance

Location: Kingston Head Office

 

JOB PURPOSE 

Europe Personal Care is a vital Business Unit (BU) within the Global Personal Care Business Group, with an annual turnover of c€1.8bn and comprising 6 strategic markets (UK, Germany, France, Benelux, Italy & Poland) and 3 Personal Care Categories (Deodorants, Skin Cleansing and Oral Care). Working with some of Unilever’s biggest and most iconic brands such as Dove, Axe, Signal & Rexona, the Europe Personal Care BU is a key cell for market share, growth and profitability in a highly competitive landscape, and is served by 6 European Sourcing Units and a large 3PM network. The PC Europe BU has a clear focus on driving sustainable profitable growth through powerful brands & innovation and an agile mindset towards managing channel dynamics.

After several years of low single digit growth, the PC Europe BU has had a very strong ‘Compass era’ with unprecedented price led growth and margin recovery beyond pre-covid levels.  This is a high exposure role, providing a unique opportunity to gain a deep understanding of both the strategic and commercial end-to-end challenges of this highly competitive portfolio. 

The role reports into the PC6 BU General Manager and is a key member of the BU Leadership Team, as well as part of the BG Finance leadership team. Among its key interactions is frequent engagement on performance and strategy with the BG LT.

Within the Country Leadership team, the HOF is expected both to perform a role which covers their full Finance remit, and also to be a voice of overall rational, economic and ethical challenge within the LT, playing a leading role in setting a culture of compliance, governance awareness and business acumen among the members of the country LT.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Head of Finance, UK

Stewardship: The UKI HOF is responsible for overall control and compliance within the market cluster. Many day-to-day aspects of control and stewardship will be carried out by the Controller, but HOF remains accountable and has specific fiduciary duties in respect of the role.  In expertise areas of Tax and Statutory requirements, much of the detailed work, whether operational, transactional or strategic, will be done by in-country teams including the Controller, however the HOF has overall accountability. Customer Finance. Many aspects of CD partnering is now incorporated into respective BUs, covering category specific investment and partnering of the CSP. The UKI HOF remains responsible for cross BU Finance support to the in-country Customer Development function and the integrated Customer Finance Operations managing order to cash execution. Overheads Management HOF is responsible for overheads for both the Finance function and the overall Country operation. This would cover the specific areas of responsibility of National Management, together with shared costs, including the costs of housing BU or other non-national resources in-country. UKI Cash Contribution delivery within the context of the broader European Cash Contribution Framework.

Personal Care Finance Lead

Development of the PC 6 long-term strategy and value creation through portfolio transformation, simplification & financial framework as aligned to the BG strategy and to deliver LT competitive and sustainable growth. Ensure accuracy / central bias of monthly financial forecast and planning, managing strategic opportunities & risks Delivery of in-year financial performance vs target and in line with strategic Pricing/NRM objectives and GM delivery With SC, develop future proof and optimized SU and network resilience strategy to support LT BU strategy PC6 Cash Contribution delivery within the context of the broader European and PC BG Cash Contribution Framework.

European Finance Excellence Team (FET)

Ensure the European FET plays a critical role in partnering the process execution, information provision and performance management to all European BU’s and 1 UL organisations, specifically management of S&OP, Cost Control, R2R and Cash Contribution.

People & Talent Development

Own & build the UKI talent pipeline across all BU and National teams, as well as leading the WL3 and WL2 Talent Hubs for the UKI wider geography Lead and continue the development of the UK UFLP program.

Ensure delivery of the Unilever Kingston Campus in line with approved finance framework

ALL ABOUT YOU 

Key Skills & Knowledge

Required

Both category focused and customer facing experienceP&L experience (P&L ownership through FBP and/or CFP roles or significant P&L impact)

Highly Desirable

UKI Market / Operational Experience

Relevant Experiences

CFO / Controller

Key Interfaces

UKI Leadership TeamPC 6 Leadership TeamPC BGEuropean Finance Leadership TeamEuropean Controller

NOTES

About Unilever 

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

 

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’  

 

Location  

In June 2020 we announced our plan to consolidate a number of Unilever’s offices across the South East of England into a new Unilever campus in Kingston-upon-Thames in or around early 2025. However, on the 08 August 2024 we announced to our existing staff our proposal to retain our central Head Office in London, 100 Victoria Embankment (“100VE”) until our lease expires in 2027. As a result of this new proposal, we will be consulting with our existing staff, and new joiners who join during this period of consultation at 100VE, on the proposal made in August 2024. During consultation we will clarify the future location of each team and function. This means your role will either be based in 100VE until 2027 or in Kingston-Upon-Thames from early 2025. As we are yet to commence consultation on the proposal you agree, until such a time when consultation has concluded, your normal place of work as set out in the enclosed Statement of Terms & Conditions will be 100VE. You agree that on the conclusion of the consultation your place of work will be 100VE or 100VE until early 2025 and then Kingston-upon-Thames ("the locations") and you will be notified of which of the locations will be your place of work after that consultation ends.

 

What We Offer 

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

 

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. 

 

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever.

 

Recruitment Fraud 

Cyber criminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs.  These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate. 

 

How is Unilever tackling this? 

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down. 

 

What can I do? 

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat. 

 

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!