Job Description
The Group Cost Director is a key member of the Finance senior leadership team, accountable for driving cost efficiency and value optimisation across the organisation. This role will lead vendor and supplier management, insurance, accounts payable and cost accounting and business partnering activities within Nucleus. Through these functions they will deliver robust decision support and implement effective sourcing strategies that provides optimal value in line with company's strategic objectives. Given the importance of the cost agenda to the company's strategic objectives this role will have regular interaction, and require effective influence, with Exco members.
Key accountabilities include:
Lead and develop high performing teams covering vendor and supplier management, cost accounting and business partnering and accounts payable activities
Actively support CFO in driving and delivering an ambitious and stretching cost efficiency agenda in support of the company's strategic ambitions
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance cost efficiency and financial performance
Provide high-quality analysis, insight, and challenge to support cost-effective decision-making
Participating in external cost insight/benchmarking exercises to further identify cost efficiency opportunities
Partner with senior leadership team to identify and deliver cost saving opportunities.
Lead the management of accounts payable processes, ensuring timely and accurate payments to suppliers in compliance with external requirements. Ensure the efficient use of banking systems for payment execution and cash management.
Oversee procurement controls, particularly through effective use of systems like Concur, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and regulatory requirements.
Lead strategic sourcing efforts, identifying opportunities for cost savings, and ensuring vendor selection aligns with the company's long-term objectives.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess vendor performance and conduct regular vendor reviews to ensure contract compliance
Continuously review contracts to improve terms, reduce costs, and enhance vendor performance.
Implement robust supplier performance management frameworks and risk assessments
In addition the role holder will:
Maintain strong financial controls and governance over all cost-related activities, ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards.
Take responsibility in everything you do to deliver good outcomes for our customers
Positively demonstrate the Nucleus Smart, Heart and Courage values and behaviours
Ensure compliance with Code of Conduct at all times
About you
You will have:
Extensive experience in finance operations, vendor management, procurement, and sourcing within a regulated financial services environment.
Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with substantial post-qualification experience in commercial finance/business partnering
Strong understanding of FCA and PRA regulations, particularly as they apply to pensions, SIPP, Wrap, and Life businesses.
Strong influencing, negotiation and conflict resolution skills with experience in negotiating and managing vendor contracts and relationships.
Strong understanding of procurement systems such as Concur and banking systems.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to proactively identify issues and drive solutions.
Well-developed ability to communicate complex matters to a range of audiences including senior executives, board members and shareholders.
Presentation skills and the ability to brief teams, guide and influence senior decision makers and wider stakeholders
Ability to lead, motivate, inspire and coach leaders and teams and to contribute fully to the wider leadership of the Finance Function and the wider Nucleus Group.
A little about us
We're the Nucleus Financial Platforms group and we help make retirement more rewarding.
People come first - whether it's our colleagues, or the advisers and customers we support, we know that working in partnership and collaboration leads to the best outcomes. Together, we've shaped the platform to how it is today. We work hard, and we celebrate hard too.
Our ambition is to create a platform with a difference, putting the customer centre stage meant tearing up the rule book and starting from scratch. We've come a long way since then, but our mission remains just as focused. That's why our culture, values, and social responsibility are things we keep at the top of our agenda – because we know they matter and have a big impact.
Our culture is one of the many things that sets us apart from the pack. We want to have an environment where our people feel that they can make a real difference, know they'll be rewarded for their efforts and more importantly, enjoy themselves at work.
Are we a perfect match? Check out this video and find out
Inclusion and diversity at Nucleus
As with most things in life, who cares, wins. We really care about inclusion.
For us it's not a tick box exercise; inclusion and diversity are embedded in our culture and everything we do. It's a commercial imperative. It isn't about being PC. It's about being future-relevant and durable. We owe it to ourselves and the industry to ensure we are playing our part in creating a fair, balanced and transparent financial services sector.
More diversity means broader experience, a wider set of perspectives and a better collective ability to problem-solve. And it means being more representative of customer groups, which supports areas such as product development.
At Nucleus, we offer a generous blend of benefits for the things that really matter to our people, including a non-contributory pension, bonus, enhanced parental leave, paid time off for emergencies, health and wellbeing initiatives and flexible working options.
If you'd like to find out more about us or the role, get in touch with Hannah in our People team.