Senior Finance Manager - Production

Job Description

Your role: As Senior Finance Manager - Production you are responsible for the Production P&L lines including Newsprint, Ink, Plates, External Printing, JV Costs, Waste revenue and Publishing Operations overheads.

You will take full ownership of the Production P&L, driving financial clarity, forecasting accuracy, and process continuous improvement across our publishing footprint. Reporting to the Head of Finance Publishing, you will partner closely with operational stakeholders, print partners, and onshore/offshore finance teams to manage key commercial risks and deliver efficient reporting solutions.

Day to day you will:

• Manage and deliver accurate weekly, month-end, and long-term financial reporting across all Production P&L lines, communicating key insights directly to senior leadership.

• Analyse and evaluate TM1 and SAP management accounting environments to design automated, highly efficient processes for forecasting and balance sheet reconciliations.

• Lead the budget, forecast, and rolling plan submissions for core operational costs, including external printing, paper procurement, and packaging.

• Partner with the Publishing Operations team to evaluate commercial business cases, support contract reviews, and oversee newsprint stocktake audits.

• Guide and mentor onshore and offshore finance colleagues, setting clear specifications, managing knowledge transfers, and driving continuous development.

What we're looking for from you:

• Hold an ACA, ACCA, CIMA (or equivalent) qualification with PQE.

• Proven capability in managing operational P&Ls, complex inventory accounts, and rolling forecast models within a dynamic environment.

• Proficiency in SAP and IBM Planning Analytics / TM1 (or similar enterprise ERP platforms) to streamline complex reporting tasks.

• Clear executive communication skills, with a track record of translating technical operational figures into clear risk and opportunity commentary for senior stakeholders.

• Collaborative leadership style with demonstrated ability to guide hybrid onshore/offshore teams and build constructive cross-functional relationships with non-finance partners.

• Analytical problem-solving mindset, showing initiative to challenge existing financial controls, identify root-cause efficiencies, and manage balance sheet risk.

News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multi-format brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose, we exist to promote a fair society, freedom of speech and a little bit of fun. Rethinking continually the business of storytelling, we represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter.

At News UK, we embrace a hybrid work model, currently requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. This approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and team spirit within our workspace. Certain roles may necessitate additional in-office days; please discuss this with your recruiter for specific requirements.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know. You can contact us at careers@news.co.uk to discuss how we can support you to perform at your best.

About The Candidate

About The Company