Finance Business Partner - Global Supply Chain

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies. 

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards. 

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. 

This role partners closely with Procurement, Logistics, Tarriff’s, Sales & Operations Planning and broader Operations to provide financial insight, challenge, and guidance that supports end‑to‑end supply chain excellence. Reporting to the Senior Director, Finance Operations, the individual will lead the performance reporting, investment decision support, budget/forecasting process, strategic planning support and general financial support for Supply Chain & Procurement. 

The candidate will serve as the primary finance advisor to Supply Chain & Procurement leadership, providing proactive insights, recommendations and critical challenge where required. The individual will be key to ensuring delivery of the strategic roadmap for the functions by ensuring the integrity of execution of the business and functional strategy, creating, and supporting an unambiguous accountability for delivering end-to-end results.

Key Responsibilities:

• A strategic partner to Supply Chain Director and Procurement Director providing leadership, direction and problem solving to address any Supply Chain or fundamental issues that may deter profitability of the business within a strongly controlled environment.  
• Ownership of all monthly consolidated data for the Supply Chain & Procurement, financial planning process for all monthly, quarterly, annual, and strategic financial plans, including delivery of supporting materials.
• Supports supply chain and procurement decision making to maximise operational performance, working capital usage, manufacturing excellence and profitability.
• Acts as a Supply Chain expert understanding the drivers and nuances of the business, providing timely, independent insight and updates to the Senior Director, Finance, Operations.
• Collaborates closely with the global / operational finance teams.
• Owns the initial financial assessment, post implementation reviews and regular reporting of the operational & supplier performance.
• Financial consolidation and planning supply chain & supplier network.
• Implementation and oversight of cost control policies across the supply chain and procurement functions.
• Strategic financial evaluation of suppliers and supply chain.
• Supports ad-hoc John Crane initiatives, projects or M&A activities including integration and information requests as directed by the Senior Director, Finance Operations.

Candidates must have a proven track record of success in progressively more senior finance roles preferably including commercial and operations environments.  Previous experience of working with a high-performing team in a multi-national and multi-cultural business is preferred.

The following experience, skills and personal attributes are key:

• Degree educated (minimum 2;1), ideally in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, or a related analytical discipline. A Master’s qualification is advantageous.
• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / ACMA / CFA) with 10+ years of relevant professional experience with a strong focus on Commercial, Operational and or Strategic Business Analysis preferably in a large multi-national business.
• Demonstrated proficiency in financial and economic modelling and investment appraisal techniques.
• Demonstrated proficiency in ERP system utilisation (SAP, Oracle etc).
• Deep analytical capability, intellectual curiosity, and ability to operate strategically and hands-on.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and build strong trusted working relationships with internal and external business customers.
• Demonstrated ability to persistently pursue and achieve results. Uses data / analytics to proactively monitor and review plans to hit or exceed targets and drives continuous improvement.
• Ability to make good judgments in an increasingly complex global business by effectively sourcing and analysing critical information and making effective, timely recommendations whilst considering the needs and impacts on business stakeholders.
• Work closely with other areas of the business to develop a clear understanding of the implications their decisions have both in the short and long term.
• Self-starter with flexibility and willingness to balance multiple, changing priorities and work independently under tight deadlines.
• Effective written, verbal and presentation skills.

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity. 

Across our company, we recognise excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network. 

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future. 

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)