Clarks

Head of Commercial Finance, UK & Rest of Europe

Clarks  •  Street, GB (Onsite)  •  1 hour ago
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Job Description

At Clarks, we're transforming our business for the future while building on over 200 years of heritage. As we continue to strengthen our commercial performance across the UK and Europe, we're looking for an influential finance leader to join our senior leadership team.
This is not a traditional finance role.
We're looking for a commercially minded finance leader who can combine strategic thinking, operational understanding, and leadership presence to help shape the future direction of our business.
The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Global CFO, you will act as the senior commercial finance partner to the UK & Europe leadership teams, providing insight, challenge and direction across a complex, multi-channel retail business.
You'll lead a talented team and play a critical role in driving profitable growth across retail, ecommerce, marketplaces and wholesale channels. This is a highly visible leadership position where you'll be expected to influence decisions, challenge thinking, identify opportunities and help the business execute its strategic ambitions.
This role offers the opportunity to operate at the heart of one of the world's most recognised consumer brands, partnering with senior leaders across Finance, Commercial, IT, HR and Operations.
What You'll Be Doing
• Lead the commercial finance agenda across the UK and European business.
• Partner senior leaders to improve performance, profitability and decision-making.
• Provide clear financial insight, challenge and recommendations to leadership teams.
• Support investment decisions, business cases and strategic growth initiatives.
• Drive budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning processes.
• Lead and develop a high-performing commercial finance team.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins, productivity and commercial returns.
• Partner cross-functionally to support new stores, ecommerce growth, marketplaces and transformation initiatives.
• Ensure robust financial controls, governance and risk management across the region.
• Act as a trusted deputy and senior leadership presence across the organisation.
What We're Looking For
You'll be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with significant experience operating in a senior commercial finance leadership role.
You'll bring:
• A proven track record of commercial finance leadership within retail, ecommerce, wholesale or consumer-facing businesses.
• Strong business partnering experience with executive and senior leadership teams.
• Exceptional commercial acumen and the ability to translate numbers into action.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• The confidence to challenge constructively and drive better business decisions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to distil complex issues into clear, concise recommendations.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, complex and changing environment.
Experience across international markets and multi-jurisdiction businesses would be advantageous, as would exposure to business transformation, turnaround or growth environments.
Who Will Succeed Here?
The successful candidate will be more than a technically strong finance professional.
You'll be a visible leader, trusted advisor and natural relationship builder. You'll have the credibility to influence at senior levels, the commercial mindset to focus on what matters most, and the resilience to thrive in a dynamic business environment.
Most importantly, you'll be someone who enjoys being close to the business, understands how organisations create value, and can help turn financial insight into commercial outcomes.
Why Clarks?
This is a rare opportunity to join a globally recognised brand at a key point in its transformation journey. You'll work directly with senior leaders, shape commercial decisions across multiple markets, and have a genuine opportunity to influence the future success of the business.
If you're a commercially driven finance leader looking for a role with visibility, impact and strategic influence, we'd love to hear from you.
Clarks

About Clarks

It began with a flash of inspiration. It was 1825 in the Somerset village of Street and James Clark was busy working at the tannery owned by his brother, Cyrus. Among the sheepskin rugs, the off-cuts and cast-offs were piling up when James had a brainwave: “Slippers!”. And the rest, as they say, is history. A few stitches and a few years later, the sheepskin slipper was born.

It was the very first Clarks shoe and the opening chapter in a remarkable story that continues to unfold to this day. In the decades that have passed since the young Mr. Clark’s eureka moment our shoes have seen social, political and economic revolution. They’ve seen fashions in footwear come and go, and come again – everything from court shoes and winklepickers to wedge heels, sandals and sneakers. They’ve tapped to the beat of crooners, rockers, Britpoppers and hip hoppers. They’ve walked, marched, strode and sashayed through an ever-changing world.

New technology, state-of the-art facilities and our love of shoes means we’re not only the number one shoe brand in the UK. With continuing growth in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, India and China, we’re also the world’s largest casual and smart shoe company and the fourth largest footwear company on the planet.

We’ve come a long way since Cyrus and James Clark and the ‘Brown Petersburg’. But their vision and passion live on in our shoes. You could say we’re following in their footsteps.

Industry
Retail & Ecommerce
Company Size
5,001-10,000 employees
Headquarters
Street, GB
Year Founded
1825
Website
clarks.com
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