Group Financial Planning Manager
Job No: TBC
Job Title: Group Financial Planning Manager (Band F)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Dublin
Applications are invited for the above permanent position in the Finance Office
Background
EirGrid Group operates and develops the electricity system in Ireland. Our strategy is shaped by climate change and the transition of the electricity sector to low-carbon, renewable energy. We have a unique role to play in leading the transformation of the power system required to support Ireland's energy ambitions. Our strategy is underpinned by our purpose to Transform the power system for future generations.
The Finance Office is responsible for the provision of timely and insightful financial information to the Board, Executive and Management. It also has responsibility for maintaining a strong financial control environment, supporting strategic decision-making, ensuring compliance with regulatory and statutory obligations, and driving continuous improvement across finance processes, systems and capabilities.
As EirGrid continues to grow in scale, complexity and strategic importance, the Finance function is expanding to support increased investment activity, organisational growth, evolving regulatory requirements and growing stakeholder expectations. To ensure Finance continues to provide high-quality financial stewardship, insight and decision support, EirGrid is investing in additional capability across its Finance function, creating a number of key new roles to strengthen financial planning, reporting, control, business partnering and performance management activities.
Financial Planning & Analysis will play a critical role in supporting this growth by providing robust planning, forecasting, performance insight and decision support across the organisation. The FP&A function will integrate financial plans, business priorities, capital investment programmes and funding requirements to support delivery of EirGrid's strategic objectives. The Group Financial Planning Manager will be a key role within this capability, helping to establish best-practice planning processes, strengthen organisational planning discipline and improve decision-making across the Group.
Purpose
Reporting to the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, the Group Financial Planning Manager will lead and coordinate EirGrid’s integrated financial planning activities across the Group and manage a small specialist planning team.
The successful candidate will manage the annual budgeting cycle, rolling forecasting processes and development of the Group's five-year Corporate Plan. The role will ensure that financial plans are underpinned by robust assumptions, aligned to regulatory allowances and support effective decision-making across the organisation.
The Group Financial Planning Manager will be responsible for the development and maintenance of the Group's consolidated financial planning models, including cash flow forecasting and long-term financial projections. The role will provide financial insight, analysis and challenge to senior stakeholders, helping to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and strategic objectives are delivered within available funding.
Working closely with Finance Business Partners, Financial Reporting, Regulatory Reporting and business leaders across the organisation, the Group Financial Planning Manager will play a critical role in strengthening planning capability, improving forecast accuracy and establishing best-practice financial planning processes.
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a newly enhanced FP&A capability and contribute to the continued evolution of the Finance function during a period of significant organisational growth and transformation.
Key Responsibilities
Skills and Experience
Job Title: Group Financial Planning Manager (Band F)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Dublin
Applications are invited for the above permanent position in the Finance Office
Background
EirGrid Group operates and develops the electricity system in Ireland. Our strategy is shaped by climate change and the transition of the electricity sector to low-carbon, renewable energy. We have a unique role to play in leading the transformation of the power system required to support Ireland's energy ambitions. Our strategy is underpinned by our purpose to Transform the power system for future generations.
The Finance Office is responsible for the provision of timely and insightful financial information to the Board, Executive and Management. It also has responsibility for maintaining a strong financial control environment, supporting strategic decision-making, ensuring compliance with regulatory and statutory obligations, and driving continuous improvement across finance processes, systems and capabilities.
As EirGrid continues to grow in scale, complexity and strategic importance, the Finance function is expanding to support increased investment activity, organisational growth, evolving regulatory requirements and growing stakeholder expectations. To ensure Finance continues to provide high-quality financial stewardship, insight and decision support, EirGrid is investing in additional capability across its Finance function, creating a number of key new roles to strengthen financial planning, reporting, control, business partnering and performance management activities.
Financial Planning & Analysis will play a critical role in supporting this growth by providing robust planning, forecasting, performance insight and decision support across the organisation. The FP&A function will integrate financial plans, business priorities, capital investment programmes and funding requirements to support delivery of EirGrid's strategic objectives. The Group Financial Planning Manager will be a key role within this capability, helping to establish best-practice planning processes, strengthen organisational planning discipline and improve decision-making across the Group.
Purpose
Reporting to the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, the Group Financial Planning Manager will lead and coordinate EirGrid’s integrated financial planning activities across the Group and manage a small specialist planning team.
The successful candidate will manage the annual budgeting cycle, rolling forecasting processes and development of the Group's five-year Corporate Plan. The role will ensure that financial plans are underpinned by robust assumptions, aligned to regulatory allowances and support effective decision-making across the organisation.
The Group Financial Planning Manager will be responsible for the development and maintenance of the Group's consolidated financial planning models, including cash flow forecasting and long-term financial projections. The role will provide financial insight, analysis and challenge to senior stakeholders, helping to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and strategic objectives are delivered within available funding.
Working closely with Finance Business Partners, Financial Reporting, Regulatory Reporting and business leaders across the organisation, the Group Financial Planning Manager will play a critical role in strengthening planning capability, improving forecast accuracy and establishing best-practice financial planning processes.
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a newly enhanced FP&A capability and contribute to the continued evolution of the Finance function during a period of significant organisational growth and transformation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the Group annual budgeting process, coordinating Directorate submissions and ensuring the delivery of robust, accurate and timely budgets.
- Lead rolling forecasting processes, providing an integrated view of financial performance, emerging risks, opportunities and forecast movements across the organisation.
- Lead, manage and develop the Financial Planning team, setting clear priorities and maintaining high standards of planning, modelling and delivery.
- Establish and maintain planning governance, calendars, standards and assumptions frameworks, ensuring consistency, transparency and appropriate ownership.
- Lead the financial planning and modelling activities underpinning EirGrid’s five-year Corporate Plan.
- Own and govern the Group’s integrated financial planning models, including consolidated profit and loss, balance sheet and cash-flow forecasts.
- Develop scenario and sensitivity analysis to support strategic planning, funding decisions, resource allocation and long-term financial sustainability.
- Prepare and present consolidated budgets, forecasts, scenarios and long-term financial-planning outputs for the CFO, Executive and Board.
- Set Group-wide planning standards and work through Finance Business Partners to coordinate Directorate submissions, challenge assumptions and strengthen forecast accountability.
- Work closely with the Performance Reporting & Insights Manager to ensure that actual performance, trends, risks and opportunities are reflected in forecasts and financial plans.
- Ensure that financial plans remain aligned with regulatory allowances, organisational priorities, funding requirements and approved investment plans.
- Establish and maintain appropriate controls over planning models and outputs, including validation, reconciliation, version control and documented review.
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve planning processes, forecasting methodologies, systems and financial-modelling capability.
- Contribute to finance transformation initiatives and the continued development of a modern, scalable and high-performing FP&A function.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the role as required.
Skills and Experience
- Qualified accountant with ACA, ACCA, CIMA or an equivalent professional qualification, together with significant relevant post-qualification experience in FP&A, financial planning or a related finance role.
- Experience leading, managing and developing a small finance team, including setting priorities, reviewing outputs and supporting individual development.
- Proven experience leading annual budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes within a large and complex organisation.
- Demonstrated experience developing long-term financial plans, strategic forecasts and multi-year financial projections.
- Strong financial modelling capabilities, including the development and maintenance of integrated profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow models.
- Experience managing and challenging planning assumptions, analysing financial performance and providing actionable insights to support decision-making.
- Strong analytical, commercial and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex financial data into clear recommendations.
- Experience working closely with senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making through robust financial analysis and insight.
- Strong understanding of budgeting, forecasting, financial governance and performance management frameworks.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with Finance and non-Finance stakeholders.
- Advanced Excel modelling skills and experience working with finance systems, reporting tools and data analytics solutions.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, deliver to challenging deadlines and operate effectively in a dynamic environment.
- Experience within a regulated utility, infrastructure, energy or capital-intensive environment.
- Experience supporting regulatory submissions, price reviews or funding applications.
- Knowledge of regulatory funding frameworks and investment planning processes.
- Experience with Power BI, financial planning tools and data visualisation platforms.
- Experience supporting finance transformation, process improvement or operating model change initiatives.