INTRODUCTION:

IKEA’s vision “To create a better everyday life for the many people” is more relevant than ever. People’s needs and dreams of a better living are the foundation of our business. Our ability to connect and relate to people and their life at home by having something for everyone, being affordable and trustful, will determine our success. By understanding and responding to changes in society and in people’s lives, we will discover new opportunities that truly meet the needs of our customers in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland.

IKEA is the market leader in the UK&IE home furnishing market but there are still many opportunities – We are just at the beginning. IKEA UK&IE has an ambitious and aggressive growth & expansion plan to 2020. Our direction is built on our vision, business idea and culture, our spirit and values; a belief in a better society and a belief in people. A lot of our future success will come from doing what we already know in a much better way, and some will come from transformation, innovation and new ways of working together. All 7000+ people, no matter what position they hold, are very important to build an even better IKEA UK&IE with strong social and environmental commitments. This is an opportunity to be part of a success story.

We need to ensure that we have the financial means to grow in a way where our economic stability is safeguarded.  Long-term profitability grants us independency and allows us to invest in the future, in our people and in sustainability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a key position within the country management team, involved in all aspects of business decisions making.

We are looking for an experienced CFO who is inspiring, a great communicator, able to picture an exciting future as well as encouraging the organization to discover even more effective, cost-conscious, quicker, leaner and simpler ways of working together.

While contributing to the strategic framework of the country and having a firm grasp of financial processes this is also an operational role requiring commercial drive & interest.

Ambitious enough to have his/her own agenda for change and improvement, the CFO must be a leader in the business as well as a true business partner.

Strong leadership capabilities and an ability to develop People & Business together are vital. A proven track record of sound decision making, taking ownership, identifying new business opportunities, influencing change and delivering results, in a fast paced, growth environment are characteristics required of the successful candidate.

Reporting to Gillian Drakeford, Country Retail Manager UK&IE, and to Erik Oster Pedersen, CFO IKEA group, the successful candidate will co-drive the “Leader in life at home” direction and will be responsible to implement the processes needed to support the growth agenda and to deliver a sustainable profitability.

Based in London/United Kingdom.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION:

Degree in finance, accounting, business, economics, law or related fields plus professional accounting/business navigation qualifications. 

EXPERIENCE:

This role requires a passion for “people’s life at home” and IKEA in order to understand and drive the business. 

He/She has proven experience as a member of the management team.

He/She will have relevant finance and accounting experience and tax experience (Financial Planning & Analysis, Cash Management, Business Planning) as well as knowledge in the following areas – Policies & Compliance, Administration, Insurances, Legal Affairs, IT, Health & Safety, Risk Management and Procurement.

He/She will demonstrate excellent business judgement and have the ability to generate ideas and solve problems independently.

He/She will have the ability to build and manage financial models for business forecasting, variance analysis and problem solving; they will turn data into clear, actionable programs. The successful candidate will also have a comfort with detail that will enable them to dive into issues and communicating the implications for the business plainly while offering solutions.

Although naturally strategic, they will have strong operational skills and enjoy the day-to-day challenges of a being part of the running retail business.

He/She will be a natural leader with a proven track record and will have recruited and developed top-class teams, taking brave and innovative talent decisions to form teams to business needs.

He/She has worked in an international / multinational environment as a true business partner and is comfortable working in a matrix organisation.

PERSONALITY

As a person you are down to earth, humble and enjoy working in a non hierarchical culture and network organization.  As a team player you have an outgoing personality & strong sense of humour.  You have solid interpersonal and communication skills and are willing to develop further in a dynamic and fun environment.

PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES:

Professional qualities that are not unique to this position, but necessary for IKEA leaders:

• Strategic thinker, understanding the big picture, with excellent analytical skills and experience interpreting a vision into an operating mode.
• Sound negotiation skills and well developed communication abilities building strong relationships both within and outside the organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines while juggling multiple priorities in a fast pace environment.
• Experience in multicultural and multinational organisations.
• Proven experience in assessing, managing and mitigating risks.
• Multitasker with the ability to prioritise work and the work of others, set expectations and provide clear expectations, preferably gained in a fast paced, growth environment.
• Excellent change management skills, innovative and able to create a passion for our business plan.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities and strong interpersonal skills including written and oral communication skills.
• Ambitious for IKEA, the team and self. 

FOCUS AND DELIVERABLES FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTH:

• Will have built a strong network locally and in matrix organisation
• Will have built good business knowledge
• Will have secured and safeguarded the finance processes
• Will have ensured internal and external compliance
• Will have clearly set the ambition for what the CFO should contribute, such as:o    Projects this role should define, own and drive including expanding the scope of the role to find new challenges

  o    Acting as change enabler in IKEA UK&IE

• Launching new initiatives to drive added value

• Will have identified and tackled “problem” areas
• Will have been closely involved with and suggesting inputs for senior level, setting new service level expectations, driving efficiencies and boosting organisational performance and commercial value to improve business.