Commercial Finance Manager – Renewable Energy & Infrastructure
A growing infrastructure investment platform is seeking a Commercial Finance Manager to join its finance team and support the management of a substantial portfolio of operational renewable energy assets, primarily solar, across the UK and Ireland. This is a high-impact role combining commercial finance, debt management, financial reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
The finance team works closely with investment, asset management, technical, and ESG specialists to ensure robust financial governance, accurate reporting, and strategic oversight across a diverse portfolio of infrastructure assets.
Leadership and communication
- Establish a dedicated debt‑management specialist team within the Energy & Infrastructure division, working in close partnership with the investment and asset‑management teams to support all debt‑raising initiatives.
- Develop robust processes, controls, and policies to ensure effective governance and ongoing oversight of all existing external debt facilities.
- Lead financial & commercial management for a solar portfolio of approximately 150 assets (including ground‑mounted and rooftop installations), ensuring robust stakeholder engagement and effective communication across internal and external parties.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including auditors, tax advisors, regulatory bodies, external lenders, external investors and internal teams.
- Prepare and present financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, providing insights and recommendations for financial strategy and decision‑making.
Reporting
Responsible for all financial reports in the solar portfolio ensuring it is prepared to the highest standards and timely. This includes but not limited to the following:
- Monthly financial performance including variance analysis, profits & cash projections, budget assumption changes and compliance tracker.
- Quarterly debt reports (consolidated financials, debt model, compliance certificate).
- Quarterly debt management report for internal use.
- Bi‑annual solar performance for interim financial statement reporting.
- Annual consolidation of financial statements.
- Other ad‑hoc reporting.
- Coordinate with external auditors to facilitate financial audits, ensuring timely and accurate provision of required documentation and information.
Finance operations management
- Ensure timely and accurate preparation and submission of all tax filings in compliance with local regulations.
- Oversee all payment processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Oversee accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger and financial reporting.
- Ensure compliance with all financial regulations and standards, including internal policies and external legal requirements. You are also expected to prepare internal policies.
These areas will be working closely with the finance operations team (team of six managing the UK and Nordics market) who will be responsible for preparing these transactional areas with you to oversee the entire process.
Budgeting and forecasting
- Lead the annual budgeting process creating the business plan for the financial year together with other stakeholders under the common budgeting framework designed by the FP&A lead.
- Responsible to evaluate the deviations of actual data/contracts to the budget plan.
- Make recommendations for quarterly updates to the budget assumptions.
- Support the investment & valuation team in updating the valuation models on a quarterly basis. You are not expected to run the financial models but would contribute to the inputs into the models.
- Proactively manage cash flows to ensure sufficient liquidity for operations and investment activities.
Team Management
- Manage one team member directly, providing guidance, support, and professional development opportunities. The team may grow in the future as the business grows.
- Manage one to two team members via a dotted line to the account assistants in the finance operations team based in Glasgow and Stockholm who supports transaction matters, ensuring effective collaboration and communications.
Process optimisation
- Continuously identify opportunities for process and system improvements.
- Implementing new tools and systems with a strong focus in achieving AI automation of “AI driven, human managed”.
- Lead the implementation of process improvements, working closely with relevant teams to ensure successful adoption and integration and proper documentations.
Debt management
- Act as the primary point of contact for external lenders, ensuring transparent communication and timely provision of reporting obligations.
- Update and maintain quarterly debt models for submission to external lenders, covering all portfolios with external debt.
- Drive initiatives to align the debt model to the investment model as closely as possible.
- Monitor debt ratios proactively, ensuring compliance and developing solutions to mitigate risk when ratios approach distress levels.
- Prepare and deliver quarterly debt management reports for internal stakeholders, providing clear insights and recommendations.
- Conduct sensitivity analyses on debt and leverage ratios, presenting findings and strategic implications to internal stakeholders.
- Support the relevant team in debt‑raising initiatives.
- Work closely with technical advisors and external lenders to utilise funds within maintenance reserve accounts.
- Evaluate potential opportunities for lowering debt service costs or interest‑bearing accounts.
Other
- Support in tax planning and structuring of new transactions, regions, etc.
- Support investment team in acquisition or divestment of entities/assets.
- From time to time, there may be ad‑hoc works that you would be expected to manage.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have:
- Big 4 training or experience with a leading professional services firm.
- Strong experience in financial modelling and debt modelling, preferably in project finance.
- Exposure to renewable energy or solar infrastructure projects.
- Professional qualifications such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or CFA.
- Strong commercial and analytical skills, with experience in complex financial reporting.
- Proven ability to manage stakeholders across multiple teams and functions.
- A proactive approach, attention to detail, and a collaborative mindset.
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