Graduate Programme in Financial Controlling 2022

Don’t wait for the future to arrive, when you can develop it yourself.

Do you want to be part of a critical Finance function ensuring the continued profitability and ongoing success of a large corporate? We are looking for a graduate to join us within our Financial Controlling department, someone who is passionate about financial and business topics, and who is looking for a challenging role where they will be constantly learning and no two days will be the same!

The Financial Controlling department is responsible for steering and maintaining business performance, and for ensuring financial viability of the organisation.  We provide timely and accurate financial management reporting to the senior management team to allow them to make informed and accurate decisions on the future of the business. The department also includes a Treasury function responsible for maintaining liquidity and ensuring sufficient funding to allow the business to continue operations, at the lowest possible interest rates to protect profitability.

The role

This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved at the core of the Finance department and gain experience of many different topics including financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, target setting and performance tracking, risk management and cash flow management. You will gain detailed knowledge of the company business model and the key drivers of our profitability along with our main risks. You will gain an understanding of the political and economic environment, and how it shapes the financial market movements, and how these impact on our business. You will understand how to steer and manage business performance and how to balance the different KPI’s to drive the best overall results.

You will work with many teams across the company in order to develop this knowledge and to gain the wide breadth of experience required in order to become a successful Financial Controller. You will be part of a diverse international Controlling community within the wider BMW Group and have the opportunity to get involved in many different projects. 

The programme

You will be part of our Global Leader Development Programme (GLDP).  The programme is 18 months in duration and during that time you will get the opportunity to undertake a number of national and international placements, with at least one being within our headquarters in Munich, starting from your “home” location in Farnborough.

Farnborough is the headquarters of BMW in the UK with three BMW entities based there; BMW (UK) Ltd which is the National Sales Company for BMW, MINI and Motorrad; BMW Financial Services (GB) Ltd which provides finance to our retail customers and to our retailers; and Alphabet (GB) Ltd which provides finance for fleet customers. For this programme you will be working across the Controlling departments of BMW Financial Services and Alphabet gaining exposure to many different aspects of a financial services business.

This talent development opportunity will equip you step by step with the skills you need to succeed. Supported by an experienced mentor, you'll be able to benefit from this structured programme in several ways: having the chance to work abroad, sharing know-how, joining dynamic teams to tackle exciting and varied projects and building your own global network of contacts are only some of the programme’s integral parts. At the end of the programme we hope to support all high-performing graduates to find a permanent role within the organisation. 

Qualifications

• You will have graduated prior to the programme commencing in a Finance, Accounting, or Economics Bachelor's or Master's degree (or related discipline) with a minimum of a 2:1 qualification
• You will have at least 6 months of relevant work experience (e.g. internships, training, initial professional experience) but no more than 2-3 years' professional working experience
• You will have at least 4 months of relevant experience abroad (e.g. studies, practical experience, work & travel)
• Fluent in English and a second language (helpful during your international placement)
• Must be prepared to study for an Accountancy qualification either during or after the programme
• Must have good A Levels in numerical subjects and a minimum of 9 GCSE’s grades 5-9 with English and Maths
• Ideally knowledge of accounting and financial concepts such as P&L, balance sheet, liquidity, financial risks and funding mechanisms
• Good data manipulation skills. Ability to assess and understand large data sets and draw out conclusions from them
• Strong analytical and advanced Excel skills. Knowledge of SAS would be an advantage
• Possess the ability to break down complex topics into easily understandable key point summaries and communicate these clearly to a variety of business partners
• Excellent relationship management skills, the ability to liaise with different levels of stakeholders, and experience of presenting to larger audiences
• Experience of working within a culturally diverse environment would be an advantage
• Self-organised, self-motivated and tenacious to take ownership of projects and topics and drive your own career direction, taking advantage of opportunities when they arise
• Comes with a can do attitude and not afraid to learn, develop and grow with the role and the department

Why choose us?

• Great Pay – A competitive annual salary of £31,000, 27 days holiday and a pension scheme (pro rata to your contract) as well as a subsided on-site restaurant
• Rewarding Work-Life Balance – contracted working hours are 37.5 hours a week, our hot desk policy means we encourage flexible working where the business needs allow it (i.e. working from home, flexible working hours, etc.)
• Exciting Additional Benefits – throughout your graduate programme you will be supported by our experts and fellow graduates.

Did you know?

Farnborough is home to our BMW, MINI and Alphabet National Sales Centres. We’re proud of our office environment and achievements and we offer a modern way of working with an empowering office culture, some aspects of which include:

• Our work persona shift – Being yourself is effortless and so increases efficiency and reduces wasted energy. For this reason we allow our employees to express themselves through the way they dress
• The opportunity to get involved with and support our house charity with a variety of fundraising events throughout the year
• The opportunity to get involved with our employee led Diversity & Inclusion Groups who are driving cultural change and diversity throughout the organisation
• Throughout our offices there are open creative spaces which hold facilities such as ping-pong tables to encourage innovation and employee engagement