Senior Finance Business Partner
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you'll play a key role in driving financial accountability and cost control across directorates, influencing key decisions and supporting effective performance management. You'll oversee financial planning, manage teams, and provide critical insights to help optimise both direct and indirect costs, ensuring value for money. Working closely with the CFO and cross-functional teams, you'll contribute to the success of large-scale, multi-billion-pound projects, enabling you to make a real impact. This is an exciting opportunity to lead, collaborate, and innovate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while supporting the delivery of transformational programmes.
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you will need to have/be:
Skills:
- Communication: Explain complex financial issues to non-financial colleagues and ensure compliance with Managing Public Money.
- Stakeholder Management: Engage and build consensus with internal and external stakeholders up to Executive level.
- Influencing: Influence key decisions effectively.
- Forecasting: Critically review and challenge forecasts for affordability, value for money, and impact on delivery.
- Technical Skills: Use ERP systems, data analytics software, and advanced Excel models.
- Financial Control: Ensure strong financial controls for major projects.
- Team Management: Manage teams and resolve issues within deadlines.
Knowledge:
- Accounting: Qualified accountant with experience in complex environments.
- Government Accounting: Understand government accounting rules (DEL/AME) to ensure compliance within delegated authority.
- Systems: Knowledge of accounting systems and ability to manage off-system analyses.
- Commercial Awareness: Understanding of commercial implications in financial decisions.
Experience:
- Matrix Environments: Experience in matrix structures, including infrastructure projects.
- Budgeting and Forecasting: Experience with activity-based budgets and annual business plan processes within Spending Review limits.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with planning, procurement, contract management, and HR to ensure effective resource planning.
- Team Leadership: Manage finance teams and resolve issues on time.
- Complex Environments: Qualified accountant with experience in complex settings, including large projects.
- Team Oversight: Manage finance business partners and project accountants for program teams with budgets under £1bn per year.
Details:
- Salary: £54, 500 - £81, 780
- Working Hours: Full Time, Monday to Friday
- Location: Hybrid/Birmingham
- Duration: Permanent
Role of Senior Finance Business Partner:
- Support the Directorate's participation in the Government-wide Spending Review, working with senior executives and coordinating with the central finance team and the parent Department.
- Promote a culture of cost control and productivity within the Directorate, ensuring consistency and understanding of key agreements and the business case.
- Assist in managing business performance, helping senior leaders manage budgets in line with HM Treasury and Government Finance standards.
- Manage diverse stakeholder relationships with varying priorities.
- Implement performance improvements and productivity initiatives across the Directorate.
- Analyse management reports and communicate insights to senior leaders within the Directorate and the parent Department.
- Oversee month-end financial processes, including account preparation, variance analysis, and report reviews.
- Support annual business planning and budgeting, collaborating with non-financial senior executives and finance teams.
- Prepare quarterly re-forecasts with senior executives for submission to the Executive.
- Review and challenge funding requests to ensure value for money, affordability, and compliance with HM Treasury guidelines.
- Submit cash flow requirements to support funding manage foreign exchange hedging activities.
- Identify and implement process improvements for project delivery.
- Drive the use of consistent reporting methods and financial processes in collaboration with finance teams.
- Provide business partner support by reviewing forecasts and variances, recommending corrective actions where needed.
- Develop and mentor the business finance team to enhance their impact.
Benefits of working as a Senior Finance Business Partner:
- a competitive pension scheme, with up to 12 per cent employer contributions
- a starting salary that reflects your skills and experience
- a cash allowance in lieu of benefits, which means you can choose which benefits are right for you and your family
- core company funded benefits such as life assurance, income protection and health cash plan
- 25 days annual leave plus public holidays
- access to tax-efficient voluntary benefits scheme & retail, health, leisure, and travel offers
- access to an Employee Assistance Program
- financial and health well-being programmes