Finance Business Partner

Job summary

Context:

The role holder will operate within the Innovate UK’s Finance Business Partnering Team which is part of the wider Innovate UK and UKRI Finance Teams.

Job Purpose:

Provide dedicated finance expertise, insight, reporting and business partnering to Innovate UK, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to inform decision-making, enhance financial awareness, and deliver outcomes aligned with Innovate UK and UKRI priorities.

Job description

Leadership / teamwork / collaboration

• Build and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and partners and provide input and advice.
• Support Programme Managers and Senior Leadership Teams to effectively manage their programmes through the provision of timely, accurate and complete financial information, advice, and constructive challenge.
• To deputise for the Senior Finance Business Partner on a range of issues, if and when required.
• Understand the linkages and dependencies across UKRI Councils and UKRI's sponsor department, working collaboratively with Finance Business Partners and colleagues across UKRI to identify opportunities for improvement, transformation and efficiency within Finance. Support the strengthening of internal controls, financial reporting and analysis, and the effective management of programmes, while promoting a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Role deliverables

• Perform a range of reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business cases.
• Communicate the importance of Finance to partners at all levels, and use strong business awareness to present insightful information and analysis to support effective longer-term decision making and deliver outcomes in line with Innovate UK and UKRI priorities.
• Manage annual and multi-year budget setting and forecasting cycles.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial, DSIT and HMG controls within assigned business areas.
• Manage applications for additional budget cover.

This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.

Person specification

Experience & Qualifications:

Essential –

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), actively working or willing to work towards qualification, or equivalent experience (QBE) (S).
• Strong understanding of accounting and finance and demonstrable experience of working in a similar role (S).
• Very good IT skills, including good knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel (S).
• Experience of financial modelling & controls (S&I).
• Demonstrable experience of month and year-end processes - accruals and prepayment calculations, variance analyses etc (S&I).
• Demonstrable experience of working as part of a wider-business, consulting with senior stakeholders, utilising an in-depth understanding of business priorities and effectively working with partners to meet organisational and financial objectives (S&I).
• Experience in provision of high quality written and oral advice suitable for senior level decision makers (I).
• Proven experience in the preparation of complex budgets, forecasts and financial plans (I).
• Understanding of the role of governance, risk management and assurance in project delivery (I).

Skills & abilities:

• Ability to build relationships with senior partners and influence them with impact and professional credibility
• Strong experience of developing effective working partnerships and offering challenges where necessary to senior decision-making groups
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Personal resilience and a confident approach, willing to apply good judgement to solve issues and find solutions independently.
• Highly developed team working skills, able to form effective working relationships quickly
• Ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations
• Good organisational skills, able to manage and prioritise own and others’ workloads and meet deadlines in a very timely manner

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,743, Innovate UK contributes

£13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

1st interview, may include a presentation.

Interviews will either take place remotely via Teams or in person face to face.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window) .

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the

Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)

and the

Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.

You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukri.org

Apply at advertiser's site

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