Senior Finance Business Partner

• job-description-senior-finance-business-partner

To apply for this position, please complete the application form. Should you have any additional questions regarding submitting an application, please contact the Recruitment Team at recruitment@huntingdonshire.gov.uk

Are you an experienced finance professional who enjoys working in partnership with senior managers, translating complex financial information into clear advice and helping services make better decisions?
We’re looking for a Senior Finance Business Partner to join our Finance team at Huntingdonshire District Council.

This is a key role combining financial leadership, business partnering and team management. You’ll lead our Finance Business Partner team, providing high-quality financial support, insight and constructive challenge to directors, service managers and budget holders across the Council.

It’s an opportunity to move beyond simply reporting the numbers. We want someone who can help colleagues understand the “why” as well as the “what”, using financial insight to support good decision-making and the Council’s ongoing financial sustainability.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Accountant, you’ll lead and develop a team of four and play an important role in delivering the Council’s financial planning, budget management, monitoring and reporting arrangements. You’ll work closely with services across the Council, providing professional advice alongside appropriate challenge and helping ensure that financial plans, forecasts and business cases are robust, realistic and well understood.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating and developing the Finance Business Partner team, ensuring priorities are clear and objectives are achieved.
• Providing financial insight, guidance and constructive challenge to senior managers, service managers and budget holders.
• Supporting the preparation of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets through the approved Medium Term Financial Strategy process.
• Overseeing budgetary control and forecasting across revenue and capital expenditure.
• Challenging financial plans and forecasts to ensure they are accurate and realistic.
• Working with services to develop robust business cases and financial models, including consideration of risks and ongoing revenue implications.
• Supporting the year-end closedown and Statement of Accounts, including relevant revenue and capital elements and disclosure notes.
• Ensuring the integrity and accuracy of financial information and reconciliations.
• Providing specialist financial advice and supporting compliance with the Council’s Constitution and Code of Financial Management.
• Overseeing grant claims and statistical returns, ensuring external deadlines are met.
• Developing financial awareness across the organisation through effective support and training for budget holders and other colleagues.
• Working with external auditors, government departments, other local authorities and other external organisations as required.

About you

We’re looking for someone who combines strong financial knowledge with excellent communication, leadership and influencing skills.

You’ll be comfortable working with colleagues at all levels of the organisation and able to turn financial information into clear, practical advice. Just as importantly, you'll be prepared to constructively challenge assumptions and help managers understand the financial consequences of their decisions.

You’ll bring:

• A full AAT qualification, part-qualified CCAB status or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Proven experience of financial planning, control and reporting.
• Up-to-date knowledge of accounting policy.
• The ability to lead, inspire and motivate colleagues.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and address complex financial issues.
• Confidence to negotiate, challenge and influence at a senior level.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively while managing your own priorities and workload effectively.

Experience of local government finance and business partnering would be advantageous, as would experience of delivering financial training to finance and non-finance colleagues.

What we can offer

At Huntingdonshire District Council, we believe our people are our greatest asset. In return, we offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee wellbeing support and benefits
• Opportunities to contribute to exciting projects, transformation programmes and the future of local government services.

Why join us?

This is a great opportunity to take on an influential Finance role where you can make a visible difference across the organisation.

You’ll have the opportunity to lead a team, work closely with senior managers and services across the Council and help ensure that financial considerations are at the heart of good decision-making.

The role combines the technical disciplines of accountancy with the more commercial and relationship-focused skills of effective business partnering, giving you exposure to financial planning, budgets, forecasting, capital, business cases, year-end accounts, audit and financial governance.

If you’re an experienced finance professional who enjoys combining technical expertise with leadership, collaboration and constructive challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

An offer of employment is conditional upon having the right to work in the UK. HDC does not hold a Sponsorship Licence and is unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or take over sponsorship for any role.