Senior Finance Business Partner

Job summary

This role sits under the Cross Council Cluster (CCC) Finance Team. The role holder will provide effective insight, challenge, and support to a range of stakeholders including Directorate leads/budget-holders, senior finance and non-finance managers across UKRI, to deliver outcomes aligned with UKRI priorities. This role is being advertised initially on an interim basis, as UKRI finance will be undertaking a review of its operating model during 2026/27.

Job description

Leadership / team-working:

• Lead, develop and motivate a team to deliver high standards of service across several complex business areas or programmes.
• Deputise for Head of function to ensure continuity of service.
• Develop, lead, and maintain exceptional collective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Use sound commercial and business awareness and understanding to provide decision support, offering insight and challenges to relevant senior stakeholders as required to ensure robust financial decisions and processes.
• Assist with the delivery of wider strategic Finance Directorate initiatives and projects as required.

Delivery / programmes / projects / process:

• Perform a range of complex reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business reasons.
• Communicate the importance of Finance to stakeholders at all levels, and use business awareness to present insightful information and analysis to support effective longer-term decision-making and deliver outcomes in line with Council/UKRI priorities.
• Lead annual and multi-year budget setting cycles, in year re-forecasting, understanding and communicating forecast risk and opportunities to stakeholders.
• Develop the finance case and review figures (investment profile, financial risk and exit costs) within cases, this may include the development of new facilities and equipment.
• Run applications for additional budget cover, this will be from various funding sources including core funding, other operating units and direct DSIT funding through a variety of schemes.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial, DSIT and HMG controls across the CCC portfolio.
• Support to the various Business Change Programmes as required.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

Qualifications:

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA) or QBE (S).

Experience and knowledge:

• Strong understanding of accounting and finance and demonstrable experience of working in senior finance roles in large/complex organisations and delivering effective financial management (S).
• High level competency of IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, with focus on exceptional Excel skills (S).
• Highly numerate with the ability to provide high quality oral and written insightful analysis on complex issues, communicating the key elements to effectively deliver projects and influence decision making at a strategic level (I).
• Experience of working strategically to balance the conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of financial processes. Including demonstrable experience of working as part of a wider-business, consulting with senior stakeholders, utilising an in-depth understanding of business priorities, and effectively ‘collaborate' with stakeholders to meet organisational and financial objectives (I).
• Demonstrable experience of managing month and year-end processes (S&I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UK Research & innovation are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,589, UK Research and Innovation contributes £16,973 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 incl 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 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 theCivil 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 : recruitmement@ukri.org