Assistant Finance Business Partner- Planning and Reporting

University of the West of England; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent university in the South West is looking for an Assistant Finance Business Partner to join their Finance, Estates and Commercial Services team. The role involves reporting on management accounts, assisting with financial statements and audits, and preparing forecasts. The ideal candidate will have relevant accounting experience, strong communication skills, and a collaborative spirit. Benefits include generous annual leave and opportunities for professional development, with a hybrid working model requiring attendance on campus three days a week.

Benefits

Progressive pay rates

Generous annual leave

Career average pension scheme

Retail savings

Onsite nursery

Opportunities for training and personal development

Qualifications

• Relevant accounting experience is essential.
• Candidates should be confident in management and communication.
• Experience in collaborative environments is important.

Responsibilities

• Report on monthly management accounts and annual financial statements.
• Assist with the year-end audit and corporate returns.
• Prepare 3-year student number forecasts and in-year analysis.

Skills

Accounting experience

Confidence in communication with senior leaders

Collaborative working

Innovative problem-solving

Job description

UWE Bristol is one of the largest universities in the South West and one of the largest employers in the Bristol region. We currently have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join our Finance, Estates and Commercial Services team (FECS), working closely with colleagues across the University and gain valuable experience in a large organisation.

The Finance Business Partnering team with FECS provides financial reporting, review and advice to the University’s Colleges and Professional Services, working closely with leaders from those areas in helping them and the University to make decisions which support the provision of outstanding teaching and research, to plan future development and activities, whilst meeting the financial and other challenges that the Higher Education sector faces.

Responsibilities

This Assistant Finance Business Partner (AFBP) role will work on reporting monthly management accounts, annual financial statements and assisting with the year end audit. In addition, they will support on preparing 3 year student number forecasts and in year analysis, key reconciliations and other corporate returns. This AFBP assists the rest of the Finance team as they seek to support the Colleges and Services to further their high‑performing, values‑driven reputations.

Qualifications

You, as someone with relevant accounting experience, seek to take this opportunity to apply your knowledge in a varied business partnering role. You are confident speaking with senior leaders, encouraging in your management of colleagues, collaborative in working with others and innovative in proposing new, improved ways for UWE to meet its aims.

Location and Working Arrangements

The position is campus‑based, primarily at Frenchay Campus, and you will typically be visiting other UWE campuses as part of your work. FECS has adopted a hybrid way of working and therefore we look forward to seeing you on campus 3 days a week, at least. Exact days will be agreed with your line manager; some flexibility will be helpful to meeting business needs.

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe. Based in vibrant Bristol, our ambitions are to make a positive difference to our planet, transforming futures through actions and solving real world challenges. We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.

Diversity and Inclusion

UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community. We are proud to be part of a dynamic, multicultural city that celebrates diversity, we’re always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us. Our people are our strength, and diversity enhances our creativity and leads to better decision‑making and problem‑solving. Bring your talent and ambition to our stimulating and supportive community where we’ll help you thrive. As a Disability Confident employer we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.

Further Information

Interviews are scheduled to take place on our Frenchay campus, on a date that is still to be confirmed in January 2026.

This post is a permanent full‑time post (37 hours per week); we expect the successful applicant to cover a minimum of 0.8 FTE in order to ensure continuity of support to stakeholders. This post is available on a job share basis for applicants wishing to work part time.

To ensure fairness and equity all salary offers will be made in line with the University’s salary assessment guidelines and will be based on your relevant skills and experience. The University’s normal practice is that new appointments will be made at the starting point of the grade unless it is possible to demonstrate substantial appropriate experience.

The University has a legal responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to work in the UK. You will therefore be required to provide evidence of this right, please refer to the Home Office Right to Work Checklist for information on which documents are acceptable.

Advice to Applicants

We’d love to hear from you – if you are excited about this opportunity please complete our application form as soon as possible. Tell us how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of this role by describing how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the Job Description and include specific examples wherever possible. Once we have completed shortlisting, we will let you know the outcome of your application by email, so please check your inbox for updates.