Finance Business Partner

High Speed Two (HS2); Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible benefits fund 20%

Competitive benefits

Job summary

HS2 Ltd is seeking a Finance Business Partner to provide assurance and challenge, driving accountability and cost control across the directorates you support. You will oversee the month-end close, prepare accounts, and ensure appropriate financial support for decision making and performance management.

You will review Change and Investment Papers, challenge risks and opportunities, and work with supply chain finance leads to improve ACWP and cash flow data while supporting the business planning

Qualifications

• Ability to interpret and communicate complex financial issues to non-financial colleagues
• Engage with stakeholders up to Executive level
• Challenge forecasts for affordability and value for money

Responsibilities

• Provide assurance and challenge, driving cost control across directorates
• Oversee month-end close and year-end planning
• Endorse Change and Investment Papers with rationale and evidence
• Review Programme Board Packs and forecasts
• Support budgeting under Spending Review funding
• Develop cashflow forecasts and reporting for external bodies
• Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in work practices

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Influencing

Forecasting

Excel models

Financial controls

Education

Qualified Accountant

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Data analytics

Job description

Base salary: £54878 pa to £64562 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

As a Finance Business Partner you will provide assurance and challenge, driving accountability and focus on cost control throughout the directorates you support. Provide oversight, control and direction to your team (if applicable) and ensure appropriate Finance support to promote effective decision making and performance management of Direct and Indirect Costs.

About the role:

• Provides guidance on the application of governance within area
• Acting as the Chief Financial Officer’s (CFO) representative at monthly review meetings
• Review and financial endorsement of Change and Investment Papers, challenging all risks/ opportunities/ ensuring programme impacts are clearly identified and any associated costs recorded
• Representative on investment change panels
• Providing assurance to senior management that reported expenditure and contract payments are appropriate
• Provides input to development of policies and Enterprise reporting and planning development
• Provides guidance on appropriate IFRS accounting treatment of transactions (prepayment / accruals/ liabilities)
• Provides justification and supporting evidence of accounting adjustments to NAO Auditors as required
• Oversee the month end financial accounts close
• Prepare the accounts and plan for year-end audit
• Review and assure Programme Board Packs
• Review and challenge emerging forecasts and monitor against Spending Review (SR) funding
• Propose remedial actions to business as required
• Work with supply chain finance leads and HS2 commercial to improve Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) and cash flow data
• Develop Cashflow forecast reporting for DfT, challenge the supply chain submissions
• Support and maintain the Business Planning and forecasting process, providing guidance on planning principles and expectations as provided by HS2 business planning
• Provides assurance to the business that data provided by cost management / commercial is reliable
• Supports business in determining the appropriate disaggregation and delegations
• Facilitate system changes required and reporting requirements for budget management
• Provide Workforce Actual costs and forecast information to inform programme cost estimates
• Challenge budget holders to achieve workforce objectives and optimise resources.
• Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About you:

Skills:

• Communication skills: ability to interpret and communicate complex financial issues to non-financial colleagues and to secure compliance with Managing Public Money
• Stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage, communicate and develop consensus with both internal and external stakeholders up to Executive level
• Influencing skills: ability to influence key decisions
• Ability to critically review and challenge forecasts, assessing them for their affordability, value for money, timing and impact on programme delivery
• Ability to use ERP systems, utilising data analytics software and complex Excel models
• Ability to ensure effective financial controls within a major project.

Knowledge:

• Qualified Accountant with experience of operating at in a complex environment
• Knowledge of Government accounting requirements (DEL/AME funding) to ensure compliance of business plans within delegated authority
• Knowledge of accounting systems and the ability to develop and manage off-system analyses and records

Type of experience:

• Experience of driving output focussed, activity-based budgets and forecasts

Supporting the process for development of the annual business plan and budget setting processes within funding caps set by the Spending Review

• Qualified Accountant with experience of operating in a complex environment which may include infrastructure projects
• Part of a team delivering finance business support to the programme teams and HS2 Ltd directorates

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect

It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant.Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept.

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.

Job Info

• Job Identification 260531
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations 2 Snowhill, Birmingham, B4 6GA, GB
• Permanent or Fixed Term Contract Permanent