Finance Business Partner

Sharp Consultancy; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sharp Consultancy is seeking a commercially minded Finance Business Partner to support its continued development across engineering, construction and infrastructure projects. You will work closely with operational management and senior leadership to improve financial visibility, drive performance and influence commercial decisions.

The role goes beyond routine reporting; you will understand the drivers behind the numbers, challenge performance where needed, and provide meaningful insight to

Qualifications

• Qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent with strong commercial acumen.
• Experience in project-based, engineering, or infrastructure environments is preferred.
• Proven ability to translate financial data into actionable business insights.

Responsibilities

• Partner with operational and divisional management to provide meaningful financial insight.
• Own budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes for multiple projects.
• Monitor project profitability, WIP, and cost-to-complete; report material variances.
• Develop management information and reporting processes to enhance visibility of performance.
• Challenge assumptions and support investment appraisals and business cases.
• Translate financial information into practical recommendations for non-finance stakeholders.

Skills

Finance Business Partner

Commercial finance

Management accounting

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

A growing and highly successful engineering and infrastructure business is looking to appoint a commercially minded Finance Business Partner to play an important role in supporting its continued development.

Operating across a number of specialist engineering, construction and infrastructure disciplines, the business has experienced significant growth and now delivers a varied portfolio of projects and services to customers across the UK.

With an established finance function and ambitious plans for the future, this is an opportunity to take a much more commercially focused position, working closely with operational management and senior leadership to improve financial visibility, support decision-making and drive business performance.

The Opportunity

Reporting into senior finance leadership, you will act as a key link between finance and the wider operational business, developing strong relationships with divisional and project management teams.

This is not simply a reporting focused position. The successful individual will be expected to understand the commercial drivers behind the numbers, challenge performance where necessary and provide meaningful financial insight to support operational and strategic decisions.

You’ll have exposure to a varied and interesting business, with responsibility for understanding project performance, monitoring profitability and helping management teams make better-informed commercial decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with operational and divisional management teams, providing meaningful financial insight and commercial support.
• Ownership of budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes, ensuring robust financial visibility across the business.
• Monitor project performance, profitability, WIP and cost-to-complete, working closely with operational stakeholders.
• Provide detailed analysis of revenue, margins, overheads and operational expenditure.
• Challenge financial performance and work with management teams to identify opportunities to improve profitability and efficiency.
• Develop and improve management information, reporting processes and financial controls.
• Support investment appraisals, business cases and wider commercial initiatives.
• Translate financial information into clear, actionable recommendations for non-finance stakeholders.

About You

You’ll be a commercially minded finance professional who enjoys working closely with the business rather than operating purely within the finance function.

Ideally, you’ll be professionally qualified (ACA, ACCA or CIMA), although candidates qualified by experience with the right commercial background will also be considered.

You’ll bring experience within a project led, engineering, construction, manufacturing or infrastructure environment, with an understanding of the financial and commercial challenges associated with delivering projects and managing operational performance.

More importantly, you’ll be confident engaging with stakeholders, able to challenge constructively and comfortable translating financial information into practical business recommendations.

You’ll ideally demonstrate:

• Experience in a Finance Business Partner, Commercial Finance
• An understanding of project accounting, profitability and cost control.
• Strong management accounting, budgeting and forecasting capability.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret financial performance.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to influence operational stakeholders.
• A proactive approach, with the personality and credibility to develop relationships across the business.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a genuine opportunity to join a successful and expanding business where finance has an important role to play in shaping future performance.

You’ll have the opportunity to develop strong relationships across the organisation, influence commercial decisions and gain exposure to a broad range of operational activities.

For someone looking to develop their career beyond traditional management accounting, this offers the opportunity to become a valued commercial partner to the business, with the scope to make a tangible difference.