Finance Business Partner

Alfa AI; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Partners is recruiting a Finance Business Partner for a client based in Leicester. The role is full-time interim with a hybrid working model within a growing Commercial Finance team supporting major retail operations and partner brands.

You will lead budgeting, forecasting, cost base analysis, and month-end close for designated cost centres, delivering robust financial insight to senior leaders and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA accountant.
• Experience in commercial finance and finance business partnering.
• Advanced Excel for data manipulation and modelling.
• Proven budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and month-end experience.
• Strong communication with senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Partner with operational leaders, providing commercial challenge and financial analysis to underpin business cases.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and cost base analysis for assigned units; evaluate contracts, headcount and deliverables.
• Own the month-end close for designated cost centres, including balance sheet reconciliations and performance reviews.
• Deliver management information and variance reporting to identify cost risks and opportunities.
• Enhance reporting suite and build automated spreadsheet models to improve efficiency.

Skills

ACCA/ACA/CIMA credential

Commercial finance

Excel modelling

Budgeting & forecasting

Communication with leadership

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Excel

Job description

Are you a commercially minded qualified accountant who thrives on translating complex financial data into actionable operational strategy?

SF Partners is recruiting a Finance Business Partner on behalf of a client based in Leicester. Operating on a full-time interim basis with a hybrid working model, this role sits within an expanding Commercial Finance team supporting major retail operations, international websites, and high-profile partner brand platforms. As the business embarks on strategic growth and change initiatives, you will act as a pivotal finance co-pilot, driving cost optimisation, robust planning, and insightful decision support across core operational areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner directly with operational leaders and cost centre managers, providing robust commercial challenge, decision support, and financial analysis to underpin business cases.
• Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and cost base analysis for assigned business units, evaluating supplier contracts, headcount, and committed deliverables against targets.
• Own the month-end close for designated operational cost centres, including balance sheet reconciliations, performance reviews with senior leadership, and oversight of offshore transactional workflows.
• Deliver insightful management information and variance reporting to identify cost risks, operational trends, and value-creation opportunities.
• Review existing financial processes and enhance the reporting suite, building more robust, automated spreadsheet models to improve operational efficiency.

Required Skills & Experience

• Fully qualified accountant holding an ACA, ACCA, or CIMA credential.
• Demonstrable track record in commercial finance, management accounting, or finance business partnering, with experience challenging non-finance stakeholders.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, including sophisticated data manipulation, complex formulas, and financial modelling.
• Proven experience in cost forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and month-end accounting.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to convey complex financial performance data to senior leadership clearly.

Nice-to-have

• Prior exposure to retail operations, multi-channel e-commerce, or partner brand platforms.
• Experience collaborating with and developing financial controls for offshore support teams.

What We Offer / Why Join

This position offers a platform to combine FP&A, core management accounting, and commercial stakeholder management across a diverse portfolio that includes international operations and prominent partner brands. Working closely with senior finance leaders on strategic cost control initiatives, you will gain the exposure and practical experience designed to serve as a stepping stone towards a Finance Manager role and beyond.