Finance Business Partner

Manchester Metropolitan University; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent university in Manchester is seeking a Finance Business Partner to enhance financial insights and support Professional Services Directorates. The role involves financial modeling, advising senior management, and developing strong stakeholder relationships. The ideal candidate should be a qualified accountant with excellent communication and analytical skills, capable of working autonomously within a complex organization. Flexible working arrangements available.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Inclusive culture and mentoring programs

Qualifications

• Strong technical and financial skills required.
• Excellent communicator with complex financial information.
• Able to influence senior managers for financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop knowledge of diverse business areas and their financial implications.
• Influence behavior of senior managers for budget management.
• Identify sustainable cost savings as part of business planning.

Skills

Financial modelling skills

Excellent communication

Data analysis

Networking skills

Commercial awareness

Education

ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW or equivalent qualification

Job description

Manchester Metropolitan University is looking for a Finance Business Partner to join the Business Planning and Reporting Business Partner team within the Finance Department. As a senior member of the team, you will primarily focus on supporting our Professional Services Directorates and the Head of Finance Business Partnering.

Using your strong technical and financial modelling skills and sound understanding of the Directorates, you will provide advice and support to senior colleagues. You will ensure that budgets are well constructed, managed and monitored and support senior managers in the production of plans to deliver improved performance, reduced risk and better value for money.

In this role, you will:

• Develop a deep knowledge of diverse business areas, their needs and priorities, making sure that the business understands the financial implications of decisions and available choices.
• Acting in an intelligent customer role to actively work with the business to understand cost drivers and performance priorities and interpret financial implications of decisions.
• Building, maintaining and influencing strong relationships with key stakeholders and budget holders, acting as the link with colleagues, ensuring that variances, forecasts and planning assumptions are reported and understood.
• Supporting the financial analysis of business areas to prepare for the business planning processes.
• Identifying sustainable cost savings targets and initiatives as part of the business planning cycle, along with understanding and articulating the impact of reforms and their ultimate effect on the business.
• Supporting on the construction of business cases through financial challenge and the identification of commercial implications of options considered.
• Building financial and commercial awareness of non-finance staff within the business.
• Support the Head of Professional Services Finance Business Partnering, attending meetings and forums as appropriate, providing practical and operational knowledge.

The ideal candidate will be:

• An excellent communicator, particularly when dealing with complex financial information and a non-financial audience.
• Able to influence the behaviour of senior managers to ensure they deliver the expected financial performance for their area of responsibility.
• Good at networking, both internally and externally, and building relationships at all levels of the organisation.
• Able to analyse large amounts of data and producing summaries which provide clear insights.
• Commercial in their approach to finance, balanced with a clear understanding of the non-financial objectives of the University.
• Able to work autonomously across a large and complex organisation.
• ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW or equivalent qualified accountant.

About the team:

Supporting the university in a series of increasingly dynamic, demanding and competitive environments, our work sees us involved in a growing number of partnerships and communities, across the city but also nationally and internationally. Our financial professionals play a key role in helping shape our strategic direction, making a key contribution to the long-term financial sustainability of a great global university. The work is intellectually challenging, exciting and hugely rewarding.

If you would like to join our people and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you.

To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter (detailing your suitability for the role) via our application portal.

For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Rebecca Bradley (Head of Professional Services Finance Business Partnering) at: [e-mail]

Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We value a diverse workforce for the innovation and diversity of thought it brings and welcome applications from all local and international communities, including Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and tailored schedules, which can be discussed with your line manager. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know so we can provide appropriate support.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes mentoring programmes, accessibility resources, and professional development opportunities to empower and support underrepresented groups.

Manchester Met is a Disability Confident Leader and, under this scheme, aims to offer an interview to disabled people who apply for the role and meet the essential criteria as listed in the attached Job Description for that vacancy.