Finance Business Partner

Dwr Cymru Cyf; Newport; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services company in Newport is seeking a Finance Business Partner to lead financial planning and analysis. You'll work directly with senior leaders, driving performance and supporting strategic projects. The ideal candidate will have strong team management skills, proficiency in MS Excel, and at least 3 years of experience in a similar role. This position offers a hybrid working model and a range of benefits including enhanced pension contributions and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Enhanced employer pension contributions

Free Mortgage Brokering Services

Gym and fitness discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Health CashBack scheme

Qualifications

• 3+ years post-qualified experience in financial analysis.
• Experience with team management and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning and business budgeting sessions.
• Drive cost efficiency and identify cost reduction opportunities.
• Provide insightful financial analysis and reporting.
• Partner with budget holders on financial impacts.

Skills

Financial Planning

Cost Analysis

Team Management

MS Excel

Interpersonal Skills

Education

ACCA or CIMA

Job description

You’ll join a dynamic team where your financial expertise will shape decisions and influence the future of the business. This role goes beyond numbers – you’ll be a trusted partner, providing insight that challenges thinking and drives performance. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, contribute to strategic plans, and play a key role in delivering efficiencies and value across the organisation.

Responsibilities

1. Lead Financial Planning: Organise and run business planning sessions, preparing budgets and forecasts that shape the unit’s strategy.
2. Drive Cost Efficiency: Identify and embed cost reduction opportunities, challenging processes and spend to deliver targets.
3. Provide Insightful Analysis: Develop cost models, track performance, and deliver bespoke analysis to support key decisions.
4. Own Month‑End Close: Ensure accurate, timely reporting with clear variance analysis and commentary for senior management.
5. Partner with Leaders: Work with budget holders to assess financial impacts and support short‑ and medium‑term plans.
6. Monitor Regulatory Targets: Track performance against Ofwat price review requirements and efficiency initiatives.
7. Support Strategic Projects: Build business cases and financial models for new opportunities and improvements.
8. Lead and Inspire: Manage a team of finance professionals, fostering innovation and process improvement.

Work For & With

• Role reports to the Finance Manager
• Business Unit Financial Controller
• Heads of Service
• Central Management Accountant team
• Financial & Regulatory Accountant
• Finance Projects, Planning and Process Manager
• Suppliers
• External Audit

Qualifications

Accreditation & Licences

• ACCA or CIMA

Essential Experience

• Team management and leadership of individuals (line managing in this role)
• Commerciality and the ability to understand and assimilate business strategy with operations and cost drivers with a demonstratable track record of supporting a business to improve financial performance.
• Managing and undertaking Financial Planning and Analysis working with a variety of budget holders with different needs (e.g. commercial areas and overhead areas).
• Ideally 3 years+ post-qualified experience in a similar role requiring cost analysis and different forecasting techniques.

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Comfortable working independently with operational teams and as part of a finance department.
• Proficient user of MS Office and in particular MS Excel with demonstrable experience of manipulating large volumes of data accurately and efficiently.
• Self-starter able to manage ambiguity in a complex and commercially oriented environment, operating flexibly, showing accuracy and attention to detail in all work.
• Team orientation, collaborative and tactful with good presentation skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills able to build effective relationship and clearly communicate results with senior level executives both verbally and in written form.

Good to Know

• Hybrid working

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

Benefits Offered

• Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year
• Enhanced employer pension contributions – up to 11% employer contributions
• Free Mortgage Brokering Services
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
• Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
• Car‑leasing scheme and free on‑site parking at all sites
• Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
• An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
• Many more can be found here!

Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non‑binary and people with disabilities.