Finance Business Partner

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 26 days + holidays

Generous pension scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Performance-related pay

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited is seeking a Finance Business Partner to provide financial leadership and insight across the Capital Programme. You will partner with senior stakeholders to improve investment decisions, forecasting and budget control in a hybrid role at Clearwater Court, RG1 8DB.

The role requires qualified accounting credentials, strong business partnering and analytical skills, with experience in budgeting, forecasting and reporting.

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant with membership or equivalent
• Proactive, results-driven finance professional with strong business-partnering, leadership and communication skills
• Ability to build credibility with stakeholders at all levels and provide constructive challenge
• Strong analytical skills and experience in budgeting, forecasting, management reporting and variance analysis
• Track record of improving processes, controls and reporting efficiency

Responsibilities

• Own monthly capital expenditure reporting including analysis of actual expenditure, commitments, forecast outturn, risks, efficiencies and variances
• Lead the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes for the supported capital portfolio with central office and stakeholders
• Translate complex financial information into clear insight and recommendations for senior management
• Lead monthly review and challenge sessions with programme sponsors and support accountability for delivery
• Provide financial input for investment papers, portfolio reviews and change control decisions
• Strengthen financial controls, forecasting accuracy and reporting efficiency; build cross-functional relationships for continuous improvement

Skills

Business partnering

Leadership

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Budgeting & forecasting

Education

Qualified Accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA)

Tools

SAP

Job description

Job title Finance Business Partner Ref 46211 Division Finance & Commercial Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive salary of £52,580 - £68,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade B Closing date 12/11/2026

This role will provide financial leadership, insight and constructive challenge across the Capital Programme and support effective investment decisions, robust forecasting and budgetary control, while partnering with senior stakeholders to improve financial and programme performance.

What you’ll be doing as a Finance Business Partner:

• Own monthly capital expenditure reporting, including analysis of actual expenditure, commitments, forecast outturn, risks, efficiencies and key variances.
• Lead the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes for the supported capital portfolio, working with the central portfolio office and business stakeholders to ensure submissions are accurate, complete and evidence-based.
• Translate complex financial information into clear insight and recommendations for senior management.
• Lead monthly review and challenge sessions with programme sponsors, testing assumptions, identifying corrective actions and supporting accountability for delivery.
• Provide financial input and constructive challenge for investment papers, portfolio reviews and change control decisions, ensuring affordability, governance requirements and financial implications are clearly understood.
• Strengthen financial controls, forecasting accuracy and reporting efficiency; support appropriate capital accounting treatment; and build effective cross-functional relationships that encourage shared learning and continuous improvement.

What you should bring to the role:

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Qualified Accountant. (CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent)
• Proactive, results-driven finance professional with strong business-partnering, leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to build credibility with stakeholders at all levels, explain complex information clearly and provide constructive challenge that improves decisions and outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Experience of budgeting, forecasting, management reporting and variance analysis.
• Track record of improving processes, controls and reporting efficiency.

Extra qualities that would be a great fit for our team:

• Experience of using SAP or a comparable enterprise finance system.
• Experience of capital programme finance.
• Experience of working within the utilities, water or infrastructure sector.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary of £52,580 - £68,000 per annum depending on experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process . If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.