Finance Business Partner (12 Month FTC)

Smiths Group; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Smiths Group in Birmingham seeks a commercially minded Finance Business Partner to join the Finance team. You will partner with senior leaders across Group Functions, providing dedicated financial support, including reporting, planning, forecasting and analysis to drive performance and governance.

The role requires hands-on governance of Transitional Service Agreements, robust financial modelling, and ability to mentor junior colleagues while delivering timely, high-quality information to enable

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Experience as Finance Business Partner in a large international organisation.
• Experience supporting corporate or functional cost centres (e.g. Legal, Finance, HR).
• Strong technical accounting and financial analysis capability.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior stakeholders across Group Functions, delivering dedicated finance support.
• Provide meaningful financial insight, challenge and recommendations to drive performance.
• Own monthly management reporting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting activities for supported functions.
• Govern TSA costs, recoveries, budgets and forecasts with strong controls.
• Mentor junior team members and collaborate with Shared Service teams.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Excel proficiency

Financial reporting

Budgeting & forecasting

Financial modelling

Education

ACA / CIMA or equivalent

Tools

ERP systems

Planning systems

Job description

Smiths Group designs, manufactures and delivers smarter engineering solutions for mission-critical applications, solving some of the world's toughest problems for our customers, our communities and our world. For over 170 years, Smiths Group has been pioneering progress by improving the world through smarter engineering.

We serve millions of people every year, to help create a safer, more efficient and better-connected world, across four major global markets: Energy, General Industry, Security & Defence, and Aerospace. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs 14,600 colleagues in over 50+ countries.

This pioneering spirit continues to drive us today, underpinned by our powerful culture. Improving our world is what we do, how we think, and how we will continue to use our passion for technology and engineering to tackle our customers biggest challenges today and in the future. We're looking for people with curious minds. Who want responsibility and relish a challenge. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting out, our global scale and focus on growth means we have some great career opportunities for you. There's never been a better time to join Smiths.

We are seeking a commercially minded and proactive Finance Business Partner to join our Finance team in Birmingham, reporting directly to the Director of Finance. This pivotal role will partner with senior leaders across Group Functions, providing dedicated financial support to a corporate function such as Legal, Finance, HR or IT. The successful candidate will deliver high-quality financial reporting, planning, forecasting and analysis, providing clear insight and constructive challenge to support effective decision-making and drive business performance. Operating within a complex corporate environment, the role requires a hands‑on and dependable individual who can maintain strong financial governance, oversee the financial management of Transitional Service Agreements (TSAs), and work collaboratively with stakeholders, Shared Services teams and junior colleagues to ensure the delivery of accurate, timely and value‑adding financial information

Responsibilities

Business Partnering & Performance

• Partner with senior stakeholders across Group Functions, providing dedicated finance support to a corporate function (e.g. Legal, Finance, HR or IT).
• Deliver meaningful financial insight, challenge and recommendations to support decision-making, business performance and cost optimisation initiatives.
• Own monthly management reporting, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and continuous improvement.
• Provide insightful variance analysis, highlighting key risks, opportunities and performance drivers.
• Review outputs from junior team members and Shared Services teams, ensuring consistency and quality, and present findings to senior stakeholders.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting activities for supported functions.
• Develop robust financial models and scenarios, ensuring alignment between financial plans and business priorities.
• Own the financial governance, administration and performance reporting of Transitional Service Agreements (TSAs).
• Monitor TSA costs, recoveries, budgets and forecasts, maintaining strong controls and governance.
• Provide clear visibility of TSA performance, risks and opportunities while coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain a strong financial control environment, ensuring compliance with policies and governance requirements.
• Support audit activities and manage key governance frameworks, including delegated authorities.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to junior team members.
• Partner with Shared Service teams to ensure the delivery of accurate, high-quality financial information and drive continuous improvement.

Process Improvement & Projects

• Identify and implement improvements to financial processes, systems and reporting.
• Support finance transformation initiatives and contribute to ad hoc projects, analysis and business priorities.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA or equivalent)

Experience

• Experience operating as a Finance Business Partner in a large, international organisation
• Experience supporting corporate or functional cost centres (e.g. Legal, Finance, HR) would be advantageous

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong technical accounting and financial analysis capability
• Advanced Excel skills; ERP and planning systems experience advantageous
• Proven ability to translate complex data into clear insights

Business Partnering & Communication

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and challenge appropriately
• Clear and confident communication style
• Highly credible, reliable and able to operate independently
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior team members
• Proven ability to work effectively with Shared Service teams

Collaborative approach with focus on delivery and continuous improvement

Additional Information

Diversity & Inclusion:

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.