Finance Business Partner - Commercial Finance

The British Council; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent cultural organization in Cardiff is seeking a Commercial Finance Partner to provide strategic financial insights and commercial advice. This role requires substantial experience in international commercial finance, financial modelling, and strong relationship-building skills. As a trusted business partner, you will support business development and ensure robust pricing and governance across contracts. The position offers a competitive salary and significant pension contributions.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme

Competitive salary

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of business partnering experience.
• Experience in commercial finance within international environments.
• Knowledge of tax and treasury implications in contract work.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial insights and commercial advice.
• Lead pricing models and tools within the organisation.
• Support business development and evaluate proposals.

Skills

Strategic financial insight

Commercial advice

Financial modelling

Relationship-building skills

Risk assessment

Education

Qualified accountant

Tools

Excel

Cost & pricing tools

Job description

Role Overview

This role is for a commercial finance partner within Cultural Engagement, providing strategic financial insight and commercial advice to deliver a sustainable, high-performing contracts portfolio. It ensures robust pricing, financial viability, and value for money across contracts while aligning with organisational priorities.

The role leads the development and governance of pricing models and tools, embedding good practice in commercial proposal development across the organisation.

It plays a critical role in shaping commercial decision-making through independent commercial challenge and making recommendations to improve governance, profitability and mitigate risk.

This is a high-visibility role within the Cultural Engagement Strategic Business Unit, requiring strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and relationship-building skills. Operating in a complex, multi-location international environment, you will need to demonstrate commercial acumen, a forward-looking perspective, and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leaders, operational teams, and finance colleagues. The role combines financial expertise and commercial insight to act as a trusted business partner, advising and constructively challenging stakeholders while supporting the development of new business. It leads on rigorous financial appraisals of new opportunities, ensures consistent use of pricing and costing models, and maintains the ongoing development of these tools to suit a mixed-economy delivery model. Strategic responsibilities include supporting planning processes through commercial modelling and funder analysis to assess financial implications of different contract types and service models.

The role provides commercial support across the full contract lifecycle, from pipeline review and risk assessment to pricing, approvals, and reporting and recommends actions to improve governance and profitability. It supports business development through evaluating proposals ensuring alignment to delivery models and funder requirements, drafting financial narratives to strengthen tenders to negotiating balanced terms with funders, partners and suppliers. It also ensures smooth transitions from contract award to delivery, produces timely and accurate reporting, and delivers insights to support effective decision-making and performance improvement. It manages risk and compliance by identifying and communicating material financial risks, liaising with global finance teams, ensuring reporting processes meet funder and corporate requirements, and maintaining key commercial finance policy documents and systems.

The role champions Cultural Engagement as a centre of excellence in commercial and contract finance, building capability in commercial awareness, value for money and use of pricing and costing models. Leadership responsibilities include deputising for the Head of Commercial Finance when required, maintaining high professional standards and sharing expertise to support continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Operating in international and multi-cultural organisations
• Knowledge of and experience of commercial finance activity in bid pursuit and tendering environments
• Proficiency in financial modelling and analysis.
• Excellent working knowledge of cost & pricing tools and advanced Excel.
• Awareness of tax and treasury implications of contract/partnership work in an international context
• Business partnering experience (minimum of 5 years), with at least 3 years recently supporting business development teams.
• Qualified accountant with proven experience of successfully managing and delivering similar roles.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,820, British Council contributes £11,246 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Varies on Role.