Head Of Finance Business Partnering

Southbank Centre; England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 5–9%

Hybrid working

28 days annual leave

Staff ticket offers

Free entry to Hayward Gallery

Discounts onsite facilities

Staff yoga

Job summary

Southbank Centre is seeking a Head of Finance Business Partnering to lead a team and shape financial planning across the organisation. This full-time, permanent role offers a strategic partner to Directors with a focus on budgeting, forecasting and financial control.

You will line-manage a team of three, deliver management accounts, and provide robust analysis to support major decisions. A professional accounting qualification and strong stakeholder skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Fully ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified with senior finance experience.
• Proven people management and coaching in finance teams.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and ability to communicate with Directors.
• Strategic, analytical thinker with financial control.
• Advanced Excel and experience with finance systems/reporting (BC & Jet Reports advantage).

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive hands-on and strategic support to budget holders and Directors.
• Lead monthly management accounts pack, KPI reporting, and risk tracking.
• Support budgeting and financial planning across the organisation.
• Line-manage a three-person Business Partner team and drive improvements.
• Deliver robust financial analysis and project evaluation for decisions.

Skills

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic & analytical thinking

Advanced Excel

Finance systems & reporting

Education

Fully ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Jet Reports

Job description

Description

We are currently looking for a Head of Finance Business Partnering to join our Finance team on a full time, permanent contract, with a preferred start date in April 2027.

The Finance team’s mission is to ensure the effective financial and risk management of Southbank Centre while acting as an acknowledged, key partner in achieving its overarching aims and objectives.

To achieve this vision, the team provides accurate, reliable, and timely information that empowers departments to administer their budgets with independence and accountability, while ensuring future strategies remain fit for purpose and risks are understood, managed, and mitigated. Concurrently, the team establishes efficient, effective, and appropriate procedures to protect company assets and maintain strict compliance with both internal policies and legislative requirements. Serving as a collaborative partner on every aspect of the business requiring financial input and expertise, the team fosters individual and collective brilliance by actively supporting each member’s development, ensuring all departmental efforts align with Southbank Centre’s strategic priorities.

If you are viewing on a job board, please paste the following URL into your browser to find the original advert: careers.southbankcentre.co.ukThe annual salary stated is based on the Full-Time Equivalent (40 hours per week). If the job is part‑time, the weekly hours will be stated within the advert.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on the closing date for the job posting.

We endeavour to keep job adverts open for at least two weeks for prospective applicants to apply. However, if we receive a high volume of applications for a role, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible to ensure consideration for shortlisting.

Please note, applications sent via Email or 3rd party agencies will not be considered.

Need reasonable adjustments? Please contact us so we can help make the application process accessible to you. Be sure to include the job you are applying for and your full name.

Key Responsibilities

• Senior Business Partnering & Challenge: Providing proactive hands on and strategic support and constructive challenge to departmental budget holders, including Directors, across reporting, forecasting, and long-term planning to evaluate variances, risks, and opportunities.
• Management Reporting Delivery: Leading the preparation of, and actively deliver, the monthly management accounts pack, including KPI reporting, performance analysis, and risk and opportunity tracking.
• Planning & Budgeting Cycles: Supporting the Deputy Finance Director in managing and delivering organisation-wide budgeting and short-to-medium-term financial planning processes.
• Team Leadership & Development: Line managing, coaching, and mentoring a Business Partner team of three to deliver high-quality support to budget holders and drive process improvements.
• Financial Modelling & Decision Support: Delivering robust financial analysis, ad hoc modelling, and project evaluation to support the Finance Director and Deputy Finance Director in strategic and operational decision-making.

Skills & Experience

• Professional Accounting Qualification: Fully ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified, underpinned by significant hands on experience in progressive financial roles and in a complex organisation of a similar size to SC.
• People Management: A proven track record of managing, motivating, and coaching finance staff, including handling performance and team development.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex financial concepts for non-financial budget holders and engage credibly at Director and Executive level.
• Strategic & Analytical Rigour: The ability to translate detailed operational data into clear, high-level analysis with appropriate strategic focus, while maintaining objectivity and financial control.
• Systems, Reporting & Modelling Tools: Advanced Excel skills and hands-on experience using mid-to-large finance systems and reporting platforms (experience with Microsoft Business Central and Jet Reports is an advantage).

Benefits

As well as working at one of London's most popular and exciting sites the successful candidate will also benefit from the following:

• A min 5% pension contribution (going up to 9% depending on employee contribution), from day 1 of employment
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working model (3 days office working, 2 days from home)
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced family leave benefits
• Up to 30% discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors
• Staff ticket offers for SC events
• Free entry to Hayward Gallery
• Free/discounted entry with other reciprocal organisations
• Free staff yoga

We’re the UK’s largest centre for the arts, and a charity that is proud to bring millions of people together on London’s South Bank. Our mission is to make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities through the variety of our programming and spaces. We look after an 13-acre site, which includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, and the Hayward Gallery.

If this role appeals to you, and you want to work with us to make the Southbank Centre the world’s most exciting centre for the arts, we would love to hear from you. We know that experience can look different for everyone, and encourage you to share your relevant skills with us whether they are from within the Arts or gained in other sectors.