Head of Finance – Research England

UK Research and Innovation; Swindon; On-site; GBP 69,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious association seeks a Head of Finance to lead a finance business partnering team in Swindon. The role demands extensive experience in financial management, team leadership, and strategic decision-making. The successful candidate will ensure financial processes align with UKRI priorities while building relationships with internal and external stakeholders. An attractive benefits package includes a generous pension scheme and ample annual leave.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

30 days’ annual leave

Employee discounts on retail and leisure

Employee assistance programme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant or willing to qualify within 12 months.
• High-level understanding of finance and experience in senior finance roles.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a finance business partnering team to deliver high standards.
• Present strategic financial insights to stakeholders.
• Manage complex reporting functions and budget cycles.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Financial Management

Team Motivation

Written Communication

Oral Communication

Education

Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA)

Job description

Head of Finance – Research England

£68,525 per annum

UKRI Band G

Full Time

Polaris House, Swindon

Open Ended

Closing date: 3rd August 2025

Job Overview

Lead a finance business partnering team, providing a comprehensive financial business partnering service to Research England, providing high level insight, challenge and support to a comprehensive range of stakeholders, to deliver outcomes in line with UKRI priorities.

Responsibilities

Leadership / teamwork

·Lead, develop and motivate a team to deliver high standards of service.

·Take a collegiate approach to leading across the UKRI Finance function

·Develop exceptional collaborative relationships with senior managers and key internal and external stakeholders including the Executive Chair, COO, and Directors.

Delivery / programmes / projects / process

·Responsibility for a range of complex reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business cases.

·Present insightful information and analysis to support effective strategic decision-making, using strong business awareness to present insightful information and analysis and to support effective longer-term decision-making and deliver outcomes in line with Council/UKRI priorities.

·Ownership and accountability for annual and multi-year budget setting cycles including close work with central strategic finance team and DSIT on dual support issues

Other

·Work to create and deliver a long term strategy for the management of cross cutting programmes noting the challenges of time limited projects and redeployment of resources

·Manage multiple stakeholders with occasionally conflicting priorities to minimise conflict and deliver best value to UKRI

About you

Essential Skills/Qualifications/Experience:

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Qualifications:

·Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), or willing and able to complete qualification within 12 months. (S)

Experience and knowledge:

·High level understanding of accounting and finance, and demonstrable experience of working in senior finance roles and delivering effective financial management. (S, I)

·Experience of working strategically to balance the conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of financial processes. (S)

·Significant experience in provision of high quality written and verbal advice, suitable for executive and senior level decision makers. (I)

Skills and abilities:

·Proven ability to build exceptional collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders and influence and challenge them with impact and professional credibility (S, I)

·Proven ability to lead and motivate a team to deliver high standards of service. (S)

·Proven high level written and oral communication skills. (S,I)

·Personal resilience and a confident approach, willing to apply good judgement to solve issues and find solutions. (I)

To view the full job description please click apply and visit our careers page

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package! We are committed to supporting employees’ development and promote a culture of continuous learning! A list of benefits below;

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days’ annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

How to Apply

Applicants are required to provide an up-to-date CV and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role. Further information on how to apply is listed on our careers page