Navy Command - Devonport Infrastructure Programme (DIP) Finance Business Partner (FBP)

Ministry of Defence; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A defence organization is seeking a Finance Business Partner to provide strategic financial advice and enhance decision-making for the Devonport Infrastructure Programme. You will collaborate with senior leaders to drive financial performance and support the organization's objectives. The ideal candidate must have strong leadership skills and experience in financial governance. This role offers hybrid working and a competitive salary with substantial pension contributions.

Benefits

Learning and development tailored to your role

Flexible working options

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Civil Service pension with employer contribution

Qualifications

• Experience as a Finance Business Partner in a complex environment.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information effectively.
• Experience managing a sophisticated financial portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Support the business to deliver their outcomes through collaboration.
• Drive financial performance against agreed targets.
• Provide strategic financial advice and enhance decision-making.

Skills

Financial control and governance

Leadership

Communicating complex information

Continuous improvement

Education

CCAB Qualified Accountant

Job description

Location

Hybrid working (a blend of working in the workplace and from home) may be applicable. You should expect to work a minimum of 3 days a week in office in agreement with your Line Manager. The location can be agreed as HMNB Devonport, Plymouth, PL2 2BG or HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth PO2 8BY.

About the job

Job summary

Finance supports all the Royal Navy’s activities, from front-line operations to personnel support and training; finance and governance; safety; equipment acquisition; programmes and planning; and Defence Engagement.

The Finance Business Partner is a critical role and is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team for the business you support, responsible for influencing the strategic direction of the business and enabling the organisation to deliver against its Navy plan objectives and outcomes. You will be required to act as a finance business partner, delivering accurate, timely and considered strategic financial advice to Senior Leadership Budget Holders and SROs for Navy Command programmes, whilst safeguarding the taxpayer.

This post is the Finance Business Partner for the Devonport Infrastructure Programme within the Submarine Directorate. The Submarine Directorate in Navy Command is responsible for generating the UK’s submarines, so that they are available and capable for operations, including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent. The portfolio is high profile, vast and complex – it ranges from in-service capability management, generating submarines ready for operations, day-to-day running of Naval Bases, to decades-long infrastructure programmes. The facilities at Devonport represent a UK strategic asset and are critical to enabling Defence outputs. A multi-billion-pound investment is underway over the next 30 years to revitalise facilities and services throughout Devonport to ensure the site is ready for Dreadnought, SSNR, AUKUS and other platforms. The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) has the responsibility to lead this programme and this post will be a key part of the Senior Leadership team for this area.

We are looking for someone who is committed to providing an excellent finance service, guiding and supporting senior decision makers while balancing priorities and challenges. The role will require excellent collaboration skills to ensure the finance function works optimally across the different parts of the organisation.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

This Finance Business Partner role will require you to utilise abilities and strengths drawn from interpersonal and professional skills supported by deep technical knowledge. By applying these abilities together with your contextual understanding of your business’ strategic goals, plans, performance and risk management, you as the FBP will be equipped to provide strategic financial advice and enhance the quality of decision making.

As part of the Navy finance leadership team, you will support the development of the team and wider finance function, providing opportunities for development and encouraging ideas for improving team performance.

Duties include:

• Supporting the business to deliver their outcomes – working collaboratively with the business and other functions to enable the delivery of business plans and objectives.
• Driving financial performance – against agreed targets working with partners.
• Develop an understanding of the drivers behind key variations and work with the business to identify remedial actions, risks and opportunities.
• Providing constructive challenge, scrutiny, insight and analysis on financial plans and programmes to ensure ambitions are sustainable, aligned to strategy, maximise value for money and are linked to benefits.
• Reporting and analysing the business financial position for consolidation to Head of Corporate Reporting.
• Reviewing Financial Accounting treatment and resolution of accounting anomalies and/or anything adversely impacting the SOFP.
• Input into the development of business cases, investment appraisals and proposals identifying and highlighting any potential issues.
• To find opportunities for new efficiencies and support in delivering the existing pipeline.
• Implementing Continuous Improvement – embedding continuous improvement in the service finance provides by seeking and delivering those changes that add most value.
• Acting as the link between the business and the rest of finance - engaging with the wider business and knowing how to network across the broader function to access deep technical expertise.
• Building effective engagement – developing successful partnerships and maintaining relationships with business leadership and across your sphere of influence.
• For this role the business needs are such that the successful applicant should expect to be regularly in office in Portsmouth or Devonport with some travel to the other locations, as agreed with the Line manager.

Person specification

Essential

• You will have experience of working as a Finance Business Partner in a complex environment. At this level the individual will be able to demonstrate their experience and skill against the following criteria and be confident and articulate briefing at Board Level.
• Experience of delivering pragmatic and robust approach to financial control and governance, as well as managing a sophisticated financial portfolio.
• Excellent leadership credentials, with a proven track record of developing and leading impactful teams.
• Experience of communicating complex financial information simply and effectively to a range of customers
• Experience of using financial, operational performance and economic data to deliver insight that both drives and facilitates change and continuous improvement.
• Acting as the link between the business and the rest of finance, you will build relationships, support the business to deliver their outcomes, drive financial performance, and provide constructive challenge and scrutiny.

Desirable

• An excellent ability to balance a range of competing priorities, drawing on good judgement, initiative and able to lead teams and projects.
• A working knowledge of MoD Commercial and Programme Management.

Qualifications

• CCAB (or equivalent) Qualified Accountant, passed finalist or final year considered with commitment to qualify within 2 years.

Behaviours

We\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Salary details: Alongside your salary of £59,690, the Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 towards your Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 13th October 2025. For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.