Senior Finance Business Partner

UCAS; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

UCAS is seeking a Senior Finance Business Partner to enhance financial performance while supporting strategic investments and managing stakeholder relationships. This hybrid role emphasizes strategic insight, investment evaluation, and effective communication. Candidates should possess strong financial accounting knowledge, project management skills, and a proven track record in financial performance reporting.

Benefits

30 days of annual leave plus concessionary days

Comprehensive Flexible Working Policy

Generous pension scheme

High street discounts via Perkbox

Internal training and development opportunities

Subsidised gym and café facilities

Recognition for exceptional performance

Dedicated employee networks for wellbeing and inclusion

Qualifications

• Excellent understanding of financial accounting principles and processes.
• Outgoing communicator comfortable with stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deliver timely.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders.
• Evaluate strategic investments and support business cases.
• Drive financial performance and insights across the organization.

Skills

Investment appraisal

Business case development

Benefits realization

Financial performance reporting

Project management

Education

Qualified accountant or equivalent work experience

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

This role is a UK-based, hybrid position located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

About the role:

The Senior Finance Business Partner will provide a commercially focused finance business partnering service across UCAS. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, this role is critical to driving financial performance across the organisation, providing insight, challenge, and support to ensure the effective delivery of the UCAS strategy.

A key focus will be on evaluating strategic investments, supporting business cases, and ensuring robust benefits realization to deliver impact and maximize return on investment.

Please read the full job description and accountabilities for full details of the role.

Skills, qualifications and experience:

• Qualified accountant or able to demonstrate an equivalent level of work experience with excellent knowledge and understanding of financial accounting principles and processes.
• Strong expertise in investment appraisal, business case development, and benefits realization.
• Line management experience.
• Outgoing, persuasive, and a confident communicator with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Comfortable operating in detail, but also with the ability to understand the big picture.
• Ability to analyze and report at strategic and operational levels in a concise, agile manner suited to the audience.
• Confident and organized in leading projects in a structured way.
• The workload is diverse and time-pressured, so you will be a 'right first time' type of person, comfortable managing multiple tasks while always delivering on time and to a high standard.
• Curious and constantly striving for improvement; able to challenge the status quo and look for innovative and creative solutions to problems and process improvements.
• Proven experience in financial performance reporting and planning, with the ability to present information clearly and make recommendations.
• Experience with partnerships and acquisitions.
• Highly proficient in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Discrete and trustworthy.

Package:

• 30 days of annual leave (plus 3 concessionary days over Christmas and bank holidays).
• Flexibility – UCAS supports hybrid working, allowing you to work between home and the office in a way that suits you and the organization, supported by a comprehensive Flexible Working Policy.
• A generous pension scheme.
• Hundreds of high street discounts and offers via Perkbox.
• Internal training and development opportunities.
• Subsidised gym and café facilities.
• Recognition for exceptional performance through our ex-gratia bonus scheme and Celebrating U, our quarterly employee recognition program.
• Dedicated employee networks promoting wellbeing, awareness, and inclusion.