Senior Finance Business Partner

Kingston University; Kingston upon Thames; On-site; GBP 71,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Kingston University is seeking an experienced and influential Senior Finance Business Partner to provide strategic financial leadership across a significant and varied portfolio at the heart of the University.

Working across Finance, IT, HR, Estates and the Strategic Planning Office, you will partner closely with senior leaders, providing the insight, challenge and commercial perspective that enables confident decision-making.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with strong financial and commercial judgement.
• Ability to build credibility with senior stakeholders and explain complex financial info clearly.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting and forecasting across a significant portfolio.
• Provide insightful analysis, support business cases and major investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities for efficiencies and value for money; strengthen financial understanding across the directorate.

Skills

Strong financial and commercial judg(e

Education

Qualified accountant (e.g., ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Job description

Help shape confident financial decision-making across one of London’s most ambitious universities.

Kingston University is seeking an experienced and influential Senior Finance Business Partner to provide strategic financial leadership across a significant and varied portfolio at the heart of the University.

Working across Finance, IT, HR, Estates and the Strategic Planning Office, you will partner closely with senior leaders, providing the insight, challenge and commercial perspective that enables confident decision-making. The portfolio is substantial, spanning more than 220 colleagues, and includes significant investment across technology, infrastructure and the University’s estate.

This is a highly visible role with considerable autonomy. You will lead budgeting and forecasting across your portfolio, provide insightful analysis, support business cases and major investment decisions, and help identify opportunities for efficiencies and value for money. You will also play an important role in strengthening financial understanding and capability across the directorate.

We are looking for a qualified accountant who combines strong financial and commercial judgement with excellent relationship-building skills. You will be comfortable operating with senior stakeholders, able to provide constructive challenge and, crucially, able to make complex financial information clear and meaningful to non-finance colleagues.

You may come from higher education or from another large and complex organisation. What matters most is your ability to build credibility quickly, understand the organisation you are supporting and combine technical rigour with a pragmatic, collaborative approach. Higher education experience is desirable rather than essential.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established finance function and build on strong foundations, while helping senior leaders navigate investment choices, competing priorities and the financial opportunities and challenges ahead.

Join Kingston University and help ensure its resources are used effectively to support its ambitions for students, staff and the wider community.

The Directorate for Finance, HR, and Infrastructure plays a critical role in shaping and supporting the University’s strategic and operational success. With a focus on excellence, efficiency, and people-centred practices, it delivers vital services that influence the daily experience of staff and students while enabling long-term institutional growth. These services span financial management, workforce development, and the maintenance of both physical and digital infrastructure - ensuring the University’s operations and ambitions are fully supported. With a clear focus on service quality, innovation, and people-first practices, the Directorate operates in close partnership with academic faculties and senior leadership to ensure institutional goals are achieved. It is driven by a commitment to excellence, service, and sustainable progress, promoting a culture where collaboration, innovation and transformation thrive. This is an opportunity to join a proactive, solutions-focused team whose work directly contributes to the University’s continued success.

This is a full time, permanent position with a starting salary of £78,551 per annum depending on experience.