Strategic Water Resources Programme Finance Business Partner

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company is seeking a Strategic Water Resources Programme Finance Business Partner to drive financial performance and manage financial governance. This role involves working closely with senior stakeholders, leading financial strategies, and providing clarity and insight for decision-making. The ideal candidate is a qualified accountant with strong financial leadership and communication skills, capable of navigating complex environments. Competitive salary offered, along with various benefits including bonuses and private medical care.

Benefits

Annual Leave - 26 days holiday

Annual Bonus up to 25%

Private Medical Health Care

Contributory pension

Personal Medical Assessments

Cycle to Work schemes

Qualifications

• Proven ability to navigate complex financial and regulatory environments.
• Experience in project planning systems and reporting technology.
• Ability to deliver clarity of decision support and financial insight.

Responsibilities

• Drive financial performance and influence senior stakeholders.
• Lead the financial support for the Strategic Water Resources Director.
• Create high-quality insight and KPIs for financial governance.

Skills

Financial clarity

Building effective relationships

Business partnering

Project accounting experience

Communication skills

Education

Qualified Accountant

Tools

Business intelligence tools

Job description

Job title Strategic Water Resources Programme Finance Business Partner Ref 43488 Division Finance & Commercial Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Offering between £90,000 - £100,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade C Closing date 02/01/2026

We are looking for a Senior finance leader to drive financial performance through actively influencing senior stakeholders.

You will be responsible for leading the day-to-day support and challenge of the Strategic Water Resources Director and their leadership team to monitor risks and manage delivery of financial commitments on behalf of Thames as well as SESRO external Project co-sponsors.

Through focussed engagement the role will deliver strengthened financial clarity, ownership and insight; ensuring robust financial governance of key programme decisions which will be clearly communicated and managed through both internal and external stakeholder groups and financial governance forums.

The role will also build effective relationships with third party sponsors of SESRO (Affinity Water and Southern Water) underpinned by assured internal processes within Thames to ensure timely billing and receipt of co-sponsor funding.

What you will be doing as a Strategic Resources Finance Business Partner

• Leadership: The successful applicant will motivate, develop, empower and deliver not only through their team (2FTE); but through influencing, negotiating with and challenging Executive and Directors
• Problem Solving: The business are navigating a complex, imperfect environment, with competing pressures and priorities across an incredibly broad and diverse stakeholder group both internally and externally
• Job Functional Knowledge and Business Expertise: The role requires a highly commercial and financially astute leader. Strong understanding of capital investments, accounting judgements, investment delivery and contractual change and management will form the bedrock of the successful applicant skill set. Working collaboratively across the Business to connect the dots, ensure we remain in control and drive performance.
• Responsible for partnering the financial performance outcomes of our SRO Programme – working alongside the Programme Sponsors and Delivery teams, creating a “single version of the truth” high-quality insight and KPIs, to review, challenge and drive improved financial governance, performance and forecasting capability.
• To provide holistic financial guidance, consolidating internal priorities and performance metrics alongside wider external and regulatory financial frameworks, to ensure the financial integrity of strategic choices and recommendations at Executive and Board decision making forums

What you should bring to the role?

• Proven ability to drive financial clarity, control and process improvements.
• Proven ability to build effective and influential working relationships with non-financial leadership.
• Ability to navigate complex financial and regulatory environments to deliver clarity of decision support and financial insight
• A Qualified Accountant
• Highly effective communication skills – both listening and written and oral presentation of ideas.
• Business partnering, Project / Capital / regulated infrastructure accounting experience (including experience of working with large projects
• Experience with project planning systems and reporting technology.
• Experience with business intelligence tools and developing data visualisations.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary £90,000 - £100,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Annual Bonus - up to 25% of base salary.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well‑being, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.