Senior Finance Business Partner
Company: IOP Publishing
Location: Bristol
We are looking for a Senior Finance Business Partner to act as a trusted partner and coach to the Directors and their direct reports.
Role Summary
The Senior Finance Business Partner is a trusted advisor and internal consultant. They are accountable for and driving strong strategic relationships with the executive leaders and the directorate leadership teams internationally, owning the financial strategy plan for each directorate, shaping and influencing financial and commercial capability and decision-making across the directorate, while working seamlessly with the broader finance teams.
The role takes a lead in coaching and mentoring leaders and will provide the “voice of the customer” into the finance operation to enable strategic solutions and the development of the finance operating model generally, contributing to and delivering on agreed strategy and standards, connecting with relevant functional colleagues to ensure cohesion and in particular so that business and financial controls are developed in line with standards. You will frequently take the lead on initiatives that may span other departments or have only a tangential link to Finance, where you will be expected to provide more rounded input.
Key job accountabilities include:
- A member of the Senior Leadership Team for the directorates that you support.
- Leading on performance measurement and management ensuring that KPIs and reporting deliver near and long-term aims and that we course-correct when necessary.
- Leading financial strategy work for the directorate and ensuring the 3-year plan operationalises and delivers the financial strategy.
- Bringing strong financial and commercial acumen to bare over decision-support activities providing data-driven analysis so that we make decisions that deliver ROI.
- Owning and being accountable for the relationship between Finance and the business to execute and embed financial strategy.
- Promoting operational excellence including a continuous improvement culture across the Finance team.
- Collaborating, influencing and working in partnership with broader finance teams (financial planning, reporting and operations) to bring the “voice of the customer”.
About you:
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate the following:
Professional qualifications
- Professionally qualified accountant with significant PQE (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)
- Continuous improvement qualification/accreditation is desirable
- Coaching and leadership qualifications desirable
Knowledge, skills & previous experience
- Strong qualified background with excellent and up-to-date accounting knowledge
- Strong financial planning experience gained in a similar complex group organisation
- Strong experience in owning and developing budget, forecast and business planning processes
- Demonstrable experience of influencing and coaching business stakeholders at all levels
- Excellent analytical mindset evidenced through experience in supporting financial and business decisions
- Advanced data manipulation and presentation skills
- Problem-solving skills and the ability to think creatively
- The confidence to justify and implement change
We know it is unusual for someone to tick every box so if you don’t meet all the criteria, but demonstrate most of the skills and experience we are looking for, and have the enthusiasm to work with us, go ahead and apply.
We aim to review applications soon after they are received, and will arrange interviews when there’s someone we’re keen to meet, therefore we may conduct interviews prior to the closing date and reserve the right to close the advert early
Why work with us at IOP Publishing:
Purpose: We are a world leader in the development of electronic publishing for the scientific community – working in the interests of science and scientists, we aim to maximise the impact of the research we publish;
Culture: We offer a truly international culture with offices in Europe, Asia and the US and our reach is global. Our culture is the perfect blend of dedicated and intelligent professionalism, informal, friendly collaboration and authenticity with a social conscience.
Financial benefits: a competitive salary, an excellent pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution), a discretionary annual bonus scheme, a £200 stipend payment on completion of the probation period, and a range of other useful and cost-saving benefits available through our benefits platform;
Health and Wellbeing: 33+ days holiday (including bank holidays), a 35-hour working week, life assurance, cycle-to-work scheme, dental insurance, health care cash plan, and a great positive working environment in our brand new office in central Bristol – modern airy and designed with all of our colleagues in mind – for work and social time;
Flexibility: a flexible hybrid working environment to suit everyone’s needs. We are open to considering applicants from a wider geographical area who are happy to travel to Bristol routinely, subject to business needs.
And last but not least, did we mention that we are unique: IOP Publishing is central to the Institute of Physics, a not-for-profit society and we gift-aid all our profits to support science through the activities of the Institute.
To apply, please submit your CV through our careers site.
IOP Publishing is an equal-opportunity employer. Our goal is to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are built into our identity in a way that is natural and sustainable, visible through the work we produce, our company branding, our professional networks and the communities we serve and support, which includes our employees, talent communities and candidates. We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented backgrounds.