The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page. The Role and the Department A newly created role within the University Finance Team, for a Senior FP&A Manager, responsible for the timely preparation of Budgets and Forecasts at a Consolidated level, covering Income and Expenditure, Balance Sheet and Cashflow Reporting. Prerequisites of the role include forecasting accuracy through robust processes which evaluate and appraise key management information and ensuring data integrity. This position is key to delivering Financial Insight through visual representation and supporting the Universities long term financial ambition of delivering self-serving stakeholder solutions. The role sits within the Financial, Planning and Reporting (FP&R) Team, reporting into the Head of FP&A and working alongside the Reporting Manager and Reporting Analyst, who will provide essential guidance and support to achieve set objectives. Critically, attention will be given to Balance Sheet and Cashflow scenario planning through sensitivity drivers to mitigate financial risk. Other duties will include the execution of improved financial processes, management of the FP&R Calendar and associated tasks with targeted deadlines, analytical solutions, standardising university wide financial templates and stakeholder engagement. This is a role that will realise financial creativity through enhanced financial insight to aid decision making. The Senior FP&A Manager is a collaborative role with touch points across all Finance disciplines; the role is challenging yet rewarding and an opportunity to create best in practice financial solutions. Culturally, the Finance team benefits from a hybrid working model (40% office based per week) with flexible working arrangements that promotes employee well-being and work life balance in a centre for excellence. The base location for this role is Boldon House, our exciting professional services hub. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House brings together a range of professional service teams together in a modern, vibrant office environment. To find out more, visit the project webpage: Boldon House - Durham University. Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: • You'll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. • We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. • We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. • We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. • Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. • Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). • We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. • You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. • Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. • If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications/Experience 1. Qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CIPFA) with experience working in a similar FP&A role. 2. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery, events and activities within the organisation. 3. Experience in preparation of complex annual Budgets and rolling Forecasts across Financial Statements including Income & Expenditure, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and covenants with multiple Departments and Cost Centres including financial modelling skills with a key focus on sensitivity and what-if analysis. 4. Track record of working with high volumes of data that can be transformed into simple easily digestible reporting solutions with the ability to transform data into stakeholder engaged suite of reports to identify, risk, opportunities, trends and recommendations. 5. Experience of partnering and providing high quality specialist financial advice, insights and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. 6. Demonstrable experience of managing and developing finance teams and/or an enhanced management qualification applied across a service team or teams. 7. Experience of implementing policies and procedures to ensure data cleansing and integrity and supporting service improvements with evidence of leading a continuous improvement programme with demonstrable success in improving efficiency and automation in financial processes, reporting or systems. 8. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University's reputation. Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 9. Excellent interpersonal, spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to collaborate with stakeholders and communicate financial insights to both technical finance and non-technical finance stakeholders along with maintaining effective working relationships, both internally and externally. 10. Proficient at presentation writing for executive level leadership with an ability to lead discussions and provide key insights. Ability to story-tell and provide a picture of the financial landscape through visual representation using KPI related metrics. 11. Advanced digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including Microsoft 365, ERP finance systems, reporting tools, analytics and Business Intelligence tools with demonstrable experience of how digital skills have brought efficiency improvements and detailed insights to stakeholders. 12. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition. 13. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks, financial controls and organisational policy and guidelines. 14. Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels. 15. Ability to solve problems and demonstrate analytical skills, to decide on and plan appropriate solutions and drive improvements. Desirable criteria • Experience within the Higher Education or public/not-for-profit sector. • Experience working with Oracle Fusion ERP & Oracle EPM systems. • Experience with A.I based financial solutions. • Experience supporting large-scale change or transformation projects. How to apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What you need to submit • A CV: and • A supporting statement which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification and any other details you feel will support your application. Contact details For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Lee French, Head of FP&A at lee.a.french@durham.ac.uk. Core Responsibilities • Annual Budgeting and Quarterly Forecasting Process o Lead the annual budgeting cycle end-to-end, coordinating inputs across Strategic Finance and business stakeholders. o Develop and maintain and continuously improve standardised budget and forecast templates, guidance notes, and timetables for use by Strategic Finance teams and budget holders. o Ensure all budgeting and forecasting milestone and deadlines are achieved, proactively managing interdependencies and stakeholder expectations, escalating risks where appropriate. o Produce and maintain integrated financial models covering Income & Expenditure, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Covenant, ensuring alignment to forecasts and underlying business assumptions. o Providing clear insight into liquidity, covenant headroom, and financial risks to support effective decision-making. o Prepare robust and insightful forecast variance analysis against budget and prior periods. o In collaboration with the Management Reporting team, oversee the monthly phasing of budgets and forecasts ensuring alignment with academic and operational activity, payroll and non-pay cost profiles, cash flow timing, and strategic priorities. o Prepare and coordinate budget and forecast papers for University Executive Committee and Finance Committee, clearly articulating financial outcomes, key risks and opportunities and key assumptions supported by concise, high-quality financial commentary to aid senior leadership understanding and governance decisions o Ensure accurate upload, consolidation, and phasing of budgets and forecasts into Oracle EPM in line with agreed planning cycles. o Maintain strong financial controls and data integrity across all planning, forecasting and modelling activities. • Management Reporting & Performance Insight o Work closely with the Systems Reporting team to develop, enhance and maintain high quality monthly management reporting for budget holders and senior leadership. o Deliver insightful variance and performance analysis reporting, identifying underlying drivers of financial performance and emerging risks or opportunities. • Financial Analysis & Sustainability o Monitor covenant compliance and liquidity metrics, highlighting risks, sensitivities and mitigating actions to senior finance leadership. o Support medium and long-term financial sustainability planning, including scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis to institutional strategy and external pressures. • Continuous Improvement o Drive improvements in planning, forecasting, and reporting processes, enhancing efficiency, consistency, transparency and analytical value. o Embed best practice FP&A disciplines across finance. Typical Role Requirements Service Delivery/Development • Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. • Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of university policy and external developments when carrying out your role. • Ensure integrity of financial modelling and delivery to University wide stakeholders are compliant with University Policies, accounting standards and regulatory frameworks. • Use your professional financial knowledge and experience to enhance financial decision making through insightful management information by way of financial Budget and Forecast preparation and provide subject matter expertise and advise. • Use your managerial and leadership expertise and financial acumen to identify priorities and shape Financial Planning and Reporting services to achieve the required outcomes. • Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards. • Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area. • Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed. • Manage quality and regulatory audits of systems and procedures. • Support the welfare, wellbeing and employment of your staff by providing professional guidance. Planning and Organisation • Contribute to the development and delivery of operational and financial plans relevant to your area. • Oversee the analysis of data about the service levels provided by your area and make recommendations for improvement in reports to senior managers and committees. • Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources identifying key risks, opportunities and cost pressures and providing recommendations to senior finance colleagues. Team Development • Manage, lead and develop the people, performance and resources of the FP&A team to ensure that a customer-focused service is provided. • Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional finance planning service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in a way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities. • Complete continuous professional development activities to maintain financial intelligence and best in class knowledge. • Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members. • Carry out regular performance reviews, 1-2-1s, to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs to ensure efficient delivery of work and development of staff capability. • Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team, referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers. • Promote professional development, including support for professional accounting qualifications and development of systems, analytical and digital capabilities. Communication/Liaison • Use your professional knowledge to identify and recommend priorities for long-term business plans. • Provide clear professional guidance, financial advice and insight to stakeholders that will provide clarity when appraising financial performance, when managing the FP&A service, you are responsible for. • Design creative and innovative communications through business intelligence solutions that promote and increase engagement relating to financial performance. • Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading financial and operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees. • Create strong working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University's reputation. • Represent the Finance team and the University at promotional events. • Identify opportunities to develop and increase participation in special interest groups. Additional Duties • Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the role grading. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.