Are you a motivated finance professional seeking a new opportunity to support our Council to achieve its corporate priorities? If so, Cheltenham Borough Council are looking for a Finance Business Partner to join the team.
Location: Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 9SA
Salary: £48,738 - £54,229 per annum
Job Type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: Tuesday 16th September 2025
Come and work for an award-winning organisation!
We are an ambitious and forward-thinking council. We are committed to making Cheltenham a better place to live and work, enabling communities and businesses to thrive whilst protecting what is good about our town.
We aim to be an employer of choice where everyone is treated fairly and feels valued and respected. We aim to provide a stimulating and rewarding working environment that encourages our people to work together, provides opportunities for them to reach their full potential and achieve a healthy work/life balance.
Working at Cheltenham Borough Council means working as part of a committed, professional, and friendly team.
Finance Business Partner - The Role:
Cheltenham are an extremely ambitious Council – committed to becoming carbon net zero and deliver the National Cyber Innovation Centre all whilst continuing to support all our communities in uncertain times. And our ambitions are more than words – we have won national awards for our commercial approach as a Council and our Golden Valley development has recently been named in the Government’s National Cyber Strategy.
Our finance team are dynamic, close knit and passionate about the town and making a difference to the place they live. The successful candidate will form a key part of the team led by the Head of Finance responsible for the annual budget setting and Statement of Accounts cycle. You will be the key contact for service managers, building strong business partnering relationships with officers and the Executive Leaders in those services to support the responsible management of their budgets.
Finance Business Partner - Key Responsibilities:
- Providing day to day support to budget holders for key areas of the Council
- Support the identification and delivery of budget efficiencies to ensure the Council is able to deliver a balanced budget
- Building strong and trusted relationships with Service Managers and Executive Leaders
- Leading on key areas of the preparation of the Statement of Accounts, including liaison with audit
- Monitoring financial performance against the budget for designated budget areas
- Undertaking key financial analysis to support budget holder decisions
- Delivering budget holder training to empower service managers to take responsibility for key financial decisions
- Provide ad hoc advice on technical areas such as VAT
Finance Business Partner - You:
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA, ACCA) or equivalent experience
- Analytical skills, with the ability to effectively summarise and interpret data to senior non-finance business leaders
- Experience of year end close down process and financial accounts preparation, including preparing working papers and liaising with external auditors
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
- Ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders quickly
- Good level of IT skills - MS Office
- Communicates effectively at all levels (excellent verbal and written skills)
Finance Business Partner - Benefits:
- An excellent pension scheme. You will be eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- A generous holiday entitlement of 26 days (pro rata) rising to 31 days (pro rata) after five years (excluding Bank Holidays)
- A flexible and agile working environment. We aim to provide opportunities to work from home or elsewhere and offer flexibility in working hours
- A comprehensive programme of learning and development
- Two days (pro rata) paid time off for volunteering
- Enhanced maternity and paternity schemes
- Access to free counselling services
- Upon successful completion of your probation period, you will then have access to our Healthcare Cashback Plan
- A cycle to work scheme
- Low-cost town centre parking
- A commitment to employee wellbeing
Closing date: Tuesday 16th September 2025
To submit your application for this exciting Finance Business Partner opportunity, please click on ‘Apply’ now