UK Research & Innovation Salary : £56,745 Hours : Full Time Contract Type: Open Ended Location : Polaris House, Swindon Closing Date: 8th June 2025 Job Overview: This role is part of the Senior Finance Management Team for AHRC and ESRC and has responsibility for leading a team of Finance Business Partners/Management Accountants in providing a comprehensive financial business partnering services and operational finance across the two Councils. The role will provide effective insight, challenge and support to a range of stakeholders including Directorate leads/budget-holders and senior finance and non-finance managers across Finance and UKRI, to deliver outcomes in line with UKRI priorities. Key Responsibilities: Lead a team of Finance staff in delivering an effective financial business partnering service to the assigned Directorate business areas. Develop, manage and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders in Directorate business areas and in other teams, including budget holders, senior programme managers, Directors, financial planning team, management reporting team, commercial / legal teams, other local and wider Finance Directorate staff, and relevant external stakeholders. Use sound commercial and business awareness and understanding to provide decision support, offering insight and challenges to relevant senior stakeholders as required to ensure robust financial processes. Work closely with senior stakeholders to advise on available funding to aid in establishing strategic priorities using judgement, evidence and professional knowledge. Contribute to delivery of wider strategic Finance Directorate initiatives and projects as required Perform a range of complex reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business cases. Communicate the importance of Finance to stakeholders at all levels, and use business awareness to present insightful information and analysis to support effective longer-term decision-making and deliver outcomes in line with Council/UKRI priorities Manage annual and multi-year budget setting cycles, in year reforecasting - understanding and communicating forecast risk and opportunities. Develop the finance case within business cases. Manage the financial accounting of complex projects Ensure compliance with internal financial, DSIT and HMG controls within Directorate business areas. This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with their line manager. The post holder may be asked to carry out any other delegated duty or task that is in line with the post Support to the various Business Change Programmes as required Person Specification: (S) - Shortlisting Criteria (I) - Interview Criteria Essential Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA) or QB E (S) Strong understanding of accounting and finance and demonstrable experience of working in senior finance roles and delivering effective financial management. (S & I) High level competency of IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, with focus on exceptional Excel skills. (S) Strong understanding of contracts and commercial elements within projects. (S & I) Demonstrable high-level experience of month and year-end processes - accruals and prepayment calculations, variance analyses etc. (S & I) Highly numerate with the ability to provide insightful analysis on complex issues, communicating the key elements to effectively deliver projects and influence decision making at a strategic level. (S & I) Experience of working strategically to balance the conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of financial processes. (S & I) Demonstrable experience of working as part of a wider-business, consulting with senior stakeholders, utilising an in-depth understanding of business priorities, and effectively 'partnering' with stakeholders to meet organisational and financial objectives. (S & I) Significant experience in provision of high quality written and oral advice suitable for executive and senior level decision makers. (S & I) Proven experience in the preparation of complex budgets, forecasts and financial plans. (S & I) Understanding of the role of governance, risk management and assurance in operational and project delivery. ( I) Ability to build strong trusting relationships with senior stakeholders and influence them with impact and professional credibility. (S & I) Strong experience of developing effective working partnerships and offering challenges where necessary to senior stakeholder groups. (S & I) Line management and leadership skills. (S & I) Excellent written and oral communication skills. (S & I) Personal resilience and a confident approach, willing to apply good judgement to solve issues and find solutions independently. (I) Highly developed team working skills, able to form effective working relationships quickly. (I) Ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations. (I) Good organisational skills, able to manage and prioritise own and others' workloads and meet deadlines in a very timely manner. (S & I) Application Guidance How to evidence the criteria: You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the 'person specification' criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method | National Careers Service '. About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org. Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment. How we support EDI in the workforce At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ' How we support EDI in the workforce '. Disability Confident Employer As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. How to apply Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application. UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. Additional Information Organisation: UKRI - Finance Group Contract Type: Open Ended External Closing Date: Jun 8, 2025 Minimum Salary: Pound Sterling (GBP) 56,745 Hours: Full-time