Finance, Business Support and Governance Lead in London

This role provides leadership to OSBC’s finance, business support and governance functions, ensuring strong financial management, effective corporate support and robust assurance across the organisation. The postholder will oversee budgets, grant-in-aid, financial reporting and the production of the Annual Report and Accounts, while leading engagement with internal and external audit and strengthening risk management and assurance controls. The role helps ensure OSBC operates efficiently, meets its statutory and corporate responsibilities, and provides high-quality support to the Small Business Commissioner and senior leadership team.

Working closely with the DBT sponsorship team, finance and corporate service partners, the postholder will build and manage strong relationships, drive continuous improvement and support resilient delivery across OSBC in line with wider business priorities.

• Lead the OSBC finance team, ensuring effective financial management, timely transaction processing and delivery of audit actions.
• Manage OSBC programme budgets against forecasts and spend, prepare grant-in-aid claims for DBT approval, complete monthly drawdowns and produce annual accrual reports.
• Review and approve UKSBS monthly recharges, ensuring costs are accurate, correctly allocated and aligned with OSBC budgets and recorded spend.
• Prepare financial reports and management information to support decision‑making across OSBC.
• Manage finance and resourcing commissions from DBT and the Cabinet Office.
• Provide financial data and information to support DBT, FOI and PQ responses.

Business Support: Lead the OSBC Business Support team, ensuring the office operates efficiently, compliantly and in line with organisational priorities and DBT sponsorship requirements. Oversee delivery of core business support services across OSBC, including governance, board planning, procurement support, reporting, correspondence handling and office and estates management. Act as the lead business support adviser to the Small Business Commissioner, Chief of Staff and senior leadership team, ensuring they are well supported to focus on strategic priorities, statutory responsibilities and business-critical delivery. Work closely with DBT sponsorship, corporate service partners and internal colleagues to manage shared responsibilities, maintain effective business continuity and support delivery across OSBC’s corporate and finance functions.

Internal and External Audit and Risk Management: Lead OSBC finance and business support teams to ensure audit readiness and effective management of financial and non-financial data and risks. Work with OSBC colleagues, external stakeholders at DBT, GIAA and NAO to produce and deliver against timely audit delivery plans. Coordinate GIAA and NAO audit responses and support the collation of supporting evidence and documentation. Lead the production and publication of the OSBC Annual Report and Accounts, working with OSBC, DBT finance and management accounts colleagues through ministerial and parliamentary sign-off. Adhering to HM Treasury guidance and the Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) Manage and report on OSBC’s local and strategic risks, strengthening the organisation’s risk approach and threat assessment. Act promptly on audit recommendations to strengthen future delivery.