Finance business partner in Sheffield

The University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) finance team develops and implements dynamic and future‑focused financial strategies to support the University’s aims, whilst maintaining sound financial oversight and administration in managing the University’s financial affairs. We have business partnering teams aligned to research groups and central professional service departments within the AMRC and wider University.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with AMRC research groups and AMRC Professional Services departments to provide finance support and information, ensuring that the AMRC’s financial plan is sustainable and financial risks are identified, understood and managed.
• Provision of expert financial support, guidance and management information, with responsibility for excellent customer service.
• Prepare accurate income and expenditure forecasts on a monthly and quarterly basis and as required, including analysis and explanation of variances against budget/forecast with recommendations for action or mitigation where appropriate.
• Prepare quarterly and year‑end reconciliations as required, including reserves and other provisions.
• Co‑ordinate year‑end procedures, ensuring these are communicated and effectively implemented across departments.
• Provide information and advice regarding budgetary control and activity forecasting across all types of external income (both research and other external funding), identify and offer solutions to minimise areas of potential risk or conflict with University financial regulations.
• Review and/or prepare financial expenditure statements or award claims for all types of external funding (for example, research) as required in conjunction with relevant departmental staff.
• Co‑ordinate the external audit of financial returns prior to submission to funders as required, providing auditors with relevant information and being the point of contact throughout the audit process.
• Support and enable finance staff to work to the highest professional standards and encouraging a culture of continuous professional development.
• Lead colleagues in the continual challenge to activities and processes, and identification and delivery of improvement in order to maximise effectiveness.
• Have oversight of and plan, in collaboration with other Finance Business Partners and the Finance Manager, workload allocations across the team, ensuring all objectives and deadlines are achieved and that productivity is optimised.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

• Demonstrate sound working knowledge of the key principles of financial management, skills and experience in financial forecasting, budget monitoring and control and month end routines.
• Excellent inter‑personal, communication, relationship building and influencing skills.
• The professional and personal credibility to operate as a finance leader and advisor, generating confidence in stakeholders.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership skills in managing, motivating and developing a team and the ability to motivate high performance in others in line with the department’s vision and values.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to interpret and evaluate financial and business information to inform business decisions with a clear view of the financial implications.
• Qualified or part‑qualified accountant (part qualified ACCA = Applied skills complete CIMA = Operational level plus case study) (e.g. CIMA, ACCA or other equivalent qualification).
• Proven ability to communicate complex financial information to a non‑financial audience, including the production of high‑quality financial reports.
• Excellent IT skills particularly with Microsoft Excel and experience of using finance systems as well as reporting solutions in an operational environment.
• Proactive with the ability to work to multiple deadlines, organising team resources and prioritising workloads.
• Part qualified Advanced (CIMA = Managerial level plus case study and equivalent for ACCA).
• An awareness and interest in the issues facing the Higher Education Sector and experience in the financial management of funding from external bodies.

Further Information

• Grade: 7
• Work arrangement: Full time, 35 hours per week
• Line manager: AMRC Finance Manager
• Direct reports: Assistant Finance Business Partner

Benefits

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; Professional Services Shared Skills.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies support for those going through the menopause paid time off and support for fertility treatment and more.

EEO and Safeguarding

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process. The University of Sheffield is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our staff and students. It is an offence to apply for this role if you have been barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. Applicants will be subject to relevant safeguarding checks in line with the requirements of each role and the guidance from the Department for Education. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): Childcare disqualification, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Medical, Online and social media, Eligibility to work, Satisfactory references, Suitability to work with children.

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Contact

For informal enquiries about this job contact s.d.oneill@sheffield.ac.uk

Website https://sheffield.ac.uk/finance