Finance Business Partner in Derby

Eaton Syalon is partnering with an investor backed high growth SME to recruit a hands-on finance business partner who wants to really influence how a business grows — not just report the numbers, but challenge, shape and own them. If you’re a commercially sharp finance professional who thrives in a fast-moving engineering environment and wants genuine proximity to senior leadership decision-making, this could be the role you’ve been waiting for.

As the finance business partner you will act as the Managing Director's right hand on all things financial. This isn’t a back-office role — you’ll be attending management meetings, challenging commercial proposals, supporting major bids and helping steer the strategic direction of the business. You’ll take full ownership of the finance function — from month-end management accounts and cashflow forecasting, to supporting department heads with project accounting and cost tracking. You’ll be the person who makes sure the numbers are not just accurate, but understood and acted upon across the business.

This is a role for someone who brings professional rigour and commercial curiosity in equal measure — someone who sees finance as a lever for growth, not just a compliance function.

What you’ll be doing:

• Serve as the MD's key support, providing insight and challenge on strategy, contracts and major commercial commitments
• Lead the annual budget process and quarterly forecasting cycle, maintaining a live view of P&L performance throughout the year
• Review and stress-test bids, tenders and commercial proposals — ensuring pricing, margin and risk assumptions are robust before sign-off
• Attend management meetings to provide financial challenge, variance commentary and forward-looking insight
• Support department heads with project accounting, cost tracking and financial performance monitoring
• Prepare monthly management accounts and group reporting packs, delivered accurately and on time
• Maintain balance sheet reconciliations, fixed asset registers, nominal ledgers and intercompany balances
• Own detailed cashflow forecasting to ensure the business maintains appropriate liquidity at all times
• Maintain strong financial governance and controls, ensuring compliance with regulatory and group reporting requirements
• Promote financial literacy across the business — helping operational leaders interpret performance data and make better commercial decisions

What we are looking for:

• You’ll be a qualified accountant with a track record of operating at a senior level, ideally within a project-led or engineering environment.
• Qualified management accountant — CIMA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent
• Proven experience as a senior finance business partner supporting operational or engineering leadership
• Experienced in preparing management accounts, budgets and rolling financial forecasts
• Analytically sharp — able to translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insight for non-finance stakeholders
• Confident challenging upwards and holding your position on financial matters with senior leadership
• Experience supporting tender submissions and business cases with detailed financial analysis
• Comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining rigorous standards of accuracy and control

This is the kind of role where your work genuinely matters. The numbers you produce, the challenges you raise and the insight you deliver will directly shape the decisions this business makes — and its ability to grow sustainably.