Finance Business Partner in Birmingham

Eden Brown Synergy are working with an organisation who are carrying out the largest and most complex infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK and they are looking for an experienced Finance Business Partner to join their team on a permanent basis in Birmingham City Centre. The role is full time (hybrid working) and paying £54,878 - £64,562 per annum depending on skills and experience. The organisation also offers a 20% benefits fund which is paid on top of the base salary.

The role:

• As a Finance Business Partner you will provide assurance and challenge, driving accountability and focus on cost control throughout the directorates you support.
• Provide oversight, control and direction to your team (if applicable) and ensure appropriate Finance support to promote effective decision making and performance management of Direct and Indirect Costs.

Corporate Governance/ Managing Public Money

• Provides guidance on the application of governance within area.
• Acting as the Chief Financial Officer's (CFO) representative at monthly review meetings.
• Review and financial endorsement of Change and Investment Papers, challenging all risks/opportunities, ensuring programme impacts are clearly identified and any associated costs recorded.
• Representative on investment change panels.
• Providing assurance to senior management that reported expenditure and contract payments are appropriate.

IFRS Accounting / National Audit Office (NAO)

• Provides input to development of policies and Enterprise reporting and planning development.
• Pros guidance on appropriate IFRS accounting treatment of transactions (prepayment/accruals/liabilities).
• Provides justification and supporting evidence of accounting adjustments to NAO Auditors as required.

Financial Reporting/ Month/ Year end

• Oversee the month end financial accounts close.
• Prepare the accounts and plan for year-end audit.
• Complete monthly analytics of contract spend.
• Provide budget variance commentary.
• Review and assure Programme Board Packs.

Funding/Cash Flow

• Review and challenge emerging forecasts and monitor against Spending Review (SR) funding.
• Propose remedial actions to business as required.
• Work with supply chain finance leads and commercial to improve Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) and cash flow data.
• Develop Cashflow forecast reporting for DfT, challenge the supply chain submissions.

Business Planning/Forecast

• Support and maintain the Business Planning and forecasting process, providing guidance on planning principles and expectations as provided by business planning.
• Provides assurance to the business that data provided by cost management/commercial is reliable.

Budget Management

• Supports business in determining the appropriate disaggregation and delegations.
• Facilitate system changes required and reporting requirements for budget management.

Workforce Costs & Indirects

• Provide Workforce Actual costs and forecast information to inform programme cost estimates.
• Challenge budget holders to achieve workforce objectives and optimise resources.

Skills:

• Communication skills: ability to interpret and communicate complex financial issues to non-financial colleagues and to secure compliance with Managing Public Money.
• Stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage, communicate and develop consensus with both internal and external stakeholders up to Executive level.
• Influencing skills: ability to influence key decisions.
• The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the organisation's values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect.
• Ability to critically review and challenge forecasts, assessing them for their affordability, value for money, timing and impact on programme delivery.
• Ability to use ERP systems, utilising data analytics software and complex Excel models.
• Ability to ensure effective financial controls within a major project.

Knowledge:

• Qualified Accountant with experience of operating in a complex environment.
• Knowledge of Government accounting requirements (DEL/AME funding) to ensure compliance of business plans within delegated authority.
• Knowledge of accounting systems.

Type of experience:

• Experience of driving output focussed, activity-based budgets and forecasts.
• Supporting the process for development of the annual business plan and budget setting processes within funding caps set by the Spending Review.
• Qualified Accountant with experience of operating in a complex environment which may include infrastructure projects.

Please only apply for the role if you have all the skills, knowledge and experience as mentioned above.