Finance Business Partner

We are looking for a Finance Business Partner to join our Finance Department team. The role provides financial oversight for all the RFU’s investment in Rugby, from community programmes and participation initiatives through to professional rugby funding and the investment in building winning England teams. It ensures that plans, forecasts, funding commitments and governance reporting are robust, affordable and aligned to agreed priorities, helping the organisation understand where investment is delivering value and where action is required.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading monthly management information, budgeting and forecasting for designated areas.
• Preparing and presenting financial analysis for senior governance forums.
• Reviewing funding, grants and commitments.
• Driving improvements to reporting processes, financial accountability and the quality of management information.

The role works closely with the Management Accountant (Rugby) and Financial Control colleagues, while retaining ownership of business partnering insight, challenge and recommendations.

As a member of the Strategic finance team within the Finance Department, this role is responsible for providing senior finance business partnering, financial insight and commercial challenge to designated Executive leads, directors and budget holders. The role translates financial performance, risks and opportunities into clear recommendations that support prioritisation, investment decisions and delivery of the RFU’s strategic objectives.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Strategic business partnering and decision support: Own the finance business partnering relationship with designated Executive leads, directors and budget holders, translating financial performance into clear commercial insight, challenge and decision support. Provide strategic financial input into investment appraisals, business cases, funding proposals and scenario modelling, including recommendations on affordability, return, risk and alignment to strategic priorities. Challenge budget holders on spend, value for money, investment priorities and delivery risks, ensuring decisions are supported by clear financial evidence and agreed ownership of actions.
• Financial analysis, planning and reporting: Lead the preparation, review and presentation of monthly management information, rolling forecasts and narrative commentary for designated areas, using analysis and reporting inputs prepared with support from the Management Accountant. Retain accountability for the financial overview, risks, opportunities and recommended actions for designated areas; the Management Accountant provides supporting analysis, reconciliations and underlying financial schedules. Lead annual budgeting and periodic reforecasting for designated areas, ensuring plans are robust, sustainable and aligned to the RFU’s overall strategy, with the Management Accountant supporting data preparation, historical trend analysis and cost category tracking.
• Board reporting and panel responsibilities: Prepare, review and present financial information, analysis and commentary for various Boards, committees and senior governance forums as required. Ensure Board and committee reporting is accurate, timely and clearly explains financial performance, risks, opportunities, funding implications and recommended actions. Act as Chair of the Champ Financial Regulation Panel, ensuring financial matters are reviewed with appropriate rigour, independence and governance oversight. This includes oversight of the club Financial Assurance Programme. Coordinate with finance colleagues, the Management Accountant and relevant business stakeholders to ensure supporting information is complete, reconciled and fit for governance review.
• Funding, governance and financial control boundaries: Review and challenge payments, grants and funding commitments to players, clubs and third parties to ensure they are in line with contractual obligations, approved budgets and agreed governance. Lead quarterly reporting of RFU spend against third-party funding requirements, including Sport England or equivalent funders, drawing on transactional reports and reconciliations maintained by the Management Accountant where required. Maintain a clear boundary between Finance Business Partner ownership of financial insight, challenge and recommendations, and Management Accountant ownership of accounting support, reconciliations, journals and month-end evidence.
• Stakeholder engagement: Build trusted relationships with Executive leads, directors, budget holders and finance colleagues, acting as the senior finance contact for designated areas. Communicate financial performance, risks, opportunities and required actions to non-finance stakeholders in a clear, practical and accessible manner. Ensure the business understands ownership of budgets, forecasts, savings plans and financial commitments, escalating material issues where required.
• System and process improvement: Identify and implement improvements to management reporting, forecasting and business partner processes, agreeing any accounting, systems or month-end changes with the Financial Control team and Management Accountant to protect data integrity. Use financial systems and reporting outputs to improve the quality, timeliness and consistency of insight provided to the business. Support improvements that strengthen accountability, reduce manual work and make financial information easier for the business to understand and act upon.

General:

• Actively collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of the current strategic, business and operational plans.
• Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU, including the promotion of our culture and core values – This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.
• Undertake other duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the organisation.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Essential:

• Qualified accountant (CIMA or ACA), with relevant post-qualification experience in finance business partnering, financial planning and analysis, or a comparable senior finance role.
• Strong experience of leading budgeting, forecasting, monthly management reporting and financial performance analysis, including the ability to identify risks, opportunities and recommended actions.
• Proven ability to provide commercial challenge and strategic decision support to senior stakeholders, including investment appraisal, scenario modelling, affordability assessment and value-for-money analysis.
• Experience preparing clear financial analysis, commentary and recommendations for Executive leads, Boards, committees or equivalent senior governance forums.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior non-finance stakeholders, communicate complex financial information clearly, and influence budget ownership, prioritisation and accountability.
• Experience reviewing funding, grants, payments or financial commitments against budgets, agreements, governance requirements and control expectations.
• Advanced financial modelling, data analysis and reporting skills, with the ability to improve the quality, consistency and timeliness of management information.
• Ability to demonstrate a collaborative and partnered approach to working, with a commitment to actively contributing to and building an inclusive culture through day-to-day behaviours.
• Committed to embodying the ethos of our culture by using our three core values – Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other – to guide your day-to-day decisions, actions and interactions.
• Committed to actively contributing and building an inclusive culture in your role and day-to-day behaviours.

Desirable:

• Proven skill of MS PowerPoint.
• Exceptional and proven level of MS Excel skills.
• Some experience on ROI would be advantageous.
• Systems experience on Oracle would be advantageous.
• Experience working in a finance role in the sports industry would be advantageous.

Additional Information:

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment@rfu.com.