Assistant Finance Business Partner

Grade and Salary: Grade 6 (£31,236 - £36,636) per annum FTE

Working pattern: Full Time (1FTE), Open Ended - Opportunities for flexible working will be considered.

Organisation Name: Finance Directorate

About our Team

The Finance team is one of the Professional Services supporting the University’s mission and its strategic priorities. On a day-to-day basis, it does this by delivering a range of financial operations:

• Routine financial transactional processing in payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable.
• Sound management accounting, including ensuring the availability of accurate and timely financial management reporting; and effective budgeting and planning.
• Effective operation of financial systems.
• Effective and timely delivery of statutory financial reporting.

In addition, the Finance department supports the delivery of the University’s strategic plan through effective financial planning, including capital investment planning, project appraisal and identification of sustainable funding streams.

Purpose of Role

Reporting to a Finance Business Partner, the purpose of this role is to assist the Business Partner in all aspects of management accounting: providing financial support and challenge to Professional Services areas.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the formation of accurate budgets and financial plans, building in partnership with the business unit from the bottom-up.
• Ensure the plans adhere to the overall University guidelines and efficiently and timely feed into the overall financial planning process for the University.
• Review the financial plans each quarter and working with the business area assist in re-forecasting income and cost profiles as required.
• Assist in the preparation and production of timely management accounts, ensuring efficient processes are in place to allow effective consolidation into the overall production of the University’s monthly financial reporting processes.
• The reporting will encompass income and expenditure and associated reconciliations.
• Assist in the analysis of the management accounts and provide high quality value-add commentary providing business insights, performance against plan, understanding the key financial risks and opportunities for the specific business area.
• Assist in the production and interpretation of a wide variety of regular and ad-hoc financial data and analysis, including financial KPIs for the specific business area.
• This data/analysis is utilised for a number of internal and external purposes including KPI’s for the University Court and external financial reporting.
• Provide day to day support and expertise to the institution’s Senior Officers, Directors and Managers for the specific business area.
• Play a role in supporting improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the management accounting processes and controls.
• This includes effective KPI reporting, process mapping and responsibility definition.
• The role-holder will also be expected to support changes to and embed processes that support the new ERP system.
• The role-holder will be expected to manage key stakeholders and have frequent interaction with colleagues at all levels, including: Business Partners and Assistant Business Partners, Professional Service Department Heads / Managers, Finance and Procurement colleagues.

Education, Qualifications & Experience

These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made:

• Progressing towards an accountancy qualification e.g. CA, ACA, CPFA, CIMA, ACCA;
• Educated to first degree level.
• Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above.
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages.
• Good knowledge and understanding of relevant legal, statutory and governance applications and turning them into good practice.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively.
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
• Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to research, analyse and present complex information effectively with good attention to detail.
• High level organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and to function effectively in a pressured environment.
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 11th March 2026. Please submit via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment system your Full CV.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.