At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead finance business partnering to drive strategic decision-making and support income growth.
- Company: Join the Imperial War Museums, a purpose-driven organisation connecting people with modern conflict stories.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, pension contributions, and discounts at IWM cafes and shops.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth and inclusivity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping financial insight for a meaningful public mission.
- Qualifications: Proven finance leadership experience and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 67500 £ per year.
Location: IWM London (Hybrid: 3 days a week in office)
Salary: £65,000–£67,500 per annum
Working Hours: 36 hours per week (full time)
Contract Type: Permanent
What It’s Like to Work Here
Imperial War Museums (IWM) connects people with the stories of modern conflict, helping shape understanding of its impact on society. You’ll join a collaborative, purpose-driven organisation with a strong public mission and a focus on accountability, innovation and continuous improvement. Teams work closely across disciplines to deliver high-quality experiences for visitors while ensuring long-term sustainability.
Why This Role Matters
This role is central to how financial insight shapes decision-making across IWM. As Head of Finance Business Partnering, you’ll lead the function that connects finance with the wider organisation—ensuring leaders have the clarity, challenge and support they need to deliver against strategic and commercial objectives. You’ll play a key role in aligning financial planning with IWM’s mission, supporting both public-facing activity and commercial operations, while maintaining strong governance and value for money.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead and develop the Finance Business Partnering function, building a high-performing and well-structured team
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing clear financial insight and constructive challenge
- Partner closely with the Commercial directorate to support income growth, pricing decisions and business planning
- Translate strategy into financial plans, budgets and performance measures
- Lead budgeting, forecasting and reforecasting processes, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities
- Deliver high-quality reporting, analysis and scenario modelling to support decision-making
- Support major strategic initiatives, investment cases and organisational change
- Improve financial systems, reporting and processes to increase efficiency, insight and transparency
- Promote financial understanding across the organisation, enabling better decision-making at all levels
What We’re Looking For
We’d love to hear from you if you have:
- Proven experience leading a finance business partnering or FP&A function
- Strong experience influencing and challenging senior stakeholders
- Track record of supporting commercial performance and strategic decision-making
- Experience leading budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes
- Ability to turn complex financial data into clear, actionable insight
- Strong team leadership skills, with experience building or developing teams
- Qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or equivalent experience
- Strong analytical skills and a proactive, problem-solving mindset
- Understanding of public sector, charity or grant-funded environments (desirable)
How You’ll Work
You’ll work closely with senior leaders across commercial, operational and support functions, acting as a key link between finance and the wider organisation. The role requires strong collaboration across directorates, including Collections, Exhibitions, Learning and Estates, to ensure consistent and high-quality financial support.
What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)
- Build strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across all directorates
- Establish a clear, effective Finance Business Partnering model and team structure
- Improve the quality and consistency of financial reporting, planning and insight
- Strengthen financial support to commercial decision-making and income generation
- Deliver measurable improvements to budgeting and forecasting processes
- Embed finance as a proactive and valued partner to the business
Benefits
- Annual Leave: You'll have 25 days of annual leave, with public holidays on top. After 3 years, this increases to 27 days and after 5 years, you’ll get 30 days
- Company Group Pension Plan: Our commitment to your financial well-being includes competitive employer contributions to your pension starting at 7% to a maximum of 12%.
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Celebrate life’s milestones with confidence, knowing that our policies support growing families.
- IWM4me: Tailor your benefits to your unique needs through IWM4me. Access health, protection, and lifestyle benefits at corporate rates, ensuring your holistic well-being.
- Free Sanitary Products: We prioritise your comfort by providing free sanitary products across all our sites.
- Retail Discounts: 25% off IWM Cafes, 20% discount in on-site shops, Benefits hub offering retail discounts to several high street shops and MyActive discounts for health and wellbeing based retail discounts.
- Free Entry to IWM Air Shows: Witness the thrill of vintage aircraft at our air shows.
- Free Entry to Partner Museums & Galleries: Immerse yourself in art, history, and culture through our reciprocal arrangements with other institutions.
- In-House Training Programmes: Fuel your intellectual curiosity and professional growth through our comprehensive training initiatives.
- Season Ticket Loan Scheme: Simplify your daily commute with our interest‑free loan program.
- Cycle 2 Work & Cycle Hire: Promote well‑being and environmental consciousness by cycling to work.
- Eye Tests: Money back up to £80 for an eye test and a new pair of glasses.
- Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential support for personal or work‑related challenges.
- Benenden Healthcare & Dental Insurance: Prioritise your health with access to quality healthcare services.
- Civil Service Sports Club Membership: Opportunity to join and enjoy additional discounts and perks as part of a vibrant community.
- Staff Events and Networks: Join fellow colleagues in social gatherings and events, fostering camaraderie and shared experiences.
IWM is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities. We miss out when people feel IWM isn't for them, and are committed to removing and reducing barriers to make IWM open to everyone. Our Access and Inclusion strategy has been developed to promote openness, equal opportunities to access, inclusivity and encourage diversity in everything that we do, from employment practices, the services we provide to our visitors to the facilities we make available to public. At IWM we seek to address the need for greater diversity within our workforce as well as the wider museum and heritage sector. In all our practices we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity and we welcome applications from suitable candidates of all backgrounds. We value and respect difference and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work / life balance. Some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others, so if this is important to you please raise this with your recruitment contact, as we are open to discussing agile working opportunities during the hiring process.
Head of Finance Business Partnering employer: Imperial War Museum London
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and purpose-driven work environment, where employees are empowered to connect financial insights with impactful decision-making. With a strong commitment to employee growth through in-house training programmes and a comprehensive benefits package, including generous annual leave and enhanced family support, IWM prioritises the well-being of its staff while promoting inclusivity and diversity. Located in London, this role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a significant public mission while enjoying a hybrid working model that supports work-life balance.
Contact Details:
Imperial War Museum London Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Finance Business Partnering
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Finance Business Partnering
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