Finance Business Partner

Salary: £55,591 - £62,974, with potential for further progression to £70,907 with our pay progression scheme.

Location: Hybrid. Contracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need. Please note that our Head Office will be relocating from Wilmslow to central Manchester in the near future.

Why work for the ICO?

• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• 25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays.
• Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year).
• Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%).
• Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress.

Job summary

The Finance Business Partnering team is responsible for ensuring that the ICO budget holders are provided with appropriate financial advice and support to enable them to make the best use of resources devolved to them. Being the first point of contact within the Finance Directorate for specified departments across the wider organisation to ensure that the organisation is provided with a joined-up finance view.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.

As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful. The Finance Business Partnering team is a collaborative team focused on providing the organisation with guidance and challenge around efficiencies, ensuring spending aligns with organisational priorities, cost avoidance, benefits realisation and financial analysis. The key collaborations, aside from the wider Finance department, are with People Services and directors across the organisation.

Key responsibilities:

• Work in conjunction with the other Finance Business Partners to coordinate and consolidate a whole of organisation view of the finance business partnering function including the business areas supported by the other Finance Business Partners and Assistants.
• Lead the delivery of timely and robust financial information to enable you to influence business decision making for your area of responsibility.
• Work with budget holders to develop robust budget plans and monitor those plans, with the support of the Assistant Finance Business Partners, and working with the other areas of the Finance team.
• Influence the affordability and prioritisation of business plans and seek to maintain spend within departments' respective financial boundaries.
• Working with the People Services Business Partners to monitor headcount plans and limits, look at resource mix issues and the cost of resources to deliver business priorities.
• Provide advice on spending types, accounting treatments and adherence to spending controls to budget holders.
• Play an active part in developing the capability of the finance directorate, aiding and contributing to the vision and objectives.
• Supporting the development of individuals in the team in line with ICO policies.
• As a leader within the finance directorate, taking an active role in leading and developing a team of finance professionals, contributing to joint team and corporate objectives.
• Develop financial modelling within business cases, engaging with finance and stakeholders as business cases progress.
• Understand and advise on governance routes for change according to financial tolerances.
• Providing advice and insight to support data driven decision making and working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels to deliver shared objectives.
• Deputise for the Head of Finance as appropriate in areas of delegated responsibility.

Person specification

Essential criteria assessed at application stage:

• Fully qualified accountant (CCAB professional accountancy body or equivalent with up to date CPD).
• Significant previous experience working in a similar role (ideally within the public sector).
• Experience leading, managing and developing teams to maximise their individual contributions and achievement of goals.
• Excellent standard of literacy and effective written communication skills for preparing financial reports.
• Experience of identifying and implementing improvement by designing, implementing and managing finance processes and policies.

Essential criteria assessed during interview:

• Experience of supporting non-financial personnel to deliver accurate financial performance reporting, both short and medium term.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills demonstrating an ability to identify and react to emerging issues.
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to manage conflict and maintain good relationships with team and key stakeholders.
• Ability to deal with a demanding workload which will include conflicting demands on time.
• Up to date knowledge of current trends and practices relating to public sector finance and good knowledge of double entry bookkeeping.
• Excellent standard of literacy and effective written communication skills, including preparing financial reports, supporting the development of complex business cases, modelling different budget options and outlining financial risks to stakeholders with different levels of understanding.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

The ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.

Closing Date: Please submit your CV by 23:59, 14 July 2025. We reserve the right to close this vacancy before this date should we receive sufficient applications. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.