At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial insights, streamline processes, and coach a small finance team.
- Company: Ipsos, a global leader in market and social research.
- Benefits: 25 days annual leave, pension, income protection, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Join a diverse team committed to equality and professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on strategy and decision-making in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant with strong P&L and budgeting experience.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 € per year.
Make Your Mark at Ipsos. We are a leading global market and social research company, enabling organisations to make smarter, bolder, and faster decisions.
Are you a commercially-minded finance professional ready to act as a trusted adviser to senior service-line leaders? Do you love turning P&L insight into clear recommendations, streamlining processes and coaching a small finance team to deliver impact across 18 UK service lines? If so, read on.
About the role: This is a senior, business-facing Commercial Finance Business Partner role within Ipsos’s UK Commercial Finance team of 30+ colleagues, providing finance support to 18 service lines. You’ll own monthly P&L’s, produce KPI dashboards for service-line leaders and the UK Management Team, explain variance drivers and recommend corrective actions that improve profitability and efficiency. You will lead budgeting and rolling forecasting cycles, model scenarios with commercial and operations partners, and support pricing, costing and bid modelling for new and repeat projects. A key part of the role is to drive efficiency—streamlining reporting, embedding automation via use of Power Query/Power Automate where appropriate, using BI and data tools to uplift MI. You’ll manage and coach a small team of two, partner across research, operations and client teams, and ensure compliance with relevant accounting and industry standards. This role offers the chance to influence strategy, sharpen commercial decision-making and contribute to a people-first, values-led culture in a global research business.
About you: Commercially focused and able to translate financial analysis into clear, actionable recommendations for non-finance stakeholders. Proven experience owning P&L, month-end close and management reporting. Skilled in budgeting, rolling forecasting and scenario modelling to support resource and pricing decisions. Strong stakeholder management and coaching experience, able to lead and develop a small finance team. Analytically curious, resilient, and able to work collaboratively across functions and geographies. Communicate confidently to senior stakeholders and produce clear, executive-ready packs.
Essential skills:
- Qualified accountant (CIMA or ACCA).
- Strong P&L ownership, month-end close and production of management information.
- Proven budgeting, forecasting and scenario modelling skills.
- Advanced Excel skills (formulas, pivot tables, structured modelling).
- Confident presentation skills and ability to produce clear PowerPoint/management packs.
- Experience managing and developing a small finance team.
- Strong stakeholder management and the ability to influence non-finance colleagues.
- Attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a challenging environment.
- Commercial pricing and costing experience for bids and contracts.
- Experience in market research, professional services or agency environments.
Desirable skills:
- Exposure to AI and adoption to enhance day-to-day tasks, reporting and analysis workflows.
- Familiarity with Power Query / Power Automate and an interest in automating reporting and repetitive tasks.
- Experience with ERP / financial systems in a multi-entity environment.
- Prior exposure to central finance processes and multi-market reporting.
Benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range of health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities. We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week. We appreciate you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications - please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application. We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Your application will be reviewed by someone from our Talent Team who will be in touch either way to let you know the outcome. Ready to have an impact? Apply now!
Senior Finance Business Partner in London employer: Ipsos
Ipsos is an exceptional employer that prioritises a people-first, values-led culture, offering a dynamic environment for Senior Finance Business Partners to thrive. With a comprehensive benefits package, including 25 days of annual leave and flexible working options, employees are supported in achieving a healthy work-life balance while contributing to impactful decision-making across diverse service lines. The company fosters professional growth through coaching opportunities and a commitment to diversity, ensuring that every team member can make a meaningful contribution to the global research landscape.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Finance Business Partner in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who work at Ipsos or similar companies. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about the role and even a referral!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your P&L knowledge and scenario modelling skills. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've turned financial insights into actionable recommendations—this is your time to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your analytical curiosity! During interviews, ask insightful questions about their current processes and how you could help streamline them. This demonstrates your proactive approach and genuine interest in the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the Ipsos team!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Finance Business Partner in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Senior Finance Business Partner. Highlight your experience with P&L ownership, budgeting, and stakeholder management. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've turned financial insights into actionable recommendations in the past. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:Since this role requires strong analytical abilities, make sure to mention any tools or methods you’ve used to analyse data and improve processes. If you've worked with Power Query or BI tools, let us know how you’ve used them to drive efficiency!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, we love seeing applications come through our own platform!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ipsos
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you'll need to own P&L statements like a pro. Brush up on your financial metrics and be ready to discuss how you've turned insights into actionable recommendations in the past. This will show that you can translate complex data into clear strategies for non-finance stakeholders.
✨Showcase Your Coaching Skills
Since you'll be managing a small finance team, it's crucial to demonstrate your coaching experience. Prepare examples of how you've developed team members in previous roles. Highlight your approach to leadership and how you foster collaboration across functions—this will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Automation
With a focus on streamlining processes and embedding automation, make sure you can talk about your experience with tools like Power Query and Power Automate. Share specific instances where you've improved efficiency through automation, as this aligns perfectly with the role's requirements.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Scenarios
Expect questions about stakeholder management and how you've influenced decisions in the past. Think of scenarios where you've had to communicate complex financial information to non-financial colleagues. Practising these examples will help you convey your ability to build relationships and drive commercial decision-making.
