Head of Finance Business Partnering

Key leadership role within the senior management team. Lead financial strategy, optimise performance, and shape the future direction.

About Our Client

Working for South Yorkshire Police doesn’t have to mean patrolling the streets; our police staff work side by side with uniformed officers. A strong team of professional support staff work behind the scenes in many different areas of our organisation, including in finance. We need skilled people, like you, to join our police family to keep our South Yorkshire communities safe. We have an annual budget in excess of £300 million and employ over 3,000 police officers and 2,200 support staff. South Yorkshire Police are committed to attracting, selecting, hiring, retaining and developing a diverse and professional workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve, enabling us to meet and exceed our corporate finance goals and objectives. Like most organisations, South Yorkshire Police is transforming the way we deliver our services and run the organisation to meet ever more demanding challenges. We have a Medium-Term Resource Strategy underpinned by a draft recovery plan to help achieve our mission. The Finance department is very much at the centre of delivering this strategy working collaboratively with all senior leaders across the organisation and our external partners. Therefore, as part of this, we are looking for talented individuals who are experienced finance professionals, resilient, and driven to achieve change.

Job Description

The Head of Finance Business Partnering will:

• Lead financial planning and the production of the Force's Medium-Term Resource Strategy and Capital Programme Plan, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Planning Cycle.
• Work closely with the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Head of Finance, and Head of Management Accounting to ensure departmental strategies align with the Force's financial objectives.
• Provide insightful financial analysis, advice, and assurance to support senior decision-making on resource allocation and funding priorities.
• Ensure the Finance Business Partner (FBP) model is embedded in decision-making, driving the Centre of Excellence (COE) framework across projects, policies, capital, and Oracle systems.
• Collaborate with the CFO during the financial forecasting and strategic planning cycle to incorporate decisions into financial strategies.
• Contribute to the financial sections of the Force Management Statement, ensuring alignment with workforce planning and other Force areas.
• Provide strategic financial support for HMIC inspections and ensure issues are addressed.
• Implement a performance framework for the finance team, reviewing KPIs, addressing discrepancies, and promoting continuous improvement.
• Lead strategic finance initiatives on major projects, ensuring alignment with the Force's broader objectives.
• Guide Finance Business Partners to meet Force requirements, build team capacity through training, performance management, and development, and ensure consistency in financial analysis.
• Improve financial literacy across the Force, supporting strategies for efficiency, cost consciousness, and resource optimisation.
• Lead the development and maintenance of financial management systems, with expertise in the Oracle EPM system.
• Provide financial modelling and support for decision-making, focusing on value for money and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate on strategic asset management, influencing vehicle, estate, and IT strategies to align with financial plans.
• Ensure the quality and accuracy of financial information in reports to strategic meetings, including sign-off on financial implications.
• Work with Procurement to contribute financial expertise to significant procurement exercises and mitigate financial risk.
• Provide robust financial advice to external partners and collaborate with other forces and agencies to benchmark best practices and share insights.
• Support the Force's application for external funding, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
• Act as a key advisor in project boards and deputise for the Head of Finance when required.

The Successful Applicant

The successful Head of Finance Business Partnering will be/have:

• Qualified Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (C.C.A.B.) or CIMA accountant.
• Recent experience of working within a finance business partnering model or the ability to demonstrate an awareness of what is required to deliver the outcomes of the model.
• Understand personal and professional strengths and development needs and be able to evidence the steps taken to enhance your continuing professional development.
• Ability to interpret complex or detailed legislation, policy or strategy documents to identify financial implications and provide insightful financial advice.
• Strong commercial acumen with the desire to help drive business performance and show the wider business how finance can add value on a day-to-day basis.
• Experience of advising, challenging and negotiating with senior officers, managers and budget holders in a confident manner.
• Ability to use a range of communication and influencing techniques to successfully negotiate, collaborate or effect change in relation to matters of a specialist/technical nature.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience of building robust working relationships and establishing personal credibility with senior officers, managers and budget holders.
• Demonstrate IT literacy including advanced Excel, with extensive experience of large, complex ERP systems.
• Open to change, intellectually curious and able to challenge existing thinking to initiate and embrace innovation.
• Excellent analytical skills and a creative approach to problem solving.

What’s on Offer

Benefits:

• A highly competitive salary and access to a generous pension scheme (16% Employer Contribution).
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• A wide range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Flexible working arrangements including flexi-time and hybrid working.
• A transparent and collaborative team culture underpinned by our core values of Fairness, Integrity & Trust.
• Comprehensive range of development and leadership courses to develop your career with South Yorkshire Police.
• Employee Assistant Programme (accessible 24/7) offering confidential support and advice.
• Flexible lifestyle benefits such as: Blue Light Card, Company Shop, Cycle to work scheme.
• Committed to embedding sustainability: South Yorkshire Police Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025.
• Membership to the Sports and Social Club.
• Access to a wide range of staff support groups and networks.

Contact Nazmine Bedoyya. Applications close on Monday, 5th May; however, we encourage early submissions as we may close the application process sooner if we receive a high volume of interest.