The Role
The Finance Business Manager/Partner Role is a trusted commercial adviser responsible for improving financial performance, strengthening commercial discipline, and supporting strategic decision-making through high-quality insight, challenge, and financial leadership.
Working closely with senior stakeholders, the role supports the commercial and operational priorities of assigned practice groups, departments, or business divisions. Through forward-looking analysis, financial planning, and commercially focused advice, the Finance Business Manager/Partner helps drive the achievement of strategic objectives, sustainable growth, and improved business performance.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business, acting as a trusted strategic adviser on financial and commercial matters.
- Support strategic planning and decision-making through robust, evidence-based financial analysis and recommendations.
- Challenge and support business leaders to improve commercial performance and operational efficiency.
- Drive greater financial awareness and accountability across the business.
- Lead the annual budgeting process, rolling forecasts, and long-term financial planning for assigned departments, divisions or practice groups.
- Deliver insightful analysis on revenue, profitability, utilisation, realisation, pricing, working capital, and cash generation.
- Identify emerging financial risks and opportunities, recommending timely actions to improve business performance.
- Prepare and present high-quality financial reports, highlighting key trends, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.
- Develop financial models, business cases, and scenario analyses to support investment, growth, and strategic initiatives.
- Support profitability reviews at client, matter, partner, team, and practice group level.
- Work with stakeholders to improve pricing discipline, matter profitability, and return on investment.
- Underpinned by a strong understanding of the department, division, or practice's commercial drivers, ensure financial plans and commercial decisions align with departmental priorities, firm strategy, growth objectives, and risk management requirements.
- Support strategic and operational change initiatives by providing data-driven insights and financial guidance.
- Partner with the Revenue Controllers to improve billing performance, debt collection, lock-up management, cash conversion, and overall working capital performance.
- Work closely with colleagues across Finance (particularly, Revenue Control and Finance Operations), peers in Business Development and the People Team, Risk, Technology, international offices, and other central functions to provide integrated commercial support to the business.
Skills/Experience
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with a minimum of 5 years' post-qualified experience.
- Experience in a Finance Business Partner, Finance Business Manager, Commercial Finance, or similar business-facing finance role of 3+ years.
- Strong commercial acumen and analytical skills, with the ability to identify opportunities to improve performance and profitability.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and build credibility at all levels.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience working with large and complex datasets.
- Ability to translate complex financial information into clear insights, practical recommendations, and meaningful business actions.
Desirable
- Experience using Power BI or similar reporting and data visualisation tools.
- Experience supporting pricing strategies and profitability initiatives within a professional services environment.
Attributes
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present financial information effectively to both finance and non-finance audiences.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work to tight deadlines.
- Proactive, pragmatic, flexible, collaborative, and solutions-focused approach.
- Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a team environment.
- Commitment to continuous improvement and enhancing the quality of financial insight and business support.
Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.
Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within a dynamic, ambitious, and growing organisation. You will work closely with senior leaders, influence strategic decision-making, and help shape the commercial success of the firm. In return, you will gain broad exposure to business challenges, develop your commercial expertise, and build a rewarding career in a high-profile finance business partnering role.
About Mishcon de Reya Group
The Group is an independent, international professional services business with law at its heart, employing over 1400 people with over 650 lawyers. It includes the law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP and a collection of leading consultancy businesses that complement the firm's legal services.
Mishcon de Reya LLP is based in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE. The firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply.The work the firm undertakes is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, centred around three increasingly entwined and connected sectors: the Innovation Economy, Private Wealth and Capital, and Real Estate. The firm is known as a disputes powerhouse with a formidable capacity firmwide for dispute resolution.
The includes consultancy businesses ,(in London, Singapore and Dubai), , and (in Hong Kong). The Group also includes, which invests in the most promising early stage legaltech companies as well as the Mishcon Academy, its in-house place of learning and platform for thought leadership.
In 2024, the Group announced its first strategic acquisition in the alternative legal services market, flexible legal resourcing business Flex Legal. It also acquired a majority stake in Somos, a global group actions management business.
We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.
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Finance Business Partner employer: Mishcon de Reya
Mishcon de Reya is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work environment that prioritises employee growth and development. With a strong focus on innovation and collaboration, the firm provides its staff with access to cutting-edge tools and resources, ensuring they can deliver high-quality support to fee earners. Located in vibrant cities like London, the firm promotes a flexible working culture, empowering employees to balance their professional and personal lives while contributing to a diverse and thriving legal community.
