Strategic Finance Business Partner in Nottingham

Strategic Finance Business Partner – Adults Social Care and Health (ASCH)

Shape the strategy. Influence the frontline. Lead the partnership.

Reports to: Director of Finance Strategy

Reports to: Director of Finance Operations

Influence at the highest level. Impact at the frontline.

At Nottingham City Council, finance isn't just about numbers – it's about making decisions that shape services, support communities, and deliver real change for 331,077 residents. Our Strategic Business Partners operate at the most senior level of the organisation as trusted partners embedded in the decision-making process.

This is a role for an experienced finance leader who understands that great business partnering isn't about producing reports – it's about shaping strategy, influencing outcomes, and driving change. As our Strategic Finance Business Partner for Adults Social Care and Health, you'll work directly with the Corporate Executive Director for ASCH and their senior leadership team, providing the financial insight and strategic challenge that enables the directorate to deliver for our communities.

ASCH is one of the council's largest and most complex service areas. Like all councils across the country, Nottingham faces significant budget pressures in this space. This role is at the heart of meeting that challenge – ensuring financial sustainability while protecting the services that our most vulnerable residents depend on.

About the Role

As a Strategic Finance Business Partner, you'll be a member of the finance service management team. You'll help discharge section 151 responsibilities, supporting the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and the Directors of Finance in managing an integrated finance function across the Council. At times, you'll deputise for the Director of Finance or s151 officer on certain projects or at meetings.

You'll lead and effectively motivate a team of Business Partners, providing coaching, mentoring, training, professional development opportunities, and appropriate performance management. You'll ensure that relevant financial information is communicated to executive leads across the council in a way that enhances their ability to make effective service delivery decisions.

Your Influence and Responsibility

• Strategic influence: You'll advise the Corporate Executive Director for Adults Social Care and Health and their senior leadership team – shaping the strategic direction of one of the council's largest directorates.
• Financial stewardship: You'll provide strategic financial advice, insight, and intelligence to ensure best use of limited resources.
• Team leadership: You'll manage and develop a team of Business Partners, building capability and driving performance.
• Improvement: You'll lead initiatives to modernise financial processes and drive innovation.

What You'll Lead and Influence

• Oversight over the financial processes and procedures that enable effective budgetary control and value for money within ASCH
• The analysis, communication, escalation and resolution of financial pressures within ASCH including demand management
• Advising the s151 officer on funding, financial management and accounting requirements (both capital and revenue) within ASCH
• Sustainable ASCH service delivery through effective financial advice and support from your team
• The development and motivation of a team of finance professionals

Who We're Looking For

You're an experienced, qualified accountant who combines local government business partnering expertise with the ability to influence, inspire, and drive change. You thrive on complexity, think at scale, and have the gravitas to shape decisions at the highest level. You don't just report what happened – you help shape what happens next.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience of providing financial advice at executive level in a large, complex organisation
• A proven track record of Business Partnering/providing sound financial advice to senior stakeholders, preferably in the ASCH space
• Extensive experience in the budget management and budget-setting process
• The ability to influence strategic direction across a range of services
• CCAB qualified with evidence of continuing professional development

You’ll also bring the behaviours that make a great local government finance leader:

• Influencing skills – you can challenge constructively, persuade without authority, and bring people with you
• A risk-aware, not risk-averse approach – you instinctively spot financial risks and control weaknesses early, but focus on managing those risks rather than shutting down progress entirely
• The ability to lead under difficult circumstances – you remain calm under pressure during high‑stakes situations, and you have a natural instinct to mentor and coach those around you
• A pragmatic, innovative approach – you don't rely on "the way things have always been done"; you proactively look for ways to automate, simplify, and optimise reporting and system usage
• Political astuteness – you understand the friction between political aspirations and financial realities, and you have the confidence to constructively challenge when required
• A mission‑driven, public service orientation – you're genuinely motivated by stewardship and the assurance that every pound of taxpayer money is maximised to best serve the community

Why Nottingham, Why Now?

Few councils have undergone a change of this scale. Having rebuilt financial resilience and restored confidence, we're now focused on long‑term excellence.

Nottingham's financial recovery has been remarkable. In November 2023, the council issued a Section 114 notice. By early 2026, the government confirmed its intention to scale back intervention – acknowledging the significant progress made. The council delivered a £20.4m net underspend in 2025/26, did not require Exceptional Financial Support, and set a balanced budget for 2026/27. Debt has fallen from £827m to £292m in six years.

But the next phase is harder. Adult social care remains the single biggest pressure on the council's finances, with budgets forecast to rise by 32% over the MTFP period. The council must continue to deliver savings while investing in services. It must manage the financial implications of Local Government Reorganisation – with £28m set aside for preparation costs – while maintaining day‑to‑day financial control.

Nottingham is a city of 331,077 residents, with a notably young population – 69.7% aged between 16 and 64. It is the 18th most deprived lower‑tier authority out of 296, with life expectancy in the most deprived areas up to 10 years lower than the city average. The council supports around 7,010 individuals in adult social care. These are not abstract figures – they are the reality of the services your financial advice will help sustain.

The Strategic Finance Business Partner for ASCH will be at the centre of this work – developing the financial strategies, building the relationships, and providing the insight that will shape Nottingham's adult social care services for years to come.

This role offers the opportunity to shape major strategic decisions and help design the future of public finance in Nottingham.

We offer:

• Local Government Pension Scheme – one of the most generous in the country
• Hybrid working – flexibility to balance office and home
• Flexible working arrangements
• Ongoing learning and development
• A supportive, inclusive culture
• Up to 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays increasing with time served

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are proud to be an inclusive employer where everyone is valued and respected. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve.

We particularly welcome applications from:

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities
• LGBT+ communities
• Disabled people

Disability Confident Employer – guaranteed interview scheme available

Ready to lead at the forefront of public finance?

If you're an experienced leader who thrives on challenge and wants to shape the future of public finance, we want to hear from you.

For informal enquiries, please contact:

Larry Seymour, Finance Transformation Lead

larry.seymour@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Shape the future of public finance. Lead here.