Commercial Finance Business Partner

Commercial Finance Business Partner

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: UK

Description

About us

We are Digital Science and we are advancing the research ecosystem.

We are a pioneering technology company, and our vision is of a future where a trusted and collaborative research ecosystem drives progress for all. We believe in better, open, collaborative and inclusive research. In creating the next generation of tools and working in partnership with the community we tackle some of the biggest challenges to research. In order to achieve our vision, we need innovative, inspiring and dynamic people to join our team. Want to join us?

Your new role
Digital Science is seeking a commercially focused Finance Business Partner to lead financial insight and decision support across all revenue-generating activities. This role will play a critical role in shaping our understanding of commercial performance across the full revenue lifecycle—from marketing engagement and lead generation through to sales execution, renewals, and revenue recognition.

The position has a particular emphasis on Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), Digital Science’s core financial performance metric. The role is also supporting the Marketing and Sales teams, particularly in analysing and quantifying the impact of marketing initiatives on revenue outcomes, such as lead generation effectiveness, conversion rates, and ROI. You will partner cross-functionally to ensure commercial activities drive measurable financial performance.

Digital Science operates across five distinct market segments:

• Enterprise

• Academic

• Government, Funders and Non-Profit

• B2C

• Publisher

Each segment presents unique customer profiles, sales motions, and strategic growth opportunities. This role requires a strong understanding of these dynamics and the ability to deliver tailored financial insight to support decision-making and growth across all segments.
Please be aware that we may close this position early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply promptly.

What you’ll be doing

Strategic Commercial Partnering

• Act as a trusted financial partner to senior commercial stakeholders across all five market segments.
• Provide end-to-end financial support across the lead-to-revenue lifecycle, including: Marketing performance analysis, Lead quality and conversion tracking, Sales pipeline and forecasting
• Deliver tailored commercial insights and analysis aligned with the specific strategies of each segment.
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product to ensure commercial initiatives are aligned with financial goals.

Revenue & ARR Performance Management

• Lead the tracking, analysis, and forecasting of Gross ARR (new business and upsell) and Net ARR (churn and contraction).
• Partner with Revenue Operations to support quota setting, pipeline coverage analysis, and territory planning.
• Support the development of segment-level revenue strategies and growth plans.

Reporting, Forecasting & Insights

• Deliver high-quality, data-driven reporting and performance commentary on ARR and key revenue KPIs.
• Create dynamic forecasting models and scenarios that reflect the nuances of different go-to-market strategies.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to both commercial and executive audiences.
• Collaborate with data and analytics teams to refine commercial reporting and insights.

Planning, Budgeting & Strategy

• Lead the commercial revenue component of budgeting and long-range planning processes.
• Support business cases for new market entry, product launches, and pricing strategies.
• Translate strategic plans into financial forecasts, aligning segment-specific goals with company-wide financial targets.

Success Metrics

• Accuracy and insightfulness of revenue and ARR forecasts
• Enhanced revenue visibility and predictability across segments
• Influence on commercial decisions and strategic planning
• Increased alignment between financial and commercial goals
• Strength of cross-functional relationships, particularly with go-to-market leaders.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Experience in finance business partnering, commercial finance, or revenue operations within a SaaS or recurring revenue environment
• Strong understanding of sales cycles, marketing funnels, customer lifecycle metrics, and revenue recognition
• Demonstrated ability to work across multiple market segments with tailored commercial insight
• Excellent financial modelling, scenario planning, and storytelling skills
• Strong communicator and relationship-builder, comfortable influencing senior stakeholders
• Proficiency in systems and tools such as Anaplan, Netsuite, Salesforce, Power BI,GBQ and GoogleSheets/Excel

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Our vision and values

We invest in, nurture and support innovative businesses and technologies that make all parts of the research process more open, efficient and effective.

The talent we secure is fundamental to us achieving our vision and our growth plans. The values we live by are:

We are brave in the pursuit of better

We are collaborative and inclusive

We are always open-minded

We are from and for the community
We\’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

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