Senior Finance Business Partner

The Senior Finance Business Partner (SFBP) is a key strategic leader within the finance function, responsible for driving financial performance, shaping business strategy, and influencing senior stakeholders across the organisation. This role goes beyond traditional finance support, providing forward-looking insights, challenging decision-making, and leading financial planning across underwriting, claims, and operational areas. The SFBP will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, ensuring financial considerations are embedded in all key business decisions.

Location: London - UK - Fenchurch

What will your job entail?

• Key Responsibilities
• Strategic Business Partnering & Leadership
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders (e.g., Managing Directors, Heads of Underwriting, Claims Directors)
• Influence and shape strategic decisions through robust financial insight and challenge
• Drive a culture of commercial awareness and financial accountability across the business
• Lead and develop a high-performing finance business partnering team (where applicable)
• Represent finance in strategic forums, governance committees, and executive discussions
• Financial Strategy & Planning
• Lead the development of annual budgets, forecasts, and long-term business plans
• Provide strategic insight on growth opportunities, capital allocation, and portfolio optimisation
• Develop and oversee scenario modelling to assess business risks and opportunities
• Support M&A activity, business cases, and investment decisions with robust financial analysis
• Performance & Value Management
• Own performance analysis across key insurance metrics (e.g., combined ratio, loss ratio, expense ratio)
• Provide deep insight into profitability by product line, geography, and distribution channel
• Identify value creation opportunities and drive initiatives to improve margins and efficiency
• Lead performance review processes with senior leadership, including Board-level reporting
• Insurance-Specific Expertise
• Provide expert insight into underwriting performance, claims development, and reserving impacts
• Partner closely with actuarial teams to understand assumptions, pricing models, and capital implications
• Support portfolio management decisions, including risk appetite and underwriting strategy
• Contribute to capital modelling, reinsurance strategy, and regulatory considerations (e.g., Solvency II)
• Governance, Risk & Control
• Ensure strong financial governance, controls, and compliance with regulatory requirements
• Oversee the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting and planning outputs
• Identify and mitigate financial risks across the business
• Support regulatory reporting and interactions where required
• Transformation & Continuous Improvement
• Lead finance transformation initiatives to enhance insight, efficiency, and automation
• Improve data quality, reporting capabilities, and use of analytics/BI tools
• Drive standardisation and best practice across finance processes
• Champion the use of data-driven decision-making across the organisation
• Key Skills & Experience
• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Extensive experience in finance business partnering within insurance or financial services
• Strong understanding of insurance financials (e.g., underwriting cycles, reserving, claims dynamics, capital requirements)
• Proven track record of influencing senior stakeholders and driving strategic outcomes
• Advanced financial modelling, planning, and analytical capability
• Experience leading teams and developing talent
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to translate financial data into business strategy
• Experience with finance systems, data tools, and performance reporting frameworks