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- Tasks: Provide financial insights and support to enhance wastewater services performance.
- Company: Join South West Water, a leader in the UK water sector with a focus on sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holidays, health benefits, and ongoing training.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on essential services while shaping your finance career.
- Qualifications: Qualified or part-qualified accountant with strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 70000 £ per year.
Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose. South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes. We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals include lowering our carbon footprint, planting 300,000 trees, restoring peatlands, and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.
We’re looking for a Lead Finance Business Partner to join our Finance team providing dedicated support to our Wastewater Directorate. This is a high-impact role, working closely with senior operational leaders to help deliver performance, manage costs, and ensure delivery against business plans and budgets across wastewater services. As a trusted finance partner, you’ll provide clear insight, robust challenge, and forward-looking analysis to support both strategic and operational decision-making within the Wastewater Directorate.
You’ll play a key role in helping non-finance stakeholders understand financial performance and translate insight into action.
What you’ll be doing:
- Deliver accurate, timely and insightful management information for Wastewater leadership teams
- Support the preparation of wastewater budgets, forecasts and financial targets
- Produce clear monthly financial commentary for senior management and Executive leadership
- Provide ad-hoc financial analysis to support wastewater-related projects, investment decisions and improvement initiatives
- Translate complex financial data into clear, relevant insights for operational and non-finance stakeholders
- Act as a key finance advisor to help manage costs and drive improved financial and operational performance across wastewater services
- Ensure financial processes and controls are executed accurately and in line with company policies
- Work closely with the Financial Control team to support audit requirements and maintain high-quality accounting records
What we’re looking for:
Essential:
- Qualified or part-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
- Experience in a finance business partnering or commercial finance role
- Strong analytical and financial modelling skills
- Proven ability to influence and build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders
- Confident communicator who can explain finance clearly to non-finance audiences
Desirable:
- Experience supporting operational, infrastructure or utilities-based functions (wastewater, water, engineering or asset-heavy environments advantageous)
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with business reporting tools
- Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to manage month-end pressures and occasional site or operational engagement
What’s in it for you?
We know that the support and commitment of our staff is key to our success so you will receive the opportunity for ongoing development and training for a long-term career with us. In return, we offer an excellent range of benefits including:
- Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays
- A discretionary Bonus
- Competitive Contributory Pension
- Share-save Scheme
- Various health benefits
- Wellbeing support programmes
- A range of Group Discounts
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Financial support services
- And plenty more!
Closing Date: 6th May 2026
Lead Finance Business Partner in Exeter employer: South West Water Limited
Contact Detail:
South West Water Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Finance Business Partner in Exeter
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at South West Water on LinkedIn or through mutual connections. A friendly chat can give you insider info and might just get your foot in the door.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by understanding the company’s goals and values. Dive into their sustainability initiatives and think about how your skills as a Lead Finance Business Partner can help them achieve their mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your analytical skills during interviews. Be ready to discuss how you've used financial data to influence decisions in past roles. This will demonstrate your ability to translate complex information into actionable insights.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team at South West Water.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Finance Business Partner in Exeter
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Lead Finance Business Partner role. Highlight your experience in finance business partnering and any relevant skills that match what we're looking for. We want to see how you can add value to our Wastewater Directorate!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about joining South West Water and how your background aligns with our goals. Don’t forget to mention your ability to communicate complex financial data clearly to non-finance stakeholders, as this is key for us.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: In your application, be sure to highlight your strong analytical and financial modelling skills. We’re looking for someone who can provide clear insights and support decision-making, so give us examples of how you've done this in previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a seamless application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at South West Water Limited
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Lead Finance Business Partner, you'll need to demonstrate your financial acumen. Brush up on key financial metrics relevant to wastewater services and be ready to discuss how you've used data to influence decision-making in previous roles.
✨Build Rapport with Stakeholders
This role requires you to work closely with senior operational leaders. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built relationships with non-finance stakeholders in the past, and think about how you can translate complex financial concepts into clear insights for them.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Be prepared to discuss specific instances where your analytical skills made a significant impact. Bring examples of financial models or analyses you've created that led to improved performance or cost management in previous positions.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Since you'll be explaining finance to non-finance audiences, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Consider doing mock interviews with friends or colleagues to refine your ability to convey complex information in an accessible way.