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- Tasks: Drive financial performance and support decision-making in a dynamic operations finance team.
- Company: Join the UK's largest water and wastewater company, making a real impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, pension scheme, and health perks.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and meaningful career opportunities await you.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission to build a sustainable future for communities and the planet.
- Qualifications: Qualified accountant or QBE with strong analytical and relationship-building skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 70000 £ per year.
This is a Financial Business Partnering role within the Operations Finance team and reports to the Head of Finance for Water. The role will be a business partner to the members of the Water Senior Leadership team and is responsible for performance reporting, forecasting and analysis. The key purpose of the role is to drive optimal performance at the best value for money across both Opex and Capex investments.
The role covers operations functions primarily supporting the delivery of our leakage activities, as well as working closely with colleagues across the Water finance team. In terms of cost stacks, the role will work across the whole P&L, including revenue, employee, power, materials, third party, and capex costs and thus needs to become familiar with activity drivers of value.
What you'll be doing as a Finance Business Partner:
- Ensure that you are sharing and understanding key insights across the financial landscape so that there is one clear understanding of financial performance.
- Lead and assist in setting a business plan that achieves all operational and financial objectives.
- Prepare and upload budgets and forecasts for operational expenditure, measuring and understanding performance against these metrics.
- Identify, monitor and support the business to mitigate key risks and opportunities.
- Support any Investment Committee Papers regarding Budget and Actual Cost analysis and approvals, and agreeing, tracking and driving business improvement initiatives.
- Track and monitor business improvement initiatives for your area (for example, efficiencies and transformation initiatives), providing robust assurance of claimed benefits.
- Own the modelling for relevant business area activities and fulfil the role as SME in this space.
- Input as required to any other key business requirements (e.g. regulatory returns, analytical reviews).
- Ensure that key business models are maintained for your business unit that support financial planning and analysis (e.g. supporting activity-based costing, find and fix analysis, event reporting, etc.).
- Support the business in developing new models as appropriate, ensuring these are robust and aid decision-making.
Base Location: Hybrid Reading
Working Pattern or hours: 36 hours
This is a fixed-term contract/ Secondment 13-18 months.
What you should bring to the role:
- Qualified accountant or QBE.
- Business partnering, Management Accounting, Project / Capital accounting experience.
- Not afraid to challenge and influence decision-making, as well as building strong relationships.
- Planning and Organisational skills to work effectively.
- Analytical skills.
- Presentation skills.
- Microsoft products including Excel.
- Information system skills such as HFM.
Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:
- Experience in a large/complex organisation.
- Experience working with Power BI, SAC and SAP.
What's in it for you?
- Competitive salary up to 60,000 - 70,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family's health and wellbeing, and your finances.
Find out more about our benefits and perks.
Who are we?
We're the UK's largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive.
Learn more about our purpose and values.
Working at Thames Water:
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you'll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you're looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people's lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we'll be here to support you every step of the way.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family.
Why choose us?
We're committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that's extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know. We're here to help and support.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you'll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience.
Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Finance Business Partner - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common employer: Thames Water
Contact Detail:
Thames Water Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Finance Business Partner - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance world, especially those who work in operations or have experience with business partnering. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into the company’s financial performance and recent projects. Show us you’re not just another candidate; demonstrate your understanding of their challenges and how you can help drive optimal performance.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your presentation skills! As a Finance Business Partner, you'll need to communicate complex financial data clearly. Get comfortable presenting your ideas to friends or family to build confidence before the big day.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Thames Water family.
We think you need these skills to ace Finance Business Partner - Reading, Berkshire in Sonning Common
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Finance Business Partner role. Highlight your relevant experience in business partnering and management accounting, and don’t forget to mention any specific skills like Excel or Power BI that match the job description.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: This role is all about performance reporting and analysis, so be sure to include examples of how you've used your analytical skills in previous roles. We want to see how you’ve tackled challenges and driven improvements in financial performance.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read through your achievements and qualifications. Remember, clarity is key!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us quickly and efficiently. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Finance Business Partner, you'll need to be comfortable with financial metrics. Brush up on your understanding of P&L statements, budgeting, and forecasting. Be ready to discuss how you've used these skills in previous roles to drive performance.
✨Showcase Your Business Partnering Skills
This role requires strong relationship-building abilities. Prepare examples of how you've influenced decision-making and collaborated with senior leadership. Highlight any experience you have in managing stakeholder expectations and driving business improvement initiatives.
✨Be Ready for Analytical Challenges
Expect to tackle analytical questions during the interview. Familiarise yourself with common financial modelling techniques and be prepared to discuss how you've applied them in real-world scenarios. This will demonstrate your analytical prowess and problem-solving skills.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Relevant Tools
The job mentions tools like Power BI, SAP, and Excel. If you have experience with these, be sure to mention it. If not, take some time to learn the basics or brush up on your Excel skills, as this will show your commitment to the role and your ability to adapt.