Senior Financial Analyst in Cardiff

Basis: Permanent, full time, 36 hours per week

Location: Cardiff (Hybrid – minimum 2 days in office) or Remote (UK)

Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more.

About the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is the UK’s independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process. As we continue to deliver our five-year Corporate Plan, the Commission is building on a period of growth and change, expanding our workforce and modernising how we deliver our services to better support the needs of a changing democracy. As our organisation develops and adapts to meet future challenges, this post will play a vital part in supporting that progress and helping ensure we remain responsive to the democratic needs of voters, campaigners, parties and electoral administrators across the UK.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and qualified Senior Financial Analyst to join our Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team. This is a varied and strategically important role that goes beyond traditional financial analysis. Alongside leading complex financial planning, forecasting, modelling and analysis, you will work in partnership with senior leaders across the Electoral Commission, providing expert financial insight and constructive challenge that supports evidence-based decision-making and the effective stewardship of public funds. You’ll play a key role in the Commission’s annual budget setting, medium-term financial planning, in-year forecasting and Supply Estimates processes, helping to shape financial strategy and resource allocation across the organisation. Working in a complex and evolving environment, you’ll also identify opportunities to improve financial reporting, management information and financial processes, ensuring decision-makers have timely, accurate and meaningful financial insight. Unlike many Senior Financial Analyst roles, this position offers regular exposure to Executive Team and Board-level reporting, giving you the opportunity to influence organisational decisions and contribute to the delivery of the Commission’s strategic priorities. As a senior member of the team, you’ll also support the development of colleagues, including line management of the Finance Apprentice, making this an excellent opportunity to further develop your leadership capability.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading annual budgeting, forecasting and medium-term financial planning processes.
• Delivering detailed financial analysis, modelling and scenario planning to support strategic decisions.
• Building strong relationships with budget holders and senior stakeholders, providing expert financial advice and challenge.
• Producing insightful management reporting, variance analysis and performance commentary.
• Supporting business cases, investment appraisals and organisational change initiatives.
• Developing and improving financial models, dashboards and reporting tools.
• Coaching and supporting colleagues, including the Finance Apprentice, to strengthen capability across the function.

About the team

The FP&A team sits at the heart of the Commission’s financial planning and decision-making, providing the insight, analysis and business partnering that supports the delivery of organisational priorities. You’ll be joining a small, collaborative and highly supportive team where knowledge sharing, openness and continuous improvement are central to the way we work. With no unnecessary hierarchy, colleagues work closely together, providing regular opportunities to learn from one another and contribute across a broad range of financial activities. Our FP&A function is different from many found in other organisations. Rather than focusing solely on financial analysis, the team brings together FP&A, Finance Business Partnering and Project Finance, giving you exposure to the full financial planning cycle. You’ll work alongside experienced Finance Business Partners, the FP&A Accountant and Project Finance colleagues, contributing to everything from strategic planning and budgeting through to organisational reporting and business partnering. The team works closely with senior leaders across the Commission and is recognised as a trusted partner that provides robust financial advice, constructive challenge and meaningful insight. This breadth of responsibility, combined with regular exposure to Executive Team and Board-level work, makes the role an excellent opportunity for someone looking to broaden their strategic finance experience.

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for an experienced, professionally qualified accountant who combines strong technical expertise with excellent business partnering and communication skills. You’ll have significant experience in FP&A and be comfortable working in a complex public sector environment, where you’ll use financial insight to influence strategic decisions, support organisational priorities and build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders. You’ll enjoy solving complex financial problems and translating technical financial information into clear, practical advice for colleagues who may not have a finance background. Equally, you’ll be someone who works collaboratively, shares knowledge openly and enjoys supporting the development of others. We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• CCAB, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent professional accountancy qualification.
• Strong financial modelling and advanced Excel capabilities.
• The ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders effectively.
• Strong understanding of public sector finance including; estimates, governance and value for money principles.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex financial issues to non-finance audiences.
• A collaborative approach and a commitment to developing colleagues and sharing expertise.

Why work for us?

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a senior analytical role with significant organisational impact. You will work closely with senior leaders across the Commission, providing insight and challenge that directly influences strategic decision-making. The role offers exposure to a broad range of financial and organisational priorities, from long-term planning and resource allocation through to business case development and transformation initiatives. It is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional looking to further develop their strategic, leadership and business partnering capabilities.

The Office:

Our offices provide welcoming, collaborative spaces where colleagues can connect, share ideas and work together across teams. Whether based in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, you will be part of a supportive working environment that balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of hybrid working.

The Benefits:

We offer a strong total reward package, including:

• Flexible working and hybrid model for office-based staff, with a minimum of 40% of working time spent in the office
• Flexi-time scheme, allowing flexible hours with the option to accrue and take flexi leave
• 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Performance-related pay

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process. The Electoral Commission is proud to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. As part of this commitment, we aim to prioritise interviews for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants. If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace.

Key dates

Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing 21st September

Anticipated start date: 2nd November, 7th December, 4th January depending on notice period.

Interviews may be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams.