Senior Financial Analyst in London

Basis: Permanent, full time, 36 hours per week. London-based employees receive an additional £3,217 London weighting. A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually.

Location: London, Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh (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.

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.

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.

We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• CCAB, CIMA 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? The Role: 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 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. 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.

Key dates: Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing 21st September. Anticipated start date: 2nd November, 7th December, 4th January depending on notice period.