Finance Expense Management Business Partner in Fareham

Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full-time basis.

Location: Fareham/Swindon with a minimum of two days in one of the offices per week.

Closing date for applications: 29th May 2026

We are looking for someone who can engage and manage multiple key priorities and stakeholders to deliver insightful and dynamic expense partnering for the fast‑moving business functions. To succeed in this role, you will deliver first‑class partnering support for the functions managing the company's expenses, optimising cost efficiency and providing strategic financial insights to support business decisions. You will be responsible for leading 2 direct reports and creating an environment where they can thrive individually and collectively. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is resilient and has a keen eye for detail to ensure your insight will have a material impact on key business outcomes including growth, profitability and customer servicing. You will need the confidence to manage key stakeholders to influence at all levels to drive achievement of both cost management and wider business strategic goals.

Many of our employees work flexibly in a variety of different ways, including part‑time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full‑time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may need.

What will you be doing?

• Proactive expense partnering to execute expense targets by working closely with functions to understand their expense base, providing guidance on expense management and cost efficiency.
• Take responsibility for leading interaction and negotiation with the function to ensure budget and forecast targets are hit.
• Delivery of timely & accurate MI to all stakeholders including senior management, adding value at every opportunity.
• Confident in own skills and contribution; challenging key stakeholders to support them in achieving their optimal results.
• Manage the preparation of annual budgets and forecasts, ensuring expenses and FTE are accurately projected and managed against budgeted amounts, company policies and external regulations.
• Support the delivery of monthly reporting to the business functions and key stakeholders, with ability to prioritise ad hoc insight and analysis requests to support dynamic business decision making.
• Work with the function to agree the cost allocation drivers for each cost centre within their remit, including allocations to channel/product, admin, acquisition and claims handling, and fixed/variable.
• Effectively managing changing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Prove resilient in uncertain and difficult situations and adapting approach/plans/style as required.

What are we looking for?

• Experience in the financial services or insurance industry, ideally within a heavily regulated environment.
• Relevant experience of business partnering and stakeholder management within finance or a business function; financial acumen.
• A strong understanding of financial results, metrics and levers and presentation of complex financial metrics.
• You will be solution focused and a flexible thinker with strong commercial awareness.
• Curious and creative with the ability to deliver complex financial analysis and be a subject matter expert for complex financial queries to identify progress, opportunities and challenges.
• Confident and credible with senior stakeholders, you will be comfortable facilitating, consulting, challenging and advising as appropriate.
• Accomplished at delivering both independently and through coordinating the activities of others, utilising excellent collaboration, relationship and stakeholder management skills.
• Extensive experience in building and managing relationships with varied stakeholders at a senior level.
• Strives to exceed the expectations of key stakeholders, actively seeking feedback.
• Independently finds solutions to advanced problems and identifies potential barriers to solutions and provides alternatives.
• Challenges assumptions and “the way we have always done it.”

What will you get in return?

• 12% defined non‑contributory pension scheme.
• Annual company bonus.
• Income Protection.
• Life cover – four times your salary.
• 28 days holiday a year plus bank holidays. You can also request to swap UK bank holidays for days off that have cultural or religious significance to you.
• The option to buy up to an additional 20 days or sell some of your holiday.
• Three days paid volunteering.
• Up to 16 weeks' full pay for maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Access to Private medical insurance.
• Virtual GP appointments.
• Discounted gym membership.
• Free flu jab.
• Access to a wealth of support from our wellbeing partners.

Creating a brighter, more sustainable future underpins all that we do here. We were the first insurer to sign the ‘UN Business Ambition for 1.5˚C’ pledge. Our charitable arm, Zurich Community Trust, has awarded grants and volunteered time to deserving causes in the UK valued at over £90 million.

Equity in the workplace

We’re committed to treating all applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic.