Senior Finance Business Partner

Context and Background

The Finance function has responsibility to ensure the accurate recording of all income and expenditure of the NSPCC and its associated companies; the collation and presentation of budget/forecast; monitoring of both consolidated income and expenditure against budget/forecast; and the preparation of statutory annual accounts, tax compliance and associated returns. It is also responsible for the payment of all invoices, collection of monies due, the payment of staff and the provision of advice on financial matters throughout the organisation.

The Senior Finance Business Partner role sits within the Finance & Technology Directorate and reports to the Head of Finance Business Partnering. The role is responsible for the delivery of all aspects of operational financial management within each directorate area or sub-area it supports, through the provision of high-quality financial management and advice, together with comprehensive reporting and analysis, to both inform and aid decision making. The role is expected to operate at both a strategic and operational level, building strong relationships with internal and external partners, and be a key and active member of the Directorate's senior management teams.

The role may be required to deputise for the Head of Finance Business Partnering and there may also be a requirement to support other Directorates.

The postholder will have line management responsibilities.

Job purpose

The Senior Finance Business Partner will report to the Head of Finance Business Partnering and will work closely with assigned Directorates. You will ensure the delivery of a high performing, customer facing, finance service with the responsibility for the overall delivery of financial operational management and financial reporting within assigned Directorates and sub-divisions it supports.

The post holder will develop and deliver a comprehensive financial service, ensuring the provision of high-quality advice, information, analysis and interpretation to the director and their senior management teams, to underpin and enable effective decision making, meaningful performance management and to meet statutory and internal requirements.

You will achieve high customer satisfaction levels making a real and demonstrable difference to the delivery of the Directorate's business. You will do this by providing specialist and forward-thinking advice and support on financial strategy and planning to the Directorate through the business partner model.

You will act as a primary contact for matters relating to operational financial control and the provision of information within the Directorates the role supports, working collaboratively with the Head of Finance Business Partnering and across the organisation, promoting the Society's financial polices where appropriate and ensuring adherence to them.

You will work closely with the Head of Finance Business Partnering to provide strategic financial support as required, providing financial evaluation, management and controls.

Key relationships - Internal

• 'Heads of' Finance Business Partnering and finance colleagues
• Directorate stakeholders including Senior Management, budget holders and administrative staff
• Business Planning
• Project Management Office
• Fundraising Information & Bid Co-ordination Teams
• Procurement, Legal, and Internal Audit
  
  Key relationships - External

• External Auditors
• Project consultants on an ad-hoc basis
• External stakeholders and partners such as funders
  
  Main duties and responsibilities
  
  Your responsibilities will include the following, but are not limited to:
  
  Business Partnering

Business partner with Senior Management Team members to develop an in-depth knowledge of their Directorates and to assist with strategic budget and forecast preparation and advice.

• Ensure effective relationships with Senior Managers and Leaders across the organisation.
• Support the Head of Finance Business Partnering in working collaboratively with the Directorate senior leaders in both the development of the strategic direction of their functions and achievement of strategic objectives.
• Act as the primary contact for matters relating to operational financial control and the provision of information within the Directorate, working collaboratively across the organisation.
• Take on a value-added role, acting as a trusted advisor, demonstrating the ability to constructively challenge ideas and plans.
• Be involved in business and planning meetings in partnership with the Directorate senior leaders and negotiate with key stakeholders and support staff to ensure agreed outcomes and timescales are achieved.
• As part of the finance team improve communication, business protocols and business efficiency throughout the team and to share specialist knowledge as appropriate.
• Be the finance subject matter expert in the Directorates the role supports, with the ability to evaluate information in context of wider Directorate knowledge. Proactively think about how decisions would affect the wider organisation and Directorate plans in both the present and future, making recommendations to senior leaders as appropriate.
• Explain complex financial issues to key stakeholders, developing their understanding of financial information to improve overall effectiveness; empowering them to take full responsibility for the financial management of the budgets they govern.
• Promote a culture which empowers budget holders and supports the delivery of value for money services, including reporting on benchmark information and key cost drivers where appropriate.
• Where appropriate, work with the Fundraising Information team to support funding applications by providing high quality financial data that accurately portrays our work/activities/services to potential donors, including supporting the follow up reporting required to maintain these relationships.
  
  Budget, Planning, Forecasting and Financial Management

• Produce, collate and ensure timely delivery of accurate departmental and Directorate budget and forecasts for the areas the role supports. Ensure relevant budget assumptions are followed; phased budget/forecast templates are completed; along with the production of detailed analysis and commentary backing up the budget and forecasts.
• Provide timely, accurate information and advice to budget holders to allow effective management of their budgets and assist them in carrying out their financial duties, constructively challenging them where appropriate.
• Highlight potential opportunities and risks; supporting the formulation and implementation of mitigation plans where necessary.

• Propose and develop appropriate cost drivers and key performance measures to accurately monitor directorate performance.
• Ensure all income and expenditure (both revenue and capital) is correctly accounted for and monitored, commenting on variances to budget/forecast and the effect on outcomes and objectives; assisting budget holders and senior leaders to interpret the information presented. In addition, working with them to take any necessary corrective action arising from the reviews.
• Manage the delivery of Directorate month end processing and variance analysis, adhering to timelines set by the Central Finance team. This will include responsibility for month-end data cleansing, journal production and authorisation, which could include prepayments, income & expenditure accruals, income deferrals, recharge journals, restricted and designated fund journals and other general journals.
• Prepare and deliver accurate consolidated financial monthly, quarterly, annual and ad-hoc operational performance reporting packs to defined deadlines, with no material errors, omissions or miscoding. To include Directorate monthly operational review and quarterly business review packs.
• Present Directorate financial reporting as required.
• Analyse, interpret and communicate financial and performance data, and provide financial advice in the form of operational performance and management reports.
• Complete financial returns and questionnaires as required.
• Prepare revenue and capital project reporting.
• Work alongside the Head of Finance Business Partnering to prepare financial models to support the evaluation of any proposed business changes, investment appraisals and subsequent implementation, supporting our stakeholders to prepare robust business cases from a financial perspective, identifying and quantifying associated costs, benefits, risks and funding solutions, in a timely manner.
• Own restricted and designated fund reporting, alongside monitoring of appropriate allocation of costs to funds. Accountable for understanding and considering the future implications of pledged and committed funds; escalating concerns and proposing mitigations as appropriate.
• Extract information from the integrated financial system and other systems or information sources; developing models and commentary for monthly presentations to budget holders and other audiences as necessary.
• Co-ordinate the delivery of information to support the production of the Society's statutory annual accounts as requested and in accordance with the agreed timetable.
• Ensure the Directorates use the organisation's financial systems (e.g. Proactis for procurement) appropriately and effectively.
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