Senior Finance Business Partner

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a senior finance business partner within the College support services Finance Business Partnering team supporting the College’s Property division. The support services Finance Business Partnering team provide accountancy and business partnership support for all core non-academic departments and related subsidiaries, with a combined net budget of c.£300m.

We are looking for an ambitious, highly experienced applicant with the appropriate blend of financial expertise, leadership and influencing skills to provide business partnership support to the Property Division. Imperial has one of the largest and most diverse university estate portfolios in the country, with over 500,000 sqm of space predominantly in Central and West London, and further operational, commercial and investment property interests elsewhere in the UK.

With a varied portfolio that includes supporting operational and capital investment in the Property and Major Projects department, this challenging role will require an individual who will provide strategic insights to College leadership improving understanding of the drivers of financial performance and the trade-offs needed to ensure sustainability.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provision of analysis, including the development of metrics, to help the organisation understand the value drivers that are changing either the cost or the revenue side of the organisation.
• Prepare monthly reports that enable the business management to effectively challenge costs and inform decision-making.
• Quantify the business, commercial and financial impact on the organisation of different courses of action; advise on actions or options to improve the modelled outcome.
• Generate new value propositions, some of which will challenge prevailing opinion and current ways of working.
• Lead planning processes, including setting targets, communicating assumptions, coordinating budget preparation, challenging submissions and seeking synergies upon consolidation.
• Utilise knowledge of external and internal factors to provide insight to senior management on the financial implications of strategic decisions.
• Present fact-based analyses of cost drivers and financial sustainability so that departments can understand their options and make needed trade-offs.
• Set-up, prepare and lead appraisals that enable effective monitoring as well as improvement of business performance.
• Develop written material that is easily understood to influence business partners and management; effectively respond to impromptu questions and simplify complex information to ensure understanding.
• Ad hoc support to the Director of Property and Major Projects on all matters related to College finances.

Essential requirements

• Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA or other appropriate accounting qualification), or an equivalent level of experience and professional qualifications
• Significant management experience
• Significant level of experience and skill acquired in a senior finance role in a large complex organisation
• Experience working closely with senior management, providing financial analysis to support strategic decision making
• Finance Business Partnering at senior management level
• Experience representing finance to internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of working in a property development environment
• Highly effective communication skills
• Strong customer focus with the ability to listen and empathise
• Sound judgement with the confidence to make significant decisions
• Proven ability to deliver against a range of conflicting demands
• Strong IT skills, advanced Excel and finance systems (preferably Oracle and Essbase)

Further information

For more information please call Andy Myerson on 0203 002 8050 or email [email protected]

Closing date for applications: 07 April 2024

Early applications are encouraged as applications might close earlier if the right candidate is found sooner.