Assistant Finance Business Partner

The Assistant Business Partner is a key role which supports the Senior Business Partner by ensuring that financial information is accurate and complete, that communications are clear, well-judged and consistent, and that we engage colleagues, build confidence and increase the financial capability across the charity.

Approach

• Maintain high professional standards (timekeeping, meeting participation, awareness of organisational policies etc) and actively deliver on the promises of the business partnering terms of reference.
• Demonstrate timely, complete, well-judged and accurate communications with stakeholders at all times.
• Consider the needs of our partners and customers around the business and ensure that we keep things simple.
• Be approachable, helpful, expert in your field, and trusted by your stakeholders. Maintain confidentiality.
• Lead the organisation to operate as one unit - supporting colleagues to see the 'bigger picture' and in doing so to get their support for and ensure their compliance with the Investment Process, Procurement Policy and all other relevant policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a whole-team mentality, ensuring that we speak with a single voice and build and maintain a great reputation in the business by being clear on the teams' goals and wider objectives.
• To be capable of working autonomously or as directed by the Senior Business Partner.

Business support

• Build strong, authentic and professional relationships across the business and act as an ambassador for business partner role.
• To own relationships as agreed with Senior Business Partner across areas of responsibility, being the first point of contact for budget holder queries.
• Identify situations in which a Finance-owned policy should be applied, and to refer budget holders to the process they should follow. Be able to answer basic questions on how the policy should be applied.
• Raise areas of poor performance with the Senior Business Partner and agree a course of action, before implementing initiatives as agreed.

Monthly reporting

• Support the Senior Business Partner in challenging performance and building the 'full picture' - by producing and circulating management accounts and other monthly reporting, conducting month end meetings and delivering insightful commentary on variances in the year to date as well as forecast information.
• Ensure that management accounts are complete and accurate, and action any corrections or changes as appropriate (including accruals, prepayments, code corrections etc).
• Support the Senior Business Partner in being able to complete all relevant sections of the Executive Team pack at the month end - to include raising any situations where the Investment Process is being applied or should be applied to the Senior Business Partner (regardless of stage of proposal).
• Monitor payroll spend against budget and work with colleagues in HR as appropriate.

Budget & forecast

• Feed into the design of the budget and reforecast processes via the team meeting and other input as requested by others in the team.
• Work with budget holders to ensure that their budget accurately reflects their plans and that the information submitted is complete and well-reasoned. Challenge where this is not the case.
• Compile budget information and consolidate into a single picture across areas of responsibility, ensuring figures reconcile and support the business plan.
• Be able to represent and explain the plan and budget process to stakeholders across the charity, building awareness and capability.

Technical/accounting

• Show solid understanding of all relevant financial principles and accounting standards and be able to explain these to colleagues across the business in simple terms.
• Provide support to the Financial Accounts team at year end in terms of process and analysis.
• Play a role in the maintenance of effective and efficient financial control processes and systems.
• Ensure that transaction listings remain 'clean' and are not confused by unnecessary adjustments or errors.

The best person for this job will be able to:

• Deliver high quality, accurate financial information under the guidance of the Senior Business Partner
• Communicate well and gauge the appropriate level of detail or technical information required by different stakeholders
• Confidently challenge colleagues to find the best outcome
• Work collaboratively
• Manage their time by focusing on the most urgent needs of the charity
• Build capability and confidence, and guide colleagues to better financial outcomes

The best person for this job will have experience in:

• Supporting, training and communicating with budget holders
• Producing, circulating and analysing financial reports
• A management accounts environment, including planning & budgeting
• Microsoft Excel and financial systems and reporting packages
• Sun, Vision Q&A, iPOS (desirable but not essential)

The best person for this job will be:

• A part qualified accountant
• Proactive, curious, enthusiastic and wanting to develop and make a difference at Diabetes UK
• Able to work in a demanding environment, providing accurate and timely information