Finance Business Partner

Finance Business Partner Band 4

Belfast

Temporary (Until end April 2027)

The Role: Working within the Finance, Regulation & Commercial Directorate which is responsible for all financial and regulatory matters within the organisation including: Financial Systems, Corporate Governance, Management Accounts, Regulation & Business Reporting, Financial Accounts, PPP (Public, Private Partnership) and Commercial.

Responsibilities:

• Co-ordinate the development of financial plans both in the longer term for strategic business plans, and in the shorter term for budgeting and forecasting.
• Provide input into the development of the business area's strategy and help deliver to stakeholders.
• Performance measurement against budget and forecast, through appropriate reporting and analysis.
• Presentation of the month's financial performance both written and verbally.
• Provision of advice on budget allocation and monitoring, forecasting, agreeing funded staffing posts, operating costs and capital budgets net of efficiencies, raising concerns and offering solutions. Provide input into the development of the business area's strategy and help deliver to stakeholders.
• Overseeing production of management and financial information, both monthly and on an ad hoc basis and testing all identified variances and numbers.
• Co-ordinate the development of financial plans both in the longer term for strategic business plans, and in the shorter term for budgeting and forecasting.
• Provide timely and accurate management information and advice to budget holders to allow effective management of their budgets and assist them in carrying out their financial duties, constructively challenging where appropriate.
• Analyse, interpret and communicate financial and performance data, and provide financial advice in the form of management and board reports.
• Complete financial returns and questionnaires as required eg FISline reporting to Department of Infrastructure.
• Communicating with other areas within finance on aspects such as cash flow impacts, treatment of expenditure in public sector, application of policy etc.
• Support in cost management and to move the organisation towards efficiency and effectiveness. Ability to lead on benefits realisation & tracking with the business.
• Support for the business in the creation of business cases and investment appraisal.
• Capital planning and management.

GOVERNANCE & CONTROL

• Good knowledge of financial delegations, and communication of same to the organisation.
• Active engagement of risk management in the organisation, from strategic to operational, including the risk of fraud.
• Interaction with internal and external audit and auctioning outstanding audit points.

IT SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE & USE

• Ability to manipulate and interrogate large amounts of data, therefore advanced excel usage required.
• Ability to use ADI upload to Oracle or other large general ledger system, for monthly accruals, corrections and for budgets and forecasts.
• Support the implementation of new costing systems into the organisation.

REGULATION

• Assisting in the completion of Regulatory Returns.
• Review of efficiencies and identification of potential cost savings to enable an improvement in efficiency against efficiency frontiers.
• Benchmarking other water and sewerage companies to guide improvements in efficiency.
• Awareness of requirements of regulation for water and wastewater.

Essential Criteria:

• Have successfully completed the following professional examinations and be a member of one of the following bodies:
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland;
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland;
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;
• The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants;
• The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants;
• or f. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

• 2 years post qualification experience in a similar role OR 1 year's post qualification experience plus 1 year's water and sewerage industry experience in a finance role.
• Demonstrable experience of management reporting and business partnering.
• Demonstrable experience of financial planning.
• A proven ability to influence and build relationships at a Senior level.
• A proven ability to think strategically, anticipate problems and provide sound solutions.
• Advanced MS Excel usage, to include model development.

Desirable Criteria:

• Commercial experience using Oracle Financial System and associated reporting packages.
• Experience of working in a regulated environment.

Hours of work: Mon - Fri

Salary: £44,264 per annum

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