Finance Business Partner

Applications must be submitted by;

12-10-2026

Vacancy for Finance Business Partner

Provide dedicated finance expertise, insight, reporting and business partnering to Innovate UK, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to inform decision-making, enhance financial awareness, and deliver outcomes aligned with Innovate UK and UKRI priorities.

*Please note this advert will close on the 11th October 2026 at 23:59pm.

Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here .

Title: Finance Business Partner

Band: UKRI Band E (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary: £46,743 gross per annum

Reports to: Senior Finance Business Partner

Location: Swindon (Min 2-days per week in the office)

Contract: Fixed Term (12 Months)

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

Innovate UK works with businesses and stakeholders across every nation and region of the UK. As part of UKRI, our hybrid working approach is built around one simple principle: time should be spent where it delivers the greatest impact.

This means working across three settings: UKRI sites, time on the ground with businesses, partners and stakeholders and time working from home. It's an approach designed to support collaboration, connection and impact.

This role is in Tier 2, with 40-60% of working time typically spent either at a UKRI site or engaging with external businesses and stakeholders across the UK. Outside of this requirement, you can work from home. Whilst this role will be formally based at one of the following UKRI sites, it is externally facing, and we expect that there will be requirement to travel around the UK for 2/3 days each week on average.

Read the full UKRI Hybrid Working Policy Hybrid Working at UKRI

Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.

Context:

The role holder will operate within the Innovate UK’s Finance Business Partnering Team which is part of the wider Innovate UK and UKRI Finance Teams.

Job Purpose:

Provide dedicated finance expertise, insight, reporting and business partnering to Innovate UK, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to inform decision-making, enhance financial awareness, and deliver outcomes aligned with Innovate UK and UKRI priorities.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

Leadership / teamwork / collaboration

• •Build and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and partners and provide input and advice.
• •Support Programme Managers and Senior Leadership Teams to effectively manage their programmes through the provision of timely, accurate and complete financial information, advice, and constructive challenge.
• •To deputise for the Senior Finance Business Partner on a range of issues, if and when required.
• •Understand the linkages and dependencies across UKRI Councils and UKRI's sponsor department, working collaboratively with Finance Business Partners and colleagues across UKRI to identify opportunities for improvement, transformation and efficiency within Finance. Support the strengthening of internal controls, financial reporting and analysis, and the effective management of programmes, while promoting a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Role deliverables

Perform a range of reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business cases.

Communicate the importance of Finance to partners at all levels, and use strong business awareness to present insightful information and analysis to support effective longer-term decision making and deliver outcomes in line with Innovate UK and UKRI priorities.

• •Manage annual and multi-year budget setting and forecasting cycles.
• •Ensure compliance with internal financial, DSIT and HMG controls within assigned business areas.
• •Manage applications for additional budget cover.

This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.

Shortlisting criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Person Specification:

Experience & Qualifications:

Essential –

Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), actively working or willing to work towards

qualification, or equivalent experience (QBE) (S).

Strong understanding of accounting and finance and demonstrable experience of working in a similar role (S).

• •Very good IT skills, including good knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel (S).
• •Experience of financial modelling & controls (S&I).
• •Demonstrable experience of month and year-end processes - accruals and prepayment calculations, variance analyses etc (S&I).

Demonstrable experience of working as part of a wider-business, consulting with senior stakeholders, utilising an in-depth understanding of business priorities and effectively working with partners to meet organisational and financial objectives (S&I).

Experience in provision of high quality written and oral advice suitable for senior level decision makers (I).

• •Proven experience in the preparation of complex budgets, forecasts and financial plans (I).
• •Understanding of the role of governance, risk management and assurance in project delivery (I).

Skills & abilities:

• •Ability to build relationships with senior partners and influence them with impact and professional credibility
• •Strong experience of developing effective working partnerships and offering challenges where necessary to senior decision-making groups
• •Excellent written and oral communication skills
• •Personal resilience and a confident approach, willing to apply good judgement to solve issues and find solutions independently.
• •Highly developed team working skills, able to form effective working relationships quickly
• •Ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations
• •Good organisational skills, able to manage and prioritise own and others’ workloads and meet deadlines in a very timely manner

Competencies:

All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:

Thinking and Problem Solving – Stakeholder management – Communication skills – Influencing – Self-awareness/self-management – Strategic awareness – Working with others– Project management

Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria’s listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements:

Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national travel.

Immigration:

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org .

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which o