Job Description

You will help to shape and implement the upgrade of the legacy Finance systems and motivate the team high the tools remain very manual. You will establish a framework for identifying and prioritizing demand (BaU, Investment and Strategic Priorities) across the entirety of the Bank and develop integrated business plans across each central support functions. The framework will deliver robust 3-year plans and enable flexibility to adjust rapidly with evolving needs of the Bank over time.

You will be responsible for bolstering and adding strategic depth to the existing Business Partnering function to deliver significant value through gaining trust and buy-in from the Business. You will have strong storytelling skills with excellent verbal and written communication to bring a wide range of stakeholders on the Bank’s journey.

You will play a key leadership role in developing a strong team ethos with a leadership style which role models strong values, and embeds a culture of diversity and inclusion. You will need to build credibility and trust across the organization in order to position yourself as trusted advisor the business. You will provide strong challenge, supported with metrics, to identify and review strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats in the external landscape, business plans and business models. You will assess opportunities to enhance effectiveness and efficiency through a strong focus on business outcomes and benefits.

You will be required to partner with senior leadership colleagues right across the Bank (Front Office, Central Services and the Governor areas) to ensure fit for purpose business plans and agreed divisional financial targets are achieved in the short and medium term.

You will work with and integrate closely with the Financial Planning, Reporting and Analytics role, to help to lead the strategic framework for prioritization. You will provide data insight and independent challenge to the Business Partner team.

You will be responsible for transforming and developing the current team of Finance Business Partners to be dynamic, self-starters proactively taking the initiative to help facilitate ideas and opportunities for business development. This role will build on the Finance team’s strategic and advisory role across the Bank’s cost, capital and various funding streams.

You will be expected to identify where risks and opportunities exist that could impact on the delivery of business plan objectives and financial targets, propose actions to mitigate the impact of risks and support innovations to maximize opportunities.

You will be expected to look across divisional boundaries to identify where synergies can be achieved that will create efficiencies across Bank, interpreting and presenting financial and non-financial analysis to senior stakeholders to ensure the financial impact of operational activities is planned, understood and evaluated in relation to agreed budgets and agreed financial forecasts.

Your team will be responsible for providing a monthly insight summary explaining key variances in budget, actual and forecast and key KPI variances.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• ACA / ACCA/ CIMA qualified (or equivalent),
• Considerable post-qualification experience of strategy, budgeting and business change to operate at this level
• A strong background in financial business partnering within a company of at least similar size (4000+ employees) and complexity, e.g. a FTSE-350 company or high-profile public sector organization,
• Strong track record in Business Partnering and being ‘hands on’ with end to end ownership and accountability
• The combination of thought leadership and delivery skills to facilitate the implementation of a new multi-year financial framework for the Bank, The ability to priorities effectively, managing varying priorities and deadlines
• The ability and personal credibility to build relationships and influence and manage stakeholders, such as Executive Directors, ARCo members, external auditors, HMT officials
• Demonstrates experience and vision for building a diverse and inclusive culture
• Proven people leader with strong leadership skills, to build and develop a high-performing team that is kept informed, provided with constructive feedback, diverse and inclusive.
• Highly organized to plan workflow to arrange reviews to enable deadlines to be met during tight timescales.