Interim Finance Business Partner
6 Month Interim Contract
Flexible Day Rate
Remote Working with Occasional Travel to Melton and Lowestoft
First Day Required On-Site
We are partnering with a local authority client to recruit an experienced Interim Finance Business Partner to support a busy, high profile service area through a critical period of budget monitoring, forecasting, and financial planning.
This role requires an individual who can quickly establish strong working relationships, provide responsive financial support, and confidently operate within a fast-paced environment where priorities and deadlines can shift quickly.
The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the service area through Q2 budget monitoring and the budget setting process, providing meaningful financial insight, challenging assumptions where appropriate, and ensuring stakeholders have the information they need to make informed decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a trusted Finance Business Partner to Service Managers and Senior Officers.
- Support the delivery of quarterly budget monitoring and forecasting processes.
- Analyse and explain budget variances, providing clear commentary and recommendations.
- Develop accurate forecasts and identify financial risks, pressures, and opportunities.
- Lead and support budget setting activities for the forthcoming financial year.
- Provide timely, accurate, and meaningful financial information to support decision making.
- Respond to day to day financial queries from stakeholders in a proactive and customer-focused manner.
- Produce high quality financial reports and commentary for senior management and committee reporting.
- Support year end financial processes and statutory reporting requirements.
- Provide financial guidance and challenge on projects, business cases, funding agreements, and service developments.
- Monitor externally funded programmes and ensure compliance with funding conditions and reporting requirements.
- Contribute to the Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy and wider financial objectives.
About You
You will be an experienced Finance Business Partner with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. You will be comfortable working independently, managing competing priorities, and building credibility with operational managers from day one.
Key experience required includes:
- Proven experience of budget monitoring, forecasting, variance analysis, and budget setting.
- Strong business partnering experience within a complex organisation, ideally within the public sector or local government.
- The ability to build relationships quickly and provide pragmatic financial support and challenge.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain financial information to non-finance stakeholders.
- Experience working in fast paced environments with demanding deadlines.
- A strong understanding of reserves, their appropriate use, and financial planning implications.
- Experience of managing and monitoring externally funded budgets, grants, and funding agreements.
- The ability to identify issues early, challenge assumptions, and recommend solutions.
- Experience supporting senior managers and contributing to strategic financial decision-making.
What's on Offer?
- Flexible day rate depending on experience
- Predominantly remote working arrangement
- Occasional travel to Melton and Lowestoft
- Initial 6 month contract with potential for extension
- Opportunity to work within a collaborative finance team supporting key services and strategic priorities
If you are an experienced Finance Business Partner who can deliver high-quality financial support, build effective stakeholder relationships quickly, and provide confidence around budget monitoring and financial planning, we would be keen to hear from you.
