Senior Finance Business Partner

Salary 50,000.00 per annum
Full time 40 hours and 5 days per week
Remote / Hybrid working pattern
Fixed term contract until 30 April 2026 

Role Purpose:

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Finance Business Partner assists with the production of financial, statistical and qualitative information to senior management and funding bodies, writing new reports and procedures, reporting systems development and providing active and supportive technical advice on financial issues and partner National Portrait Gallery budget holders.

The Gallery has its own key performance indicators, which it maintains to enable Trustees and senior managers to monitor performance. The Senior Finance Business Partner will be expected to work alongside the business partnering team in providing support to the CFO in fulfilling the Gallery’s and Trading subsidiaries requirements for clear financial information to aid decision making.

Key Accountabilities:

• Holding regular meetings with designated budget holders for monitoring budgets and forecasting.
• Promote financial management at all levels through training and support.
• Provide financial and non-financial information to Trustees, directors, budget holders, and project managers.
• Working with the Finance team and budget managers to ensure their reporting needs are met, and writing and producing new reports.
• Proactively liaising with budget managers to ensure the sound financial management of Gallery projects and prompt drawdown of related funding.
• Support annual budget process culminating in approval of budget by Trustees and overseeing upload on to the Gallery’s finance system (PS Financials).
• Gather and monitor key performance measures and benchmarking data.
• Working closely and in consultation with the Financial Controller and other Senior Finance Business Partner to review and implement improvements and developments to the Gallery’s internal and external reporting systems framework.
• Providing practical support and advice to income generating departments, including current financial performance analysis, business case and options appraisal assistance.
• Close team working with the other finance business partners to share knowledge and workload.
• Understanding Museums and Galleries Exhibition tax relief, reviewing the assumptions and workings for the claim for the Gallery
• Reporting requirements for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Year end, audit and Annual published account

• Assisting with the preparation of the consolidated accounts pack as required by the DCMS, for consolidation into their accounts.
• Providing technical advice required by Gallery colleagues for the preparation of the accounts, including interpretation of the latest Charities SORP.
• Working collaboratively across the finance team at year end with audit and accounts tasks.

Returns to funding and other bodies 

• Ensuring that returns are completed accurately and on time:
• DCMS: Funding Agreement (bi-annually); annual returns analysing actual and projected financial outturns; Key Performance Indicators; and responding to one-off requests for information
• Other funding bodies: working with the Development Department, preparation of budget submissions and outturn financial statements for grant-giving bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund
• Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA)
• Other associated bodies such as the National Museum Directors’ Conference: responding to requests for information, ONS annual return

Other

• Reporting on complex project and acquisitions.
• Promoting sustainable working practices and reducing the environmental impact of the Gallery’s operations in line with its Sustainability Statement.
• Ability to work through the financial management consequences of new and novel creative projects being undertaken by the Gallery
• A close working relationship with the People & Culture team to budget and forecast for staffing requirements across the Gallery.
• A knowledge of Museums and Galleries Exhibition tax relief would be desirable.

The above list is indicative but not exhaustive. As such, in addition to the key accountabilities and responsibilities listed the post holder may be required to perform other duties commensurate with the scope and/or level of the role

To read the full job description, please follow the link: Job description

Key Experience, Skills and Criteria:

• Fully qualified CCAB/CIMA accountant, or with demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable experience in an accountancy and/or finance environment.
• Proven experience of managing financial reporting development, documentation, budgeting and forecasting.
• Previous experience of annual accounts preparation or fixed asset accounting would be an advantage.

Skills and Attributes

• Excellent computer literacy skills, including a high degree of proficiency with spreadsheets and experience of interrogating a computerised accounts system (training on the Gallery’s accounting system PS Financials and Soprano purchase ordering system will be provided).
• Proven communication skills in dealing with senior staff and ability to relate to non-financial managers.
• Experience of explaining financial concepts and information to non-financial colleagues.
• Negotiating and influencing skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, in a flexible manner and maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to consistently meet demanding and often conflicting deadlines.
• Ability to set clear and concise objectives, prioritise and monitor progress of own workload
• Good analytical and financial comprehension skills.
• Experience of working in a team and on own initiative.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of colleagues and treat all colleagues with dignity and respect.

Other

• A strong commitment to equality and diversity with the ability to balance differing needs.
• Experience in utilising accounting package report writers
• Keen interest in the mission and purpose of the National Portrait Gallery and building its relevance for contemporary audiences, and in the long-term success and development of the Gallery.
• The post is subject to a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Key Criteria for Success

After 6 months in post, the successful candidate will have:

• Established good business partnering with colleagues across the Gallery, particularly budget managers and other Finance colleagues
• Demonstrated a good understanding of how the financial reporting system operates, and the various statements that are routinely produced by it.
• Developed a good understanding of how the Gallery’s finances operate.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• 27 days annual leave allowance, in addition to bank holidays
• Interest free season ticket and bicycle loans
• Membership of the Civil Service Sports & Leisure club
• Access to independent, low cost healthcare schemes
• Employee assistance programme
• Free entry to many UK museums, galleries and exhibitions
• Staff discounts on purchases in online shop
• Professional & personal development opportunities

Closing date for returned applications is 9:00am on 18th June 2024.

First round interviews will take place on the 24th and 28th June 2024.  

Please indicate on the notes section of your application form, if you will be unable to make these dates.

We are committed to the employment and development of disabled people. When assessing and shortlisting our candidate pool for interviews, we are committed to removing any bias through our process to ensure all individuals with a disability are included. To be invited to the interview stage, you must show through your application that you meet the minimum criteria and/or the desirable skills required for the role. If you tell us that you have a disability we can make reasonable adjustments at interview, and, if you join us, to your work arrangements.

The Gallery was founded in 1856 with the aim of collecting portraits of ‘the most eminent persons in British history’. The original Trustees agreed ‘to look at the celebrity of the person represented rather than the merit of the artist’ but also took the view that achievement would sometimes be tempered by human fallibility accepting that ‘great faults and errors’ should not exclude individuals from inclusion.

The role remains the same today - telling the story of the nation through the people who shape it - although we have broadened our understanding of achievement to reflect the diversity and dynamism of contemporary culture. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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