Job Description

UK Research & Innovation.
Salary: £46,743 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Open ended.
Hours: Full-time. (flexible working available)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire – minimum 2 days. [per week in the office) (Hybrid working available)

Closing Date: 4th January 2026.

About the role

Provide dedicated finance expertise, insight and business partnering to AHRC and ESRC, working closely with stakeholders to add financial awareness to decision making, and deliver outcomes that are in line with Council and UKRI Core priorities and Managed Programmes.

Your responsibilities:

Leadership / teamwork / collaboration.

Build & maintain good working relationships with colleagues & 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.

Understand the linkages and dependencies between the different Councils within UKRI by actively working with other Finance Business Partners and colleagues across UKRI to seek opportunities for improvement, change and efficiency within Finance, strengthening internal controls, financial analysis, and effective management of programmes and promoting a culture of teamwork.

To deputise for the Senior Finance Business Partner on a range of issues, if and when required.

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 Council/UKRI priorities.

Manage annual and multi-year budget setting and forecasting cycles.

Develop the finance case within business cases.

Manage applications for additional budget cover.

Ensure compliance with internal financial, BEIS and HMG controls within assigned business areas.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), actively working towards qualification, or equivalent experience (QBE) (S).

Experience & knowledge:

• 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.
• Line management and leadership skills.
• 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.

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

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-costsor contact Recruitment@ukri.org

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.