Job Description

UK Research & Innovation
Salary: £46,743 per annum

Band: UKRI Band E
Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
Hours: Full-time/ Part Time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available (Min 2 days per week in the office)

Closing Date: 22nd April 2026

About the role

Reporting to the EPSRC Critical Technologies Strategic Finance Business Partner, the role is to provide a comprehensive financial business partnering service to the Industrial Strategy Critical Technology programme.

This role involves performing a range of Financial Management reporting and control functions and encompasses management and support of Programme and some Opex activities.

Your responsibilities:

Leadership / teamwork / collaboration

• Build & maintain good working relationships with colleagues & partners across Finance (Finance Business Partners, central Financial Planning and Reporting) and non-Finance (Strategy, Policy, Operations, HR) areas, and subsequently provide suitable input and advice in a format targeted to the relevant audience.
• Support Programme Managers and Senior Leadership Teams to effectively manage their budgets through the provision of timely, accurate and complete financial information, advice, support and constructive challenge.
• Understand the linkages and dependencies between the different Operating Units 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 Industrial Strategy programmes and promoting a culture of teamwork.
• To deputise for the Strategic Finance Business Partner, if and when required.

Delivery / programmes / projects / process

• Ensuring delivery of robust and informative reporting to the Programme Board and Senior Responsible Officer.
• Support on the writing of, and reviewing of, Business Cases for the new Critical Technology workstreams.
• Perform a range of reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business cases.
• Help deliver the Critical Technology programme budgets, working collaboratively across internal partners and stakeholders to align with the collective targets and deliverables.
• Work with the budget holders to advise on Opex budgets, delivering financial advice and support on finances during the year for those budget holders.
• 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 Operating Unit/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.

Other

This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with their line manager. The post holder may be asked to carry out any other delegated duty or task that is in line with the post.

Personal Specification

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

Essential

Qualifications:

• 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 delivering effective financial management & reporting (S).
• Very good IT skills, including good knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel (S).
• Experience of financial modelling & controls (I).
• Demonstrable experience of month and year-end processes - accruals and prepayment calculations, variance analyses etc (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 (I).
• Experience in provision of high quality written and oral advice suitable for senior level decision makers (S&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.
• Flexible in nature and able to work on several differing priorities at once.

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, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. 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.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.