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 - Hybrid working available. (Min 2 days per week in the office)

Closing Date: 26th April 2026.

About the role

Two great opportunities have arisen to join UKRI’s Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team responsible for strategic financial planning, analysis, financial management and reporting. The team works across the nine Councils and the Corporate Hub to deliver strategic insights and decision support tools to senior decision makers in the organisation.

These are critical roles in a dynamic and fast paced environment suited to a bold and driven individual with a strong commitment to the provision of high-quality financial information and to continuous improvement.

Working at the heart of this team you will have primary responsibility for supporting the Planning and Reporting Leads in:

• Delivery of multiyear planning and reporting.
• Enhancing the current planning and reporting models and embedding the reporting cycle for UKRI.
• Transitioning the Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting from current manual processes and collation of data to a single integrated system-based solution harnessing the opportunity presented by the introduction of Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications and complementary reporting systems and tools.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a bold individual to help develop the role, assist with the introduction of new methods of data analysis utilising systems such as Oracle Fusion EPM, Power BI and Databank, and input into shaping the role and work of the team.

The successful candidate will need to build and maintain strong relationships with Finance Business Partners and the UKRI Finance Data & Systems team and will involve working across the breath of UKRI including with the Strategy team, Analysts and DSIT who all use elements of UKRI financial reporting to inform policy development, operational decision making and setting organisational indicators and metrics.

You will have a pivotal role in maintaining a good relationship between UKRI’s Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team and DSIT’s Finance Business Partnering team in what is a dynamic and fast paced environment.

The right individual will also have the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge of the technical aspects of government finance including budgeting rules, handling public money, delegations and understanding and responsibility for the allocations process.

Your responsibilities

Primary

• Lead the monthly production of the UKRI in-year management accounts.
• Own the generation of the high-quality quarterly / bi-monthly UKRI future year forecast – this will include setting out the guidance for data collection, teasing out assumptions used by finance business partners, quality-assuring the returns and summarising findings.
• Review and challenge the forecasts for in-year or multi-year submitted by the councils, analysing the risks and opportunities for UKRI identified throughout the individual business areas.
• Having a firm understanding of the financial risks, pressures and opportunities both in year and in future years to ensure effective financial decision-making in these areas.
• Be able to present and summarise information clearly, adapting the style and method of reporting used for different stakeholders as well as for different publications (e.g. the Annual Report and Accounts or the Operation Plan).
• Be a subject matter authority for the systems used to report data to DSIT, understanding and influencing the month end process.
• Maintain and develop the UKRI consolidation reporting model, implementing improvements and controls to ensure the process is efficient and errors are minimised.
• Work with key stakeholders in Strategy to identify reporting improvements, ensuring the UKRI reporting brings together and focuses on the key spend activities.
• Work with the finance business partner community to enhance monthly commentary, working with DSIT to embed a process to remove duplication and ensure effective communication.
• Developing, leading and maintaining strong working relationships with key stakeholders in the finance business areas.
• Ensure communication remains open and regular with the business partners, so that all parties are aware of their responsibilities relating to month end, budgets, forecasts and any papers.
• Build a strong understanding of the various entities to provide effective challenge and support when reviewing the monthly forecasts received via the EPM submission made by each council.

Other Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as the NAO, DSIT and GIAA, developing and influencing a strong network to facilitate effective working relationships.
• Act as a key liaison point between DSIT and UKRI finance.
• Run budgets held within EPM, ensuring that they are aligned with the allocation letters, following any in year changes and running the annual budget profile process.
• Management and co-ordination of regular and ad hoc commissions from DSIT, including Future Year Forecasts, and HMT Mains & Supplementary Estimates.
• Gain a strong understanding of the delegation process, understanding the specific budgetary ringfences and controls UKRI is required to adhere to.
• Ensure that there is adequate cover in the team, providing support in the allocation process.
• Deputise for the Planning and Reporting Leads as and when required.

Personal Specification

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

Essential

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA) or Equivalent experience. (S)
• Adapt to changing priorities, a "can-do" attitude, and a willingness to support colleagues across the Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team. (I)
• Ability to take initiatives, plan and progress tasks independently. (S&I)
• Strong management accounting, budgeting & forecasting experience and a particularly strong knowledge of MS Excel including modelling and controls. (S&I)
• Clear, demonstrable relationship management and influencing skills, with ability to instil confidence within stakeholders. (I)
• Personal resilience approach to solve issues in short timescales. (I)
• Aptitude for and application of continuous improvement, ability to innovate and challenge and to offer insights and ideas with practical application. (I)
• Good organisational skills, ability to deliver at pace and meeting changing priorities to time, whilst retaining accuracy. (S&I)

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UKRI 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-costs or 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.