Job Description

UK Research & Innovation

Salary: £58,589 per annum

Band: UKRI Band F

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 2/3 days per week in the office)

Closing Date: 12th April 2026

About the role

This role sits under the Cross Council Cluster (CCC) Finance Team. The role holder will provide effective insight, challenge, and support to a range of stakeholders including Directorate leads/budget-holders, senior finance and non-finance managers across UKRI, to deliver outcomes aligned with UKRI priorities. This role is being advertised initially on an interim basis, as UKRI finance will be undertaking a review of its operating model during 2026/27.

Your responsibilities:

Leadership / team-working:

• Lead, develop and motivate a team to deliver high standards of service across several complex business areas or programmes
• Deputise for Head of function to ensure continuity of service.
• Develop, lead, and maintain exceptional collective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Use sound commercial and business awareness and understanding to provide decision support, offering insight and challenges to relevant senior stakeholders as required to ensure robust financial decisions and processes.
• Assist with the delivery of wider strategic Finance Directorate initiatives and projects as required.

Delivery / programmes / projects / process:

• Perform a range of complex reporting and control functions, positioning Finance to work with the business and link budgets to delivery plans and business reasons.
• Communicate the importance of Finance to stakeholders at all levels, and use business awareness to present insightful information and analysis to support effective longer-term decision-making and deliver outcomes in line with Council/UKRI priorities.
• Lead annual and multi-year budget setting cycles, in year re-forecasting, understanding and communicating forecast risk and opportunities to stakeholders.
• Develop the finance case and review figures (investment profile, financial risk and exit costs) within cases, this may include the development of new facilities and equipment.
• Run applications for additional budget cover, this will be from various funding sources including core funding, other operating units and direct DSIT funding through a variety of schemes.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial, DSIT and HMG controls across the CCC portfolio.
• Support to the various Business Change Programmes as required.

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) or QBE (S).

Experience and knowledge:

• Strong understanding of accounting and finance and demonstrable experience of working in senior finance roles in large/complex organisations and delivering effective financial management (S).
• High level competency of IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, with focus on exceptional Excel skills (S).
• Highly numerate with the ability to provide high quality oral and written insightful analysis on complex issues, communicating the key elements to effectively deliver projects and influence decision making at a strategic level (I).
• Experience of working strategically to balance the conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of financial processes. Including demonstrable experience of working as part of a wider-business, consulting with senior stakeholders, utilising an in-depth understanding of business priorities, and effectively ‘collaborate' with stakeholders to meet organisational and financial objectives (I).
• Demonstrable experience of managing month and year-end processes (S&I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UK Research & innovation 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)

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.