Finance Business Partner

An opportunity has arisen for an Interim Finance Business Partner to join a well-known organisation in Bristol. This role offers you the chance to make a significant impact by providing financial support, insightful analysis, and high-quality management information to senior leaders. You will be at the heart of decision-making processes, collaborating closely with business directorates and management teams to drive performance improvements and ensure robust financial control.

As an Interim Finance Business Partner based in Bristol (with occasional travel to Devon), you will play a central role in supporting the Retail, and Corporate Services division. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve preparing comprehensive management accounts, analysing performance data, developing insightful reports for senior leadership, and acting as a key liaison between finance and other business functions. You will be instrumental in driving budgeting and forecasting processes while also contributing to regulatory reporting requirements. By leveraging your technical expertise and relationship-building skills, you will help shape financial strategies that underpin organisational success. Your ability to communicate complex financial information clearly will enable you to influence outcomes at all levels of the business. In this interim capacity, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement by identifying areas where processes can be enhanced for greater efficiency. Your proactive approach will ensure that both routine tasks and ad hoc requests are handled effectively, making you an indispensable member of the finance team during this critical period.

• Oversee the preparation of monthly management accounts, including accruals, prepayments, provisions, journal entries, and thorough investigation of variances to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Analyse financial performance by reporting on variances against budget or forecast, undertaking detailed investigations, and collaborating with management teams to address any discrepancies.
• Develop and prepare high-quality reports and management information for senior finance leadership and management teams to support informed decision-making.
• Act as a trusted business partner for key business functions by serving as the main point of contact for senior managers, presenting findings at monthly financial meetings, and fostering strong working relationships.
• Take ownership of journal logs and balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring all documentation is prepared accurately for approval by senior finance leaders.
• Lead initiatives aimed at continuously improving reporting processes to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and value delivered to stakeholders.
• Drive the production of annual driver-based budgets in close coordination with business function management teams to ensure alignment with organisational objectives.
• Lead quarterly forecasting activities by incorporating deviations from budget and providing clear explanations for changes in financial outlook.
• Support regulatory reporting requirements by assisting in the preparation of financial information for Annual Performance Reporting and Price Review submissions.
• Respond promptly to ad hoc queries from Accounts Payable, Sales Ledger, Financial Control, and provide additional support to the wider finance team as needed.

What you bring:

To excel as an Interim Finance Business Partner in this Bristol-based role, your background should reflect extensive experience in finance roles where relationship management was key. Your qualifications—ideally ACA/ACCA/CIMA—will provide assurance of your technical capability while your hands-on experience preparing management accounts showcases your meticulous approach. Advanced Excel abilities are crucial for handling complex analysis efficiently. Your commercial awareness means you can see beyond numbers to understand their real-world implications for different business units. Analytical thinking allows you to spot patterns or issues early on so they can be addressed proactively. Interpersonal strengths are vital; you'll need these when presenting findings or collaborating with colleagues from various backgrounds. A history of delivering reliable results under tight deadlines demonstrates your dependability. Finally, your enthusiasm for learning new things—and applying them through continuous improvement—will set you apart as someone who adds lasting value during this interim assignment.

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification or equivalent is essential for demonstrating your technical proficiency in accounting standards and practices.
• Substantial experience in finance relationship management within a similar role or industry ensures you can build trust with stakeholders quickly.
• Proven track record in preparing management accounts including accruals, prepayments, journal processing demonstrates your attention to detail.
• Advanced Excel skills such as pivot tables and lookup formulas allow you to analyse large datasets efficiently and present findings clearly.
• Strong commercial acumen enables you to understand business drivers and contribute valuable insights into performance improvement initiatives.
• Exceptional analytical skills equip you to interpret complex data sets and identify trends or anomalies that require action.
• Experience in financial modelling supports robust budgeting and forecasting activities aligned with organisational goals.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills empower you to collaborate effectively across departments and influence decision-makers constructively.
• Ability to consistently deliver accurate and timely financial information underpins your reliability as a finance professional.
• A proactive attitude combined with a desire for continuous learning ensures you stay ahead of industry developments while striving for ongoing process enhancements.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates