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Job Title: Finance Business Partner - Professional Services & Cross Cutting
Posting Start Date: 17/06/2026
Job Id: 2757
School/Department: Finance
Work Arrangement: Full Time (Hybrid)
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary per annum (£): £38,784 - £47,389
Closing Date: 05/07/2026
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The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.
We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.
The University’s Department of Finance develops and implements dynamic and future-focused financial strategies to support the University’s aims, whilst maintaining sound financial oversight and administration in managing the University’s financial affairs.
Enabling impact from our research, on health, the environment, the economy, businesses, policy, culture and a range of other areas, is central to the University’s Vision and strategy.
We receive significant public funding, via UK Research and Innovation, to promote this ambition and aim to deploy the funding in line with organisational priorities, with our research strengths and in the most efficient way possible.
We are looking to recruit a Finance Business Partner role in Professional Services & Cross Cutting Finance. You will work in very close collaboration with colleagues who support research and innovation. As a team, working with senior academic leadership, you will enable deployment of Knowledge Exchange funding, ensuring processes are kept under review, that they are as light-touch as possible and that we work strategically within the remit of the funds. You will provide timely and pragmatic advice to colleagues to optimise the funding and reporting internally and externally to agreed timescales.
Main duties and responsibilities
Work with RPI leadership to monitor, manage and forecast a portfolio of internal and external funds
Prepare accurate income and expenditure forecasts on a monthly and quarterly basis and as required, including analysis and explanation of variances against budget/forecast with recommendations for action or mitigation where appropriate
Work collaboratively with the Internal KE Funding Manager in Research, Partnerships and Innovation and academic leadership to ensure oversight, governance and operational delivery of the available funding (including Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), Impact Acceleration Accounts, ringfenced elements of other grants for KE/research)
Develop strong understanding of the terms of available funding and how it can be deployed to best achieve the strategic goals of the University
Lead on financial reporting and dissemination to academic awardees, schools, RPI and other finance colleagues
Attend and contribute to relevant committees, panels and meetings, taking the lead on finance reporting and recommendations for future action/change
Attend funding panels to develop understanding of academic aims and objectives and to advise on financial risks/opportunities
Ensure a streamlined and efficient system is in place to set up and monitor approved projects, notify recipients of awards and to respond to queries/issues
Work with Internal KE Funding Manager in RPI to ensure awardees have clear information about expected timelines/outputs/deliverables
Consider process and operations proactively, refining constantly to maintain the lightest possible touch approach whilst ensuring the University/colleagues in RPI can evaluate the impact of the awarded funds.
Maintain professional working relationships with recipients of funding so that individual project progress and spend are monitored to provide early stage identification and
resolution of problems/delays, making recommendations to remedy issues as appropriate
Regular forecasting of available funds and reporting via RPI to academic leadership
Work with RPI to prepare reports to funders, annually and at end of cycle and to ensure policy/operational changes are in line with funder expectations
Prepare monthly and year-end reconciliations as required, including reserves and other provisions. Co-ordinate year-end procedures, ensuring these are communicated and effectively implemented across departments.
Line manage at least one member of staff and support the Finance Manager with oversight of workload allocations across the team, ensuring all objectives and deadlines are achieved and that productivity is optimised.
Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post
Person Specification
Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.
Criteria
Essential or desirable
Stage(s) assessed at
Demonstrate sound working knowledge of the key principles of financial management. Skills and experience in financial forecasting, budget monitoring and control and month end routines.
Essential
Application/interview
Qualified or part qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA or other equivalent qualification). E.g. part qualified CIMA – Operational level completed)
Essential
Application/interview
Evidence that you work collaboratively as part of a team, considering the impact of your working style on others
Essential
Application/interview
Evidence that you can think and plan strategically to optimise available funding
Essential
Application/interview
Evidence that you are committed to continuous improvement across a range of processes
Essential
Application/interview
Proactive with the ability to work to multiple deadlines, organising team resources and prioritising workloads.
Essential
Application/interview
Evidence that you form and maintain good professional working relationships and facilitate collaborative working practices with colleagues across different functional areas, demonstrating curiosity about and consideration for the needs, and views of others
Essential
Application/interview
Proven ability to communicate complex financial information to a non-financial audience, including the production of high-quality financial reports.
Essential
Application/interview
Excellent IT skills particularly with Microsoft Excel and experience of using finance systems as well as reporting solutions in an operational environment.
Essential
Application/interview
An awareness and interest in the issues facing the Higher Education Sector and experience in the financial management of funding from external bodies.
Desirable
Application/interview
Further Information
Grade
7
Salary
£38,784 - £47,389
Work arrangement
Full-time
Line manager
Finance Manager
Direct reports
Assistant Finance Business Partner and/or Senior Finance Assistant
Our website
www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance
https://sheffield.ac.uk/rpi
For informal enquiries about this job contact Rebecca Mann
[email protected]
Next steps in the recruitment process
It is anticipated that the selection process will take place week commencing 13th July 2026. The first stage will be an online interview, followed by a second stage in person interview including a short presentation. We plan to let candidates know if they have been selected for the first stage week commencing 6th July.
If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Rebecca Mann
[email protected]
Our vision and strategic plan
We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision ().
What we offer
A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
Generous pension scheme.
A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
A range of generous family-friendly policies
paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
access to menopause support in the workplace
paid time off and support for fertility treatment
and more
We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.
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