IUK Senior Finance Programme Manager – Net Zero & OGD Managed Programmes na Innovateuk

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IUK Senior Finance Programme Manager – Net Zero & OGD Managed Programmes

We are seeking a highly motivated and proactive individual to join our team as a Senior Finance Business Partner.

*Please note this advert will close on 6th October 2025 at 23.59pm.

Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here.

Title:                  IUK Senior Finance Programme Manager – Net Zero & OGD Managed Programmes

Band:                UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary:              £56,745 gross per annum

Reports to:     Line Manager Job Title

Location:        Swindon (Hybrid working)

Contract:        Permanent

Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.

Context:

We are seeking candidates with proven experience of working within a complex operational environment, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including Senior Management.

The role involves close collaboration with many staff across the UKRI business and cross Whitehall Departments; to provide robust support, advice and guidance on finance related matters and able to present to programme boards to guide effective financial management decisions.

We are looking for an individual with strong communication skills, both verbal and written, as the role requires regular engagement with a wide range of external stakeholders at senior and operational levels.

Job Purpose:

We are seeking a highly motivated and proactive individual to join our team as a Senior Finance Business Partner. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to play a key role in supporting IUK deliver a portfolio of managed programmes for Other Government Departments (OGDs).  Additionally, they will work to embed costing models to drive full cost recovery and drive improvements to standardise and systemise financial reporting to OGDs. The role works across a portfolio in a matrixed structure, supporting delivery of programmes to ensure that planning, governance, financial reporting, and stakeholder engagement are maintained at the high standards expected, while also enabling strategic alignment across the wider programme landscape.

The main purpose of this role is to provide senior-level leadership and technical financial expertise to support the business.  Within our collaborative team environment, you will have the ideal platform to develop your leadership skills and establish strong relationships with senior policy directors. The experience and expertise you gain in this role will be invaluable for advancing your career. There will be frequent exposure to senior leadership and opportunities to contribute to multi-disciplinary projects of strategic significance.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Build an effective and ‘trusted advisor’ role with IUK and OGD senior management, through the provision of clear, objective, and timely advice, and ensure finance can positively influence BBSRC decision making.
• Ensure that external stakeholders and Programme Management Boards receive a high-quality financial service, offering advice and challenge to drive effective and timely decisions at  operational, tactical and strategic levels,
• Provide financial planning support, modelling and proactively engaging with Programme directors to maintain a financially sustainable portfolio of programmes,
• Fulfil all other OGD assurance requirements in line with agreed MoUs, this will include NAO reviews and internal audit requirements.
• Develop business cases alongside policy leads for new investment proposals,
• Provide effective financial governance ensuring that appropriate delegation and regulatory structures are in place.
• Deputise for the Head of Finance for Net Zero and Managed Programmes, including supporting the wider IUK FBP team, to ensure that collectively the wider team meet its objectives, improves resilience, and shares best practice.

This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.

Shortlisting criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Person Specification:

Experience & Qualifications:

Essential –

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), or equivalent experience (QBE). (S)
• Well-developed leadership, team management, organisational and motivational skills. (S&I)
• Effective interpersonal and influencing skills. (I)
• Ability to take a strategic view of financial issues. (I)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to present financial information effectively to non-finance staff. (S&I)
• Ability to build trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders, at all levels of an organisation and influence them with impact and professional credibility. (I)
• Experience of working strategically to balance the conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of financial processes. (S&I)
• High level competency of IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, with a focus on strong Excel skills. (S&I)
• Ability to provide insightful analysis on complex issues, communicating the key elements to effectively deliver projects and influence decision making at a strategic level. (S&I)
• Experience of financial management and management reporting for complex organisations. (S)

Desirable –

• Working knowledge across a wide spectrum of accounting software, e.g., Oracle. (S)

•  Experience of using Data and Analytical Software to interrogate large datasets. (S)
• Knowledge of Government Accounting Standards and Managing Public Money rules. (I)
• Experience of writing, or participating in the development of, business cases, particularly the financial cases. (S&I)
• Strong focus on proactivity, positive solutions, and continuous improvement. (I)

Competencies:

All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:

Thinking and Problem Solving – Stakeholder management – Communication skills – Influencing – Self-awareness/self-management – Strategic awareness – Working with others– Project management

Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria’s listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements:

Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national travel.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; we encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set-out in our role profiles.

Equal Opportunities:

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments, some of which will be online and others may be in-person. If you have a disability, heath condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you, we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing further information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.

UK Research and Innovation:

Innovate UK is partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position, your employer will be UK Research and Innovation. More information can be found online http://www.ukri.org/.

Employee Benefits:

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Flexible Working:

We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.

Pre-employment Screening:

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider how this aligns with your personal values or beliefs. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check.

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