Finance Business Partner - IT

Job Description

Job Title: Finance Business Partner - IT

Location: Edinburgh

Contract: 12 month FTC

Department / Team: Finance - Business Partnering and Performance

Standard Life Aberdeen plc is one of the world's largest investment companies, and we are built on a long standing culture of caring about the future and making a positive impact. Together we invest for a better future. We do it to make a difference to the lives of our clients and customers, our employees, society and our shareholders.

Our strategy is to build a vibrant and value-creating purpose-led organisation, with the current and future needs of our stake holders at the heart of all we do.

Creating a real and active partnership, the role is to provide 'real time' support and analysis, to be a trusted adviser and to add value that will assist in decision making. Critical to their success is an ability to communicate their message, to understand their audience and deliver the information in a clear and user-friendly manner.

It is this mix of analytical, commercial and communication skills which are at the heart of successful finance business partnering. Successful finance business partners are seen as leaders that can influence the decisions that a business makes to maximise shareholder value and customer outcomes.

Key Outcomes / Responsibilities:

You will work closely at a senior level with colleagues and the key business partners to ensure commercial objectives are met, and across the broader Business Partnering team to ensure there is a consistent approach to the quality and delivery of insight and information.

Specifically you will have the below key accountabilities:

• Improving the quality and impact of financial reporting on business performance, ensuring accurate and timely delivery
• Working with the business to ensure financial performance is understood and acted upon
• Providing analysis and insight that links financial reports to business strategies
• Building partnerships and maintaining strong relationships with senior managers and their teams
• Providing accurate, timely and comprehensive annual budgets as well as re-forecasts
• To independently conduct monthly review meetings with budget holders and to act as a key point of contact to support the budget holders with commercial business, capital and investment proposals
• Monthly presentation of financial performance, full year forecasts and budget variances including understanding financial opportunities and risk
• Embedding cost discipline across the business, challenging current ways of working, driving efficiencies and cost savings wherever possible
• Assist with half-year and year-end deliverables
• Support project teams with financial analysis and control to ensure business cases are fit for purpose together with post implementation reviews
• Build and maintain key partner and customer relationships
• Challenge and influence the business to maximise potential
• Drive cost leadership
• Identify growth opportunities and key risks to performance
• Financial stewardship; holding leaders accountable for performance and helping business teams to deliver key financial targets
• Provide timely, accurate financial reporting and insightful MI
• Financial discipline on Change initiatives
• Act as One Finance to represent the function as a trusted advisor to the business, including:
• Clearly communicating the Finance strategic priorities
• Demonstrating role model behaviours
• Strong advocacy and speaking with one voice

Skills, Knowledge & Qualifications required

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Asset management or financial services background preferable
• Proven accounting skills, diligent and accurate
• Leading and implementing change
• Proven commercial acumen
• Excellent analytical ability with a good attention to detail
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present plans to support business decisions
• Determined and assertive, prepared to get into the detail to understand the complex cost drivers of the business
• Good time management skills, ability to prioritise workload and ability to work to strict reporting deadlines
• Demonstrate credibility with partners (relationships, communication, influence and confidence)
• Takes personal accountability for quality and delivery

Our Benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around, including 40 days annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary, performance based bonus, private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount site amongst many others. You can read more about our benefits here.

Our Values

Our strategic drivers are the foundations from which we deliver for all our stake holders: High Impact Intelligence, Enduring Relationships, Connections without borders and Future fit. You can find out more about our values here.

We're committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense - this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. Standard Life Aberdeen supports a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.