Finance Business Partner

Focus of the Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Finance team at TBI as a Finance Business Partner. TBI is rapidly expanding internationally so this is a great time to join and support our teams in working with political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies in a globalised world.

As part of a Finance team of 12, primarily based in London, you will focus on supporting our Africa programmes. You will be the Finance lead and main point of contact for all their financial needs across our portfolio of a wide range of complex and diverse projects. It will be key for the candidate to be able to develop excellent working relationships with stakeholders remotely, as we are an international business operating across the globe.

This is a great opportunity to work with Directors on the financial stewardship of our Africa work, helping lead the financial operations of our programmes, delivering outputs to enable strategic decision-making whilst ensuring best value for money

Key Responsibilities

The duties of this post-holder are to:

• Providing financial leadership to the senior management and budget holders within the respective business units
• Prepare accurate, timely and user friendly monthly financial information
• Complete financial analysis with insightful narrative for budget holders
• Undertake variance and performance analysis and assist with budgeting & forecasting
• Oversee month end process for respective business units – including accruals, prepayments, balance sheet reconciliations
• Line management and development of Finance Assistant(s)
• Day to day oversight of project cash requirements, including being key point of contact with external stakeholders
• Provide informed cost advice to proposal teams in line with TBI cost needs and Donor client requirements for all restricted funded projects for respective business units
• Develop high quality reports and ensure they are prepared, reviewed, and submitted by appropriate deadlines and targets for internal and external audiences
• Assist in enhancing the internal financial controls, procedures and support effective implementation within the Finance team

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may be expected within the scope of the post. Job descriptions should be regularly reviewed to ensure they are an accurate representation of the post.

Know-How:

• Ensuring detailed knowledge of current strategy for respective business units, providing financial support where relevant
• Ensuring clear communication is provided to budget holder during the budgeting and reforecasting process in line with the overall TBI messaging
• Ensuring up-to-date with advanced understanding of Finance policies & processes
• Strong communicator, confident and clear in presenting financial information to Institute stakeholders
• Ensuring all procurement and contracts are compliant with donor regulations

Accountability:

• Ensuring that the monthly management information for respective business areas is accurate and the supporting narrative is highlighting key issues. Actively participate in the problem-solving issues that are discussed and need addressing
• Challenging donor and grant tenders to ensure we understand the requirements and responses given and the level of detail prepared at each submission stage
• Ensuring regular communication with the senior management teams of business units under remit

Responsibility:

• Building rapport with all stakeholders but especially budget holders so that information is shared effectively and collaboratively
• Effective partnerships with all respective business units
• Reviewing of monthly senior management information for all areas including supporting narrative
• Leading the budgeting/reforecasting process for business areas
• Focusing on strategic finance requirements of business areas and supporting their OKR goals
• Supporting pipeline forecasting, including income projections for TBI budgets and forecasts
• Managing and helping to evolve the financial systems which are currently in place
• Adhoc pieces of work or projects as required by Financial Controller or Director of Finance
• Line management responsibilities with a supportive coaching approach                          

Judgement:

• Anticipate and mitigate any concerns or risks appropriately and escalate where necessary
• Use specialist technical experience to make day-to-day decisions
• Challenge donor tender process or submissions suitability for the Institute
• Ability to challenge others if you perceive a decision to be incorrect or damaging to TBI

Ambition / Ownership:

• Proactively contributes to the implementation of best practice guidelines and methodology for Finance policies and processes especially in the donor proposals & reporting areas
• Contributing to overall Finance OKR delivery
• Influence process change outside of own area
• Be an ambassador for work that the Institute undertakes
• Take active interest in the work that the Institute undertakes
• Model & maintain TBI Core Values - Courageous, Collaborative & Compassionate

Person Specification

This is a role in a fast paced team, working within complex divisions that are highly scrutinised. Therefore the successful candidate for the role should be able to display the majority of the following:

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and perform other duties as reasonably required to achieve the goals of your team and the Institute
• Qualified accountant
• Experience working within an NFP - preferable
• Knowledge of accounting for donor funds – preferable
• Dynamic, confident candidate who can articulate verbally and by written presentation; ability to express complex ideas in a clear and straightforward manner to a variety of stakeholders
• Must be able to take ownership and manage their own workflow with minimal input from management, set their own goals and plan how to achieve them – translate into actions and follow through to completion, prioritise against tight deadlines
• A motivational,  collaborative and supportive manager and team-player, with demonstrable experience in working as part of a team
• Great interpersonal skills - able to establish good cross departmental working relationships
• Enthusiastic, self-driven, ambitious and always seeking continuous improvement
• Positively embraces change, maintaining an open curious mindset
• A keen interest in our work as an Institute, expansion and sharing of knowledge and personal development

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.