Head of Financial Business Partnering | Scientific Platform Services

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

Help strengthen the services behind world-leading genomics research at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. As Head of Financial Business Partnering for Scientific Platform Services, you will guide decisions about investment, resources and service delivery that support our scientific mission. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer within Finance, you will lead a small business partnering team and collaborate with senior scientific and operational leaders. You will have scope to shape costing and pricing, improve performance and support external commercial opportunities.

About the Role

As Head of Financial Business Partnering, you will lead financial business partnering across Genomic Platforms, Cellular Platforms and Technical Development & Scale-Up, covering around 200 colleagues and an annual budget of approximately £15 million. Your work will help leaders balance cost, capacity and scientific needs, making the best use of resources to support research.

Responsibilities include: 

• Guiding senior leaders on financial planning and analysis, scenario modelling, resource allocation and capital investment business cases.
• Developing and implementing costing and pricing models for internal scientific services and external commercial opportunities.
• Translating financial and operational data into performance measures, management information and clear recommendations.
• Shaping commercial proposals and supporting negotiations alongside scientific colleagues, Finance and the Innovation and Impact team.
• Leading, coaching and developing finance business partners, supporting effective delegation, performance and collaboration.
• Improving processes, reporting and systems while maintaining robust financial controls and supporting effective governance.

About You

You will bring experience as a senior finance business partner or in a comparable finance leadership role, combining analytical expertise with sound commercial judgement. Your experience could come from research, manufacturing, engineering or another similarly complex operational environment.

Essential capabilities:

• Apply advanced knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, scenario modelling, business case development, valuations and activity-based costing.
• Demonstrate experience developing and implementing pricing and standard costing models in a complex environment.
• Influence senior operational leaders, build trusted relationships and explain complex information clearly.
• Lead and develop teams through coaching, delegation and constructive performance management.
• Analyse complex issues, assess risk and develop evidence-based recommendations using financial modelling, Excel, dashboards and financial planning tools.
• Improve operational performance through process redesign, strategic problem-solving and practical solutions.

Desirable experience: Financial management of research grants and business systems implementation would be helpful but are not essential.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those underrepresented in finance leadership and research organisations. You do not need a research-sector background if you can demonstrate the essential capabilities above.

Next Steps

If you’re excited by the opportunity to shape financial strategy and operational performance in support of world-leading genomics research, we’d love to hear from you.

Please include a cover letter along with your CV. In your cover letter, include details on how your knowledge, skills and experience match the requirements of the role described.

Additional Information

Please note: This is a hybrid role with 2-3 days per week onsite as needed.

Salary: £94,900 - £118,600
Closing Date: Monday 02-NOV at 11:59 PM
Contract duration: Permanent

Role profile: For the full list of accountabilities and criteria, please click here.

To read about the institute and how we work, take a look here.

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks: LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability, Gender Equity and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We believe people do their best work when they can be their authentic selves. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018.  The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.