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.

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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.

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

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…