Finance Business Partner

Job Title: Finance Business Partner

Salary: Competitive + Benefits

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)

Location: Green Lane, Walsall

We are seeking a proactive, commercially minded Finance Business Partner to join our dynamic South Staffs Water Finance Team! This role goes beyond traditional finance: you will act as a trusted advisor, helping shape decisions, optimise efficiency, and ensure we deliver value for customers, regulators, and stakeholders.

The ideal candidate brings strong financial expertise, the curiosity and energy to challenge the status quo, and the resilience needed to thrive in a highly regulated and operationally complex environment.

• Partner with operational leaders to provide clear, actionable financial insight that supports delivery of business plans and operational KPIs.
• Translate complex financial information into meaningful narratives to support decision-making.
• Challenge assumptions, influence outcomes, and drive accountability across operational teams.

• Lead budget cycles, forecasts, and long-term plans for operational directorates.
• Provide robust analysis of performance, risks, and opportunities, ensuring alignment with regulatory business plans
• Develop insightful monthly reporting packs, highlighting key trends and drivers of financial performance.
• Play a vital role in the month-end close process within the Group timetable, including responsibility for maintaining and reconciling relevant balance sheet accounts.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory reporting standards and internal governance requirements.
• Support the preparation of regulatory submissions, investment cases, and performance commitments (PCs) where relevant.

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Strong financial analysis, modelling, and business partnering skills.
• Ability to challenge, influence, and build effective relationships at all levels.
• High energy, drive, and determination to deliver results in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills, able to simplify complexity for non-finance colleagues.

• Experience in regulated industries, ideally the UK water sector or utilities
• Familiarity with operational performance metrics, asset-intensive operations, or capital delivery environments.
• Experience supporting transformation, efficiency, or continuous‑improvement programmes.

• Proactive, curious, and commercially aware.
• Change agent mentality looking to challenge the norm
• Confident in challenging constructively and influencing decisions.
• Comfortable operating independently and taking ownership.
• Strong collaborator with a passion for operational performance and public‑value outcomes.

• A competitive salary.
• Company pension with employer contribution.
• Opportunity for hybrid working.
• 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays).
• The opportunity to drive meaningful impact within an essential service sector.
• Direct involvement in shaping operational and financial performance.
• A supportive and collaborative environment with opportunities for career development.
• Career progression opportunities in a Group environment encompassing 14 companies.
• 24‑hour helpline providing free and confidential advice to you and your family on financial, legal, marital and health.
• Onsite Gym.