Senior Finance Business Partner

We’re seeking talented accountants to join the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), with two Senior Finance Business Partner roles available on a permanent basis.

The Senior Finance Business Partner is a trusted strategic adviser to senior leaders, responsible for ensuring that financial considerations are integral to operational and strategic decision-making. The postholders will lead the provision of high-quality financial planning, forecasting, analysis and challenge for an allocated portfolio, enabling resources to be aligned with organisational priorities and managed in accordance with Managing Public Money. At the SFO, the role of a Senior Finance Business Partner has an opportunity to collaborate and contribute across the whole organisation. You will have exposure and be expected to build meaningful internal stakeholder relationships up to and including SLT and Director General level. The SFO is also on the cusp of launching a number of exciting projects, to which the postholder will contribute to through sound financial judgement, a proactive approach and the willingness to innovate. The role will provide clear, evidence-based insight on affordability, value for money, financial risks, cost drivers and delivery performance. You will hold budget holders to account for financial management, support robust investment decisions and lead the development of financial capability across the business. As a member of the Finance Function Senior Leadership Team, the postholders will lead and develop the Finance Business Partnering team, contribute to the future direction of the Finance function and promote consistent professional standards, inclusive leadership and continuous improvement. As an organisation, the SFO delivers and exciting, meaningful service. This role exposes you to a broad range of duties, working at pace to support business areas and inform strategic and operational decisions. You will need to be skilled at listening, interpreting, influencing, negotiating, inspiring and challenging, which are all vital to the role.

Reporting to the Head of Finance, as a Senior Finance Business Partner you will line manage SEO Finance Business Partners. Your responsibilities include:

• Lead the Finance Business Partnering service for the allocated portfolio, setting priorities and ensuring consistent, timely and high-quality support to senior budget holders.
• Act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, providing constructive challenge and ensuring that financial implications, risks and opportunities are understood in strategic and operational decisions.
• Produce clear, decision-focused analysis that integrates financial and operational information and identifies cost drivers, trends, productivity opportunities and potential efficiencies.
• Maintain oversight of financial performance, forecast accuracy and emerging pressures, agreeing corrective action with budget holders and escalating material issues promptly.
• Taking the lead on implementing the Government Finance Function’s standards for Excellence in Finance Business Partnering in your area, working across the function to raise the quality of services in all parts of finance, developing capability and continually developing knowledge based on best practice.
• Lead annual budget-setting, medium-term financial planning and in-year forecasting for your allocated portfolio, ensuring assumptions are evidence-based and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Provide financial insights for investment decisions and business cases, testing affordability, value for money, benefits and delivery assumptions in accordance with Managing Public Money.
• Strengthen financial accountability by improving the capability of budget holders and promoting compliance with delegations, controls and financial governance.
• Lead, coach and develop Finance Business Partners, creating an inclusive and high-performing team with clear objectives and service standards.
• Provide robust costing support for projects and court submissions, ensuring that full and defensible case costs are captured.
• Build effective relationships across Finance and the wider organisation to improve service quality and support delivery of SFO priorities.

Grade 7 at the SFO is considered a mobile grade, therefore, some travel will be required depending on business requirements.

In order to be effective in this post, applicants must be able to demonstrate the skills and experience against the following essential criteria:

• Fully qualified CCAB (or CIMA) accountant or similar.
• Demonstrable experience of leading, motivating and developing a high-performing finance team, setting clear priorities and service standards.
• Experience of operating as a trusted finance adviser to senior leaders, providing constructive challenge and influencing strategic and operational decisions.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to integrate financial and operational information, identify cost drivers and trends, and present clear, decision-focused insight to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of strengthening financial management and accountability, including securing value for money, improving resource allocation and agreeing corrective action with budget holders.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain complex financial issues clearly, build effective relationships and work at pace across organisational boundaries.

A full and comprehensive job description is available here.

The SFO provides employees the following:

• Flexible working opportunities
• A collaborative and supportive team environment
• Exposure to a wide range of stakeholders and senior colleagues
• Meaningful work with visible organisational impact
• Excellent development opportunities within the Civil Service

If you’re looking for a role where you can make a tangible difference, influence how finance operates and be part of a growing organisation delivering work of national importance, please send through your CV and supporting statement (up to 1,000 words). A formal application must also include completion of the following Diversity Monitoring Form, found here. The SFO operates with a hybrid working policy of 40% office attendance. The office is currently situated near Trafalgar Square in central London but will be moving to Canary Wharf in early 2027. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. To be eligible you must meet the following residency requirements dependent of the level of security vetting required: SC: 5 years residency in the United Kingdom preceding this application. Further information on the SC vetting process can be found here. To apply, please send your CV and a supporting statement to sfo-fbp@allenlane.co.uk Closing date: 9am, Monday 9th November 2026 Face-to-face interviews: Week commencing 16th November 2026