Met office
Finance Business Partner
Job Description
We’re looking for an exceptional Finance Business Partner to help us make a difference to our planet.
As our Finance Business Partner, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.
Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we’ll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone.
The Finance team is based at our Exeter office. We recognise the undoubted benefits of face-to-face contact with our colleagues and will expect you to attend the office at least 6 days every month, spread across the month.
World changing work
From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.
We’re a force for good – focusing on our environmental and social impact
We’re experts by nature – always learning and developing to do things better
We live and breathe it – putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
We’re better together – understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
We keep evolving – pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers
Your world of expertise
You will be part of the Finance Business Support team which is responsible for providing the Met Office with expert financial guidance, control and best practice to support key decisions at all levels to deliver corporate objectives.
The team comprises 7 Business Partners supported by a team of assistants and managed by the Head of Finance Business Support. The successful candidate will be expected to work closely with the Executive Directors, Associate Directors and Business Managers providing expert advice to ensure effective financial management and control in the Met Office.
This particular role will support an area of the business (in common with all Finance Business Partners) but also lead on some specific disciplines, notably VAT. A final portfolio will be agreed depending on the skills and experience of the successful candidate.
Your key duties:
- Collaborate with department heads to understand their financial needs and provide tailored financial advice and support to help them make informed decisions.
- Lead on the Met Office’s quarterly VAT return and the triaging of VAT queries from around the business.
- Build and maintain key relationships with internal and external stakeholders, manage senior managers’ and stakeholders’ expectations, and develop a deep understanding of the business’s commercial and operational drivers.
- Control expenditure in line with budgets/approved expenditure by providing support and challenge to ensure excellent financial management.
- Facilitate the production of budgets, plans and forecasts to ensure affordability and balanced risk.
Why join us
Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.
As our Finance Business Partner, your total reward package will be up to £72,530 annually, which includes:
- £52,799 base pay
- An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave
Essential Criteria, skills and experience:
- You will be a qualified accountant (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with relevant post qualification experience — demonstrating you ‘live and breathe’ the Accountancy profession. For this particular role you will need evidence of tax (VAT) experience.
- You will have highly effective verbal and written communication skills demonstrating your ability to influence and constructively challenge at a senior level — demonstrating ‘we’re better together’.
- You will be able to explain financial concepts to both Finance and non-Finance colleagues – you’ll be required to interact with colleagues in the Met Office with varying levels of financial awareness but also experts outside the Met Office — demonstrating ‘we’re experts by nature’.
- You will demonstrate a willingness to challenge the status quo and explore ways to improve working practices – showing ‘we keep evolving.’
How to apply
If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills.
Closing date 09/02/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 17/02/2025. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.
How we can help
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk.
If you’re considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.
We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.
We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK – please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.