Senior Finance Business Partner - R&D
Stevenage or London
LifeArc is an independent life science medical research charity committed to improving positive patient outcomes everywhere. As a champion for human health, LifeArc partners with academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and charity organisations to move promising medical research forward into viable and accessible patient treatments. As a charity we are self-funded, re-investing our incomes from developed drugs & diagnostics to support translating research from the bench to patient.
Job summary
We require a highly experienced professional who will act as the Senior Finance Business Partner for the Therapeutics and Diagnostics divisions, with a dotted line to the executives for those functions.
Success in this role means that you use technical expertise, critical thinking and influence to provide outstanding business partnering, financial planning, analysis and reporting services to your assigned portfolio as well as ensuring appropriate governance processes are in place.
You will be expected to make an impact by collaborating with and challenging your operational colleagues to help them understand the economics of their work and provide data and analysis to drive performance and decision making.
The role
You will have the ability and be able to provide evidence that you can consistently and sustainably;
- Deliver timely and accurate information, insights and reporting to enable operational partners to make business decisions
- Key to the Portfolio Review Board at LifeArc; responsible for setting resource allocation (£ and people) across all projects and investments in our portfolio
- Own the annual budgeting process and re-forecasting exercises for assigned portfolio and contribute to production of a rolling long-range plan working closely with the FP&A Manager
- Provide financial modelling, investment appraisal and support to develop robust business cases which align to strategy and consider benefits and risk
- Drive delivery of targets by supporting and challenging budget holders, project managers and Executive Directors through development and production of relevant metrics
- Actively engage, partner with and update key stakeholders within the organisation
- Ensure cohesion in financial plans between matrixed views of the charity's portfolio of projects and cost centre budget and forecasts
- Lead one or more high value projects requiring successful collaboration with senior management, the wider organisation and cross departmental teams
- Provide advice, support and challenge to operational partners improve cost control, compliance with internal control and efficient marshalling of LifeArc resources
- Demonstrate significant subject matter expertise and knowledge of LifeArc financial policies and apply such knowledge to guide and influence as a business partner
- Provide input to shape LifeArc's financial policies and procedures
- Develop and maintain knowledge of the Life Sciences industry
Who you are
You must be able to demonstrate experience of business partnering, portfolio management and financial planning in life sciences, preferably in early stage research. You will be responsible for achieving targets against a specified plan, or project objectives from your line manager. You will apply your extensive background knowledge to work on significant and critical business issues that address future concepts and services that impact the success of the organisation. You will drive innovation of new systems and processes to address issues for all areas of the business. You will demonstrate leadership by actively engaging with the organisation to develop and implement innovative processes and systems to support the business units' objectives, along with those of the entire organisation. A recognized accounting qualification and experience with financial planning software e.g. Adaptive Insights would be an advantage.
Salary:
Your salary will be determined by qualifications and experience. In addition, LifeArc offers a defined contribution pension scheme, private health insurance, a flexible benefits scheme, 31 days paid holiday per year.
LifeArc is committed to the principles and practices of equal opportunities and to encouraging the establishment of a diverse workforce. It is our policy to employ individuals on the basis of their suitability for the work to be performed and their potential for development, regardless of age, sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief. This includes creating a culture that fully reflects our commitment to equal opportunities for all.
To apply please email your CV and covering letter explaining why you want to work for LifeArc to: or by post to Recruitment, LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX (electronic applications preferred).
Kelly Services are acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this role. Should you choose to apply, your information will be processed in accordance with Kelly's Privacy Statement.
As an Equal Opportunities employer we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
