Finance Business Partner (Place and Corporate)

Job Title: Finance Business Partner (Place and Corporate)

Grade: G

Directorate: Finance

Responsible to: Head of Financial Business Partnering (Place and Corporate)

Last Review Date: January 2026

Job Purpose

As a key manager in the department to manage and mobilise resources proactively to contribute to achievement of Thurrock’s Finance ambition to be “Best in Class”, to contribute to a high performance and continuous improvement culture delivering leading edge financial and commercial management underpinned by robust analysis and promoting and embedding best practice methods and standards.

Lead by example in modelling and embedding the council’s values and behaviours, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council’s objectives and priorities to help build a sustainable highly effective organisation and develop our reputation as a successful council delivering great value for its residents.

Reporting to the Head of Finance Business Partnering for Place and Corporate, this role will be expected to work with service leads across Place and Corporate providing them a full business partnering service. The role will support the services with the delivery of savings and efficiencies and aiding decision making.

Values & Accountabilities

Our Shared Values:

• Together, we hold ourselves to account to get things done. We do this by demonstrating accountability and integrity.
• Together, we make possible what cannot be achieved alone. We do this by being collaborative and focusing on impact.
• Together, we will listen and act to continually improve. We do this by being responsive to local people and the issues they raise and adapting our approach to achieve better outcomes.

Corporate Accountabilities:

• To work with colleagues to achieve service plan objectives and targets.
• To comply with data protection legislation and the council's Information Security Policy, including supporting policies.
• To be willing and able to work in a flexible and agile way with regard both to hours of work and location of work, including remote and home working, as required, subject to service needs and requirements.
• To participate in performance development, talent reviews and one-to-ones and to contribute to the identification of your own and team development needs and goals.
• To actively promote and comply with the council's diversity and equality policies.
• To ensure full compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 etc., the council's Health and Safety Policy and all locally agreed safe methods of work.
• To fully understand and be aware of the commitment to Section 17 'Duty of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to prevent crime and disorder'.
• At the discretion of the senior management, to undertake other activities as, from time to time, may be agreed consistent with the grade and nature of the role.
• To undertake and maintain relevant mandatory training in line with legislation.

Key Service Accountabilities:

• Provide a comprehensive finance business partnering service to allocated service department(s) and other agencies. Proactively manage work with budget managers to confirm savings proposals and outturn position. To support with capital projects assisting with costing and the review and challenge of potential pressures and savings, actively participate in regular meetings with business area to challenge and scrutinise monitoring figures, undertake service analysis to support the year-end position and the year-end accounts
• Anticipate and identify key financial issues and risks affecting the business which require the attention, resolve issues with Senior Managers and identify mitigating actions to ensure net expenditure is within budget, escalate to Strategic Finance Manager and other senior colleagues any business issues not resolved by Service Managers
• Be an effective liaison point between the business, the Corporate and Strategic Finance Team and Government Departments to ensure completion of all statutory returns
• Work proactively with the Strategic and Corporate Finance Teams to produce financial and commercial analysis to support the financial strategy, decision making and service reviews.
• Deliver robust financial and commercial analysis for business cases including signing-off financial implications for reports and other reviews as required
• Manage financial modelling of new services or changes to existing services including impact from specific legislation /policy changes, assessing and understanding the financial and non-financial implications for the Council
• Provide support (guidance, encouragement, challenge, and advice) to Budget Managers during budget preparation, monthly monitoring, year-end and closure of accounts – helping them to understand the financial information required and processes to be followed.
• Attend and provide financial and commercial advice at Departmental Management Meetings, Approval Boards and Project Teams as appropriate
• Provide advice on application and interpretation of financial regulations and standing orders and the Council’s financial procedures and practices
• Proactively manage the day-to-day performance of staff within direct control including recruitment, performance reviews, conflict resolution and ensure continuing professional development of self and team
• Develop specialist knowledge in areas covered by these posts including dedicated schools grant, adults and children’s social care, schools, education, capital and housing
• Look for opportunities to implement continuous improvement so that Thurrock Finance can be best in class
• Other duties as directed

 

Person Specification

Information for Applicants

The person specification provides an outline of the experience, skills, and abilities we expect the successful applicant to possess. You should match your own skills, experience, and abilities to those listed below. Tell us in what way you meet the requirements.

Essential Criteria

• CCAB/CIMA (Or Overseas Equivalent)
• Degree
• Post graduate or relevant knowledge and experience

Skills and Abilities: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• Ability to deploy relevant business and commercial knowledge and techniques including project, programme and change management techniques, research methodologies, KPIs, standards
• A proven track record of analysing and providing advice and guidance on local government finance and policy issues including legislative change and horizon scanning.
• Ability to lead, motivate, enthuse inform and develop people, both within the team and those in other departments
• Effective presentation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Effective and demonstrable commercial and financial skills.

Experience: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• Wide understanding of strategic financial planning and techniques and their application in a budget setting scenario.
• Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities, together with the legal, financial and political context of public sector management and the statutory responsibilities of this post.
• Experience of maintaining partnerships and productive working relationships within a complex policy and service environment with senior managers and councillors, and a wide range of other bodies, such as partner organisations, communities, public agencies and statutory bodies.

Values: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• To behave in accordance with our values.
• Commitment to the principles of agile working including the ability to work flexibly with regards to both hours of work and location of work including remote and home working as required.
• Understanding of and commitment to principles of equality and diversity and compliance with Thurrock Council policies.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities, together with the legal, financial and political context of public sector management and the statutory responsibilities of this post.
• Experience evidenced by a record of working in a significant organisational function or service in a large multi-disciplined organisation with comparable scope, budgets and resources, including of commercial and financial management.