Finance Business Partner

Salary: £50,000 - £62,000 (depending on experience)

Location: United Kingdom (Hybrid). We have an office in London, but we're happy to consider remote working for people based outside the M25.

Job Type: Permanent

Working pattern: Full time

We're open to exploring other working patterns on a case-by-case basis, where possible and in line with business needs.

Closing date: 10/ 11/ 2025 - We encourage early applications as we reserve the right, if required, to close this role ahead of the date advertised.

Who we are

We are Public Digital, a digital transformation consultancy. We help global institutions that matter thrive in the digital era. We apply the culture, processes, business models and technologies of modern delivery to help teams build and run excellent services. Working with the leaders doing strategy, and the teams doing delivery, we operate globally, advising large organisations and governments on six continents.

We're values-driven and we articulate them in our positions on the Public Digital website.

Attitude as much as skill is critically important to us as a team and we look for entrepreneurialism, initiative, kindness, and a willingness to pitch in. We fundamentally believe transformation is about people, and that change comes from creating great teams and the conditions to successfully empower them.

About the role

We're looking for a recently qualified accountant with a passion for using financial insight to drive real-world impact. At Public Digital, you'll apply your technical accounting and analytical skills but not in the traditional, back-office sense. You'll join the business partnering team, working closely with project and sector leads. This could mean helping them optimise their burn rate on a large transformation programme, shape the pricing model for a new service offering, or helping the project team understand the key drivers of profitability.

Our finance function is grounded in partnership and enablement. You'll be a financial coach for project teams, you'll help them forecast, budget, and interpret financial performance, driving decisions that lead to sustainable growth and better outcomes.

This is a role where you'll be learning constantly, building on your qualification by applying it in a dynamic, rapidly growing consultancy. It's a chance to make a bigger impact by translating complex financial data into clear, actionable strategies that help the whole organisation thrive.

How you'll make an impact

• Provide day-to-day financial insight for project teams and operational areas, taking responsibility for the accuracy and clarity of their financial data.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with non-finance colleagues, working as a coach to build their commercial awareness and financial literacy.
• Help shape annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, supporting teams to plan and deliver against realistic, measurable financial outcomes.
• Work with the project leads to ensure financial delivery of projects stays on track and to a high standard, with a focus on understanding the story behind the numbers and what matters for business health.
• Look for opportunities to streamline financial processes and improve how we track performance and manage risk across the business.
• Help set up new projects well by advising on commercial terms, pricing, and project governance to ensure maximum financial viability.
• Support directors by spotting opportunities to increase efficiency, manage costs effectively, and improve overall profitability.
• Contribute to the life and direction of Public Digital as a values-led organisation by ensuring all major decisions are underpinned by solid financial thinking.
• Create a positive, inclusive environment by demystifying finance and making it accessible to colleagues across the business.

What we're looking for

• A newly qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent) with a strong foundation in financial and management accounting principles.
• A pragmatic, proactive approach to managing financial ambiguity, with strong analytical, organisational, and Excel/modelling skills.
• Experience of Business Partnering (either during training or post-qualification), demonstrating exposure to commercial decision-making.
• A solid understanding of business drivers e.g. utilisation, ideally within a services or consultancy context.
• Stakeholder management skills, comfortable working with leaders and making progress by influencing others without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial data into clear, compelling narratives for a non-finance audience, both in writing and in person.
• An understanding of how to support healthy, collaborative team dynamics and ways of working between finance and the rest of the business.
• A track record of contributing to process improvement or sharing knowledge that has tangibly improved the flow or understanding of financial information.
• Experience of using CMap would be beneficial but not essential.

How you will be assessed:

We want to understand your background, experiences, perspective, and what motivates you to work with us.

We start with an initial sift of all applications, assessed against the What we're looking for criteria in the advert.

If you're shortlisted, the selection process will include:

• A short phone interview (up to 30 minutes) with a member of our talent team. Someone from the hiring team may also join.
• A panel interview, which may include a case study exercise. You'll receive the case study in advance, along with full details about the format.
• An informal peer chat, giving you the chance to speak with someone in a similar role at Public Digital.

Each stage is designed to be a two-way conversation, giving you the chance to get to know us too.

Please note that we have seen an increase in candidates using AI Bots to complete their answers, we use tools designed to detect AI generated answers and will reject candidates if we suspect they have used this technology.

Why you should apply

• Opportunity to grow and progress rapidly within an engaged, supportive environment.
• Be entrepreneurial and contribute to the growth and success of Public Digital.
• Deliver high-impact work with leading institutions around the world.
• Emphasis on learning, development, and progression.
• Build and develop your expertise and profile through publishing blog posts, presenting at events, and sharing knowledge.
• Empowerment to do your best work.
• Home and remote working, with flexibility in how you deliver work.
• Buddy system and prioritised mental health.
• Generous holiday allowance of 30 days, plus an additional office closure over the Christmas period.
• Private healthcare cover.
• Flexible benefits allowance.

Be a part of our amazing work culture. To read more about it please visit our Careers page which gives more details about our culture, employees and benefits.

We're an equal opportunities employer. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best. Public Digital's mission is to help institutions thrive in the internet era - to do that well, we aim to hire and empower people who reflect the diversity of the users, communities and organisations we work with.

We actively encourage applications from under-represented and minoritised groups, including those with lived experience of the challenges we're working to address. We're keen to hear from curious, collaborative and thoughtful people regardless of gender, age, ethnic identity, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, neurodiversity or physical disability.

If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement in the job description, please apply anyway, you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.

Things you need to know

• Salary
  We'll offer a salary that reflects your experience and the skills you show throughout the process. We aim to be as competitive as possible based on what you bring to the role.
• Flexible working
  We support flexible working, and you can split your time between home and our London office. Most of the team comes in around once a week to collaborate, but there's no set requirement to be in regularly.
• Right to work
  You'll need to already have the right to work in the UK when you start. We're not able to sponsor visas for this role.
• Reserve list
  If you're successful at the final stage but we don't have an immediate role available, we may place you on a reserve list for up to 6 months. This means we can get back in touch if a similar opportunity comes up within that time, and you won't need to reapply.
• Closing date
  We encourage you to apply early, as we review applications on a rolling basis. Due to the high volume of applications we've been receiving, we may close the role before the advertised deadline and won't be able to accept applications once it's closed.
• We aim to give at least 24 hours' notice of early closure by updating the job advert where possible. Reviewing applications as they come in also helps us get back to candidates sooner, so you're not left waiting.