Finance Business Partner

Unite Group; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job description

The Role

Our fantastic Finance team are looking for a Finance Business Partner to join us in our Bristol office. This role forms part of the Property FP&A team, and is responsible for business partnering with all investment capex stakeholders to support the Portfolio performance team. Reporting in to the Property FP&A Manager, with key business stakeholders across the Portfolio and Capital Projects functions, you will support these functions primarily with commercial analysis, decision support and planning and forecasting for investment capital expenditure.

What You'll Be Doing

• Proactively develop and maintain strong relationships with investment capex budget holders and other business and finance stakeholders.
• Analysis of monthly investment capex actuals, providing insight to measure performance against budget and drive improvement throughout the business.
• Ensure that cash flow forecasting is updated promptly each month for all areas of investment capex and prepare variance analysis and commentary. Ensure actions are being taken to maximise cash flow, and provide insight to the wider business on availability of capital.
• Responsibility for the annual investment capex budget and five-year plan, as well as quarterly in-year reforecasts.
• Use Oracle EPM and Monday.com to prepare budget and forecasts for investment capex. Analyse performance against plans at asset, Fund and Group level, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend improvements.
• Work with budget holders to monitor and control costs for capex projects including estates capex, energy initiatives, property refurbishments and fire safety projects.
• Take the lead as finance representative on the Capital Planning program, attending monthly meetings and ensuring finance is a key agenda item.
• Ensure stakeholders have the latest information in relation to how capital can be used most efficiently and key areas of spend that can and can't be capitalised.
• Produce and present finance reports for exec level covering all impacts of capex activity on NAV (including property valuations) and Earnings, for both Group and Funds.
• Provide financial review of investment capex appraisals and Investment Committee papers.
• Cost centre business partnering support for capital cost centres, ensuring costs remain within budget.
• Take initiative to identify and prioritise required tasks with focus on adding value and providing insight.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of other areas of the business, and activities of our competitors; keep up to date with trends and developments within own professional area.

What We're Looking for in You

• Qualified Accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with post qualification experience gained within a commercial environment.
• Excellent analytical skills and advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• The role is based in our head office in Bristol, with flexibility around occasional travel to London and other UK locations required.
• Excellent communication skills including inspiring trust and influencing; challenging stakeholders on financial performance; communicating technical financial information in a clear and commercial manner; adapting style and content for different audiences; and demonstrating a confident, credible and accomplished presentation style. Ability to communicate the wider picture as well as the detail.
• Willingness to learn about the wider business. Curiosity and personal drive to be better.
• Possesses and promotes a positive attitude, with the ability to adapt swiftly and a willingness to undertake challenging tasks.

What You'll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company’s success.
• 25 days' paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service.
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save.
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends.
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents.
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK’s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn’t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We’re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we’re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what’s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.