CPI helps make great ideas and inventions a reality. We’re a team of intelligent people using advances in science and technology to solve the biggest global challenges in healthcare and sustainability.
Through our incredible people and innovation infrastructure, we collaborate with our partners in industry, academia, government, and the investment community to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative products.
From health technologies and pharmaceuticals to sustainable food and materials innovations, we turn the entrepreneurial spirit and radical thinking of our people and partners into incredible impact that makes our world a better place.
The Finance business partner (FBP) actively contributes to the realisation of CPI’s Financial Strategy, by providing effective, accurate and timely information and high-quality support to your designated business units to support the delivery of their ongoing business objectives and targets.
The FBP will act as a trusted point of contact for the relevant business units, using your financial expertise and problem-solving skills to lead, advise and constructively challenge financial performance to deliver effective budgetary control and financial forecasting information. Assisting your business units to understand and comply with the strict public funding guidelines applied by the various funders that CPI engage with is also a key part of this role.
The FBP will proactively build and manage effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, providing high quality financial analysis to support and drive decision-making, whilst ensuring compliance to funding and financial reporting requirements. The role will lead the annual mid-year review and budget setting process for the respective business units, ensuring accuracy and completion to the agreed timetable.
Key responsibilities
To maintain consistent and document compliance with all relevant Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Data Integrity (DI), quality and best practice requirements.
To develop and maintain effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
Business partnering
To act as key finance contact for the relevant business unit, supporting and guiding internal and external stakeholders to make financially informed and compliant decisions in a timely manner.
To produce and develop the monthly business unit reports to the agreed reporting timetable, that reflect the financial performance of business units and includes meaningful commentary to support key decision-making.
To establish budget holder meetings with key stakeholders on a periodic basis to discuss and constructively challenge variances, reviewing all costs and commitments to ensure accurate quarterly forecasting information can be collated and supplied to the Management Accountant.
To lead the annual mid-year review and budget setting process for the respective business units, in order to support and feed into the CPI-wide Budget compilation by the Management Accountant.
To ensure the production of robust, quality information including various project and cost reports, reviewing these proactively with internal stakeholders, highlighting and investigating variances
To produce and issue other relevant ad-hoc financial and project progress reporting as required by business units.
To communicate financial information and guidance in a clear and non-technical manner to non-finance colleagues in the business units, acting as the interface or “translator” between finance and operations.
Project (public and private) financial delivery
To ensure that the financial requirements of all grant offer letter and private contracts are met including financial reporting requirements (e.g. Article 55 and Article 66).
To calculate methodology and compute overhead recovery, intervention rates, asset recovery and any other relevant project calculations
To coordinate and assist with grant audit preparation to ensure CPI meet its financial reporting standards.
To ensure that all supporting information, including full audit trail and reconciliation of grant claims and project costs is captured and maintained in a timely, logical manner
To assist where necessary with production and submission of all grant claims ensuring compliance with various funder rules, regulations and deadlines
To provide analysis of costs and timesheets to ensure they are eligible, correctly coded and within budget
To ensure the accurate preparation and input of journals supported by reconciliations according to agreed procedures and deadlines
To ensure maintenance of project cash flow plans and forecasting.
To liaise with and guide other grant participants (where CPI is a Lead Partner).
General
To develop and maintain effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
To assist in the development of financial systems, policies and procedures as directed by the Head of Finance.
To keep up to date with developments in all financial areas relevant to role.
To support the Finance Director and Head of Finance with ad-hoc activities as required.
Education / qualifications
Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) in a Finance or Business-related subject or possess subsequent relevant experience.
Knowledge and experience
Demonstrates competence with Sage Accounting or similar accounting software.
Excellent analytical and numerical abilities with a strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Extensive experience with publicly funded projects.
Experience with privately funded projects.
Excellent communication skills.
At CPI, we offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, this includes:
Up to 36 days holiday, including bank holidays – Plus a holiday purchasing scheme
Generous pension scheme
Life assurance and accident insurance schemes
Flexible working
Learning and Development Opportunities
Free parking
Find out more about our culture and benefits.