| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | FP&A Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in finance or FP&A |
Finance Business Partner job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Finance Business Partner
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: FP&A Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Finance Business Partner sits with a business function and helps it make better financial decisions. They own the numbers for that function, challenge spend, model options and translate finance into language the business understands. The role reports to the FP&A Manager or Finance Manager and works daily with a department head. A good Business Partner earns the trust of the business, brings finance into decisions early and helps the function hit its targets without losing control of cost.
Key responsibilities
- Own the budget, forecast and results for the assigned business function.
- Partner with the department head on plans, spend and targets.
- Analyse the function's costs and drivers and find savings.
- Build business cases and models for the function's decisions.
- Explain financial results and variances to non finance managers.
- Challenge spend requests and check the return before approval.
- Track the function's key operating and financial metrics every month.
- Flag risks and opportunities in the function's numbers early.
- Bring finance discipline into pricing, hiring and project decisions.
- Link the function's plans back to the company budget and MIS.
Requirements
- MBA in Finance, CA or CMA
- Strong analysis and communication skills
- Business facing experience is an advantage
- 3 to 6 years in finance or FP&A
KRAs and KPIs for a Finance Business Partner
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Business impact | Function meets its cost and margin targets for the year |
| Forecast reliability | Function forecast within the agreed variance of actual each quarter |
| Decision support | Business cases delivered within the agreed turnaround for the function |
| Spend discipline | Function spend held within budget with variances explained monthly |
| Trust | Finance brought into major function decisions before they are made |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Advanced Excel, Power BI, SAP, Financial models, Presentation tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: FP&A Manager, Finance Manager, Head of FP&A
Interview questions for a Finance Business Partner
- How do you win the trust of a department head who avoids finance?
- How do you challenge a spend request without blocking the business?
- Walk me through a decision you influenced with analysis.
- How do you explain a variance to a non finance manager?
- How do you balance being a partner with keeping control?
- How do you help a function hit its cost target?
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What does a Finance Business Partner do?
A Finance Business Partner sits with a business function and helps it decide well. They own the budget, forecast and results for that function, challenge spend, build business cases and translate finance for non finance managers. They report to the FP&A or Finance Manager and work daily with a department head.
What is the difference between a Finance Business Partner and an FP&A Analyst?
An FP&A Analyst mostly builds models and reports from the finance team. A Finance Business Partner is embedded with a business function, faces the department head directly and influences decisions. The partner role adds relationship, challenge and commercial judgement to the analytical skills of an analyst.
What qualifications does a Finance Business Partner need?
Most Finance Business Partner roles ask for an MBA in Finance, a CA or a CMA with strong analysis and communication skills. Three to six years in finance or FP&A is usual. Business facing experience and the ability to influence non finance managers matter as much as technical skill.