Research Finance Business Partner

Location: Liverpool
Salary: £39,000 – £45,000 per annum
Contract: 12-month fixed-term contract
Working Pattern: Hybrid – minimum 3 days per week on-site

We are looking for two Research Finance Business Partners to join a busy and collaborative finance team in Liverpool on a 12-month fixed-term basis.

These roles offer an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional to work closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, providing commercial financial insight across a portfolio of research activity, grants and partnerships.

The Role

As a Research Finance Business Partner, you will act as a trusted financial adviser to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. You will provide financial insight, support effective decision-making and ensure research funding is managed appropriately throughout its lifecycle.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Business partnering with stakeholders across a diverse portfolio of research activity.

• Providing financial advice and commercial insight to support effective decision-making.

• Managing budgets, forecasts, reconciliations and financial reporting.

• Monitoring research funding and expenditure against budgets.

• Supporting the financial management of grants and research partnerships.

• Working across multiple currencies, including GBP, EUR, USD, KES and TZS.

• Building strong, effective relationships with a broad range of funders and partners across multiple countries.

• Applying sound commercial judgement when assessing funding requirements and cash-flow needs.

• Identifying financial risks and opportunities and providing practical recommendations.

• Working collaboratively with colleagues across finance and the wider organisation.

• Supporting stakeholders with financial processes and helping them understand the financial implications of their decisions.

About You

We are looking for someone who combines strong financial skills with excellent relationship-building and commercial judgement.

You will ideally have experience of:

• Finance business partnering within a complex organisation.

• Budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis.

• Grant, project or funding-related finance.

• Managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

• Working with multiple currencies and international partners.

• Making commercially sound decisions based on financial information rather than simply applying processes or rules.

Experience within a university, charity, NHS or local authority environment would be advantageous, particularly where you have worked with grants, research funding or post-award finance.

Formal qualifications are not essential. We are interested in candidates who can demonstrate strong practical finance experience, excellent stakeholder management and the ability to apply sound commercial thinking.

What You'll Bring

The successful candidate will be:

• A confident communicator who can build credibility with a wide range of stakeholders.

• Commercially minded, with the ability to look beyond the numbers and understand the wider context.

• Comfortable challenging and influencing stakeholders where appropriate.

• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail.

• Able to manage competing priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Comfortable working with complex financial information and international activity.

• A collaborative team player with a proactive and pragmatic approach.

Working Arrangements

These roles are based at a central Liverpool campus and require a minimum of three days per week on-site.

The on-site presence is an important part of the role, supporting effective collaboration and relationship building with colleagues and stakeholders.

The campus is approximately a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street station, with paid parking available nearby.

Contract & Salary

• 12-month fixed-term contract

• £39,000 – £45,000 per annum

• Hybrid working, with a minimum of 3 days per week on-site

• Based in Liverpool

If you are an experienced finance professional looking for a role where your financial expertise, stakeholder management skills and commercial judgement can make a genuine impact, we would be pleased to hear from you.