Senior Finance Business Partner

Natural History Museum

Senior Finance Business Partner

Salary: £65,000

Contract: Permanent, full-time (36 hours per week)

Hybrid working: 3 days a week in the office based in South Kensington

The Natural History Museum is one of the world’s most iconic visitor attractions and a globally respected scientific research centre. Home to over 80 million specimens, we are uniquely placed to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our planet today. Each year we welcome more than five million visitors, inspiring people to care about the natural world.

As we work towards our ambitious strategy leading up to our 150th anniversary in 2031, we are seeking a talented and driven finance professional to play a critical role in supporting major capital programmes and shaping financial decision-making across the organisation.

This is a high-profile and impactful role where you will partner with senior stakeholders, providing insight, challenge and robust financial analysis to support both strategic and operational decisions.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Finance, the Senior Finance Business Partner will play a central role in supporting the Museum’s capital programmes, including the NHM150 portfolio.

You will lead on financial planning, modelling and analysis, ensuring accurate and insightful reporting to support decision-making across complex, multi-year projects.

Working closely with senior leaders, project teams and external stakeholders, you will act as a trusted advisor—bringing commercial insight, financial rigour and strategic thinking to drive successful outcomes.

This role combines technical excellence, leadership and strong stakeholder engagement, with a clear focus on continuous improvement and organisational impact.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Analysis

• Lead financial support for major capital programmes, providing robust modelling and scenario analysis


• Deliver insightful analysis of costs, risks and opportunities to support strategic decision-making


• Produce detailed financial reports, including variance analysis and commentary

• Own the development and management of programme budgets and forecasts


• Oversee cashflow forecasting and ensure alignment with wider organisational financial planning


• Ensure accuracy of income, expenditure and accounting treatment across projects

• Build strong relationships with project teams, senior stakeholders and external partners


• Act as a trusted advisor, providing clear and accessible financial insight


• Present financial information to both finance and non-finance audiences


• Line manage and develop two Finance Business Partners

• Support risk management processes, including financial risk and contingency planning


• Enhance financial processes, controls and reporting tools


• Collaborate with development teams on funding applications and financial reporting requirements

We are looking for a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with strong business partnering experience and a track record of supporting complex programmes or projects.

You will bring:

• Significant experience in senior finance business partnering roles with large or complex budgets


• Strong financial modelling, analysis and advanced Excel skills


• Experience of working with senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making


• Proven ability to present complex financial information clearly to non-finance audiences


• Strong leadership skills, including experience managing and developing team members


• A proactive, solutions-focused approach with a commitment to continuous improvement


• Experience in the charity, museum or not-for-profit sector is advantageous but not essential.

• 27.5 days annual leave plus public holidays


• Defined contribution pension scheme (up to 10% employer contribution)


• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements


• Access to wellbeing support and employee assistance programmes


• Discounts across Museum shops, cafés and local venues


• Free or discounted access to museums and cultural institutions


• Enhanced family-friendly policies and support

The Natural History Museum are partnering exclusively with Allen Lane and Iain Slinn on the recruitment of this role. Please reach out to Iain to discuss in more detail

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