Finance Business Partner

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Finance Business Partner to join our Group Finance team and play a key role in ensuring our financial information is accurate, timely and useful. This is an important role combining strong management accounting with business partnering skills, supporting a growing, purpose-driven organisation that is transforming the curriculum in schools and developing new teachers.

You will report to the Ark Finance Director and work closely with the Financial Controller and Finance Director of UK Programmes, supporting our Curriculum Development and Teacher Training ventures. You will provide key financial information to inform decision-making, help budget holders manage budgets effectively and ensure income and expenditure are accurately recorded, monitored and reported.

The successful candidate will be part-qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or qualified by experience. This is an excellent opportunity to broaden your management accounting experience, work with colleagues across the organisation and contribute to a growing organisation with a clear mission.

The Finance Business Partner will report into Finance Director – Ark & Ventures and Finance Director, Ark UK Programmes. This role is currently operating hybrid working in our West London Office on a permanent basis working full time.

1st round interviews will be taking place in person W/C 09/11/2026 with 2nd round interviews taking place in person on W/C 16/11/2026.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts across two business entities
• Analyse monthly financial performance and present findings to stakeholders, providing challenge and insight where appropriate
• Prepare and post month-end journals, including accruals, prepayments, and internal recharges
• Support annual budgeting and in-year forecasting processes
• Conduct financial analysis, including expenditure, project, and income analysis
• Investigate and explain financial variances
• Act as a key liaison between the finance team and operational stakeholders
• Provide timely financial reporting, analysis, and advice to budget holders
• Improve financial understanding and confidence among non-finance colleagues
• Work closely with the AC+ Finance Director on forecasting, scenario planning, and financial modelling
• Support the continued optimisation of the Sage finance system, including automation opportunities, management reporting improvements, KPI development, and dashboards
• Identify, recommend, and implement process improvements to strengthen financial controls and promote best practice

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Part qualified accountant (e.g. AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent)
• 3-5 years’ experience of financial and management accounts
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience in management accounting and financial reporting
• Experience supporting budget holders and coordinating budgeting or forecasting processes
• Experience working with a range of stakeholders, including non-finance colleagues
• Experience using finance systems and reporting tools
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Experience within the charity, education, or not-for-profit sector
• Experience of Sage Intacct, PS Financials, SAP Concur, or similar finance systems
• Strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy
• Ability to interpret and communicate financial information clearly to non-finance audiences
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Ability to identify issues, investigate discrepancies, and implement solutions

• Our flexible working model offers the best of both worlds, balancing in person collaboration, either in our state of the art West London office or through visits to our schools, with the flexibility of remote working
• In addition to flexible working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

There are 34,000 students learning in our network of 48 schools across Birmingham, Hastings, London, Pontefract and Portsmouth. We’ve always believed that, with the right approach, every child has the potential to succeed. We work in the communities where we can make the biggest difference to children’s lives, and all our schools are non-selective. 

It works: our schools achieve great results – significantly outperforming national averages, especially when it comes to driving progress – the best measure for ‘closing the gap’.

We take what we learn in our schools to develop new solutions and approaches that we can share. Over the last two decades, we have developed and incubated more than 20 projects and programmes, supporting them to scale and achieve systemic impact on the life chances of all children. Over 300,000 children currently learn using an Ark curriculum and our Ark Start nurseries are demonstrating a new model for early years education that we hope will become the norm.