Jobs for the Arts, Culture and Heritage sector

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

Budgeting & Forecasting

• 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

Business Partnering & Leadership

• 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

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• 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

About You
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.

Key benefits include:

• 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

Apply Now
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

Our client is a world-renowned, independent policy institute based in London, dedicated to building a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world through the advancement of international relations. Following a period of rapid growth, the organisation is currently undergoing an exciting phase of transformation—consolidating and simplifying their internal structures, modernising their financial systems, and refining their strategic business model. 

Goodman Masson are exclusively partnered with this prestigious institute to recruit for a high-calibre Finance Business Partner to join their dynamic central finance team.

This role would suit an ACA qualified auditor looking to make their first move into industry or someone who has already established themselves as a qualified Finance Business Partner within the not for profit sector. 

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the Finance Director, you will act as a vital strategic partner to the institutes core international research programmes (covering Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East). This is not a traditional back-office accounting role; you will actively bridge the gap between central finance and research directors, driving a culture of financial accountability and empowering non-financial stakeholders to make data-driven strategic decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Partnering: Build trusted relationships with budget holders and research colleagues, providing commercial acumen, financial insights, and expert analysis to improve financial performance. 

• Financial Planning & Analysis: Lead the annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and management reporting for dedicated programmes.

• Project & Grant Oversight: Oversee the financial health of complex research projects, ensuring accurate income recognition, monitoring variances, and ensuring strict compliance with complex funding/grant requirements.

• Commercial & Contract Management: Collaborate with the Contract Manager and Research Partnerships team to support project costing, ensure legal/financial terms are optimised, and manage audit processes for centre funding. 

• Continuous Improvement: Play a key role in change projects to modernise procedures, enhance internal financial controls, and improve the efficiency and value-add of the finance function.

• Statutory Support: Assist with the preparation of annual statutory accounts, including necessary disclosures and detailed analysis.

Essential Criteria: 

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA, ACCA or equivalent)
• Background within either external audit or a Business Partnering role within a similar organisation.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to translate complex financial metrics into clear, concise, and accessible insights for diverse, non-financial audiences.

Salary is £60,000 per annum + Excellent Benefits. 

Hybrid working with 2 days per week in the London office. 

Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis therefore please apply ASAP to ensure your details are considered.