Research and policy officer jobs in woodberry down, greater london

London South Bank University are partnering exclusively with Robertson Bell to recruit to a Finance Business Partner position on a permanent basis. London South Bank University (LSBU) is a modern, dynamic university with a long history of leading the way in applied education and practice-led earning. With over 17000 students and 2000 staff from over 130 countries, we work together to foster the development of graduates, ready to address business and societal challenges.

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in shaping financial decisions? As a Finance Business Partner, you will support key stakeholders through detailed reporting, insightful analysis, and actionable financial insights. In this role, you’ll provide strategic recommendations on critical financial decisions, ensuring that finance is central to decision-making at LSBU.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Following the agreed process, conduct the annual budget setting process for the partnered units.
• Deliver finance business partnering services, including: budget setting, business case review, aiding comprehension of financial reports, financial approver maintenance, monthly forecasting, and providing advice and insight to budget holders.
• Provide ad hoc analysis to stakeholders in the partnered units.  This will often include a combination of financial and non-financial data to deliver information that improves decision making and planning.
• Following the agreed timetable, produce accurate monthly forecasts for the partnered units.  Follow consistent processes and templates, and engage constructively with efforts to improve the efficiency of those processes.
• For the partnered units, maintain an accurate record of financial approvers on the finance system.  This includes making any necessary changes, and regularly monitoring the financial approvers to ensure they are correct.
• Review, and seek regular feedback from stakeholders on, the usefulness of the suite of financial reports available to budget holders.  Pass feedback to the Head of Financial Planning & Business Partnering and the Head of Financial Reporting & Analysis.
• Using the suite of training materials developed by senior members of the team, deliver regular training to budget holders in the partnered units.

Our fantastic campus in central London is based around the historic, vibrant, and unique Elephant and Castle in the best student city in the world (QS World University Rankings, 2023). We also have specialist health campuses in Croydon and Havering.

We are highly commended as an Outstanding Entrepreneurial University (Times Higher Awards, 2022) and ranked third in the world for Reducing Inequality (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, 2024). We are proud that our graduates are the highest paid amongst all London modern universities one year after completing their course (LEO, 2022).

The successful candidate will:

• In the final stages of becoming qualified with a professional accountancy body (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
• Finance business partnering to non-finance professionals.
• Working in close partnership with other professional functions (e.g. HR, IT), with a supportive and collegiate style.
• Closely following defined processes, including complex processes, requiring a keen eye for detail.

• Ability to conduct basic financial modelling, combining data from multiple sources to provide useful information for decision making purposes.
• Interpersonal skills, and the ability to put across financial information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Strong IT skills, including MS Excel.
• Good technical accounting knowledge and the ability to apply it to practical scenarios.
• Good time management skills.

The successful candidate will be based in their central London office and benefit from a hybrid working pattern.

Applications will be under constant review before the closing date so please submit your application to our exclusive agent Robertson Bell. Apply now to be considered!

About the role:

Battersea is entering an exciting phase of innovation and transformation as we embark on the first year of our new five-year strategy. With increased investment in income generation starting in 2025, we are expanding our team to drive the growth necessary to achieve our organisational goals. Our fundraising team bridges the journey of the animals in our care with the wider public, demonstrating how their contributions enable us to support every dog and cat. We now have several new roles within this team to further our mission.

Main purpose of the role:

This is a new role working within Battersea’s Income Generation department to develop and deliver the campaign plan for a £4-6million pound capital fundraising appeal.

One of the key pillars of Battersea’s current strategy is to ensure that we continue to provide expert care for all the dogs and cats that come through our gates. One of the ways in which we do this is by investing in our facilities to ensure that they continue to meet the changing needs of the animals we care for. This fundraising campaign will help to achieve that aim.

You will work with teams across Battersea to develop a comprehensive plan for the campaign and co-ordinate the work of multiple specialist teams to deliver the campaign on a day-to-day basis. You will also be responsible for developing a clear governance structure for the campaign, and ensuring all stakeholders are kept informed of progress. You will also oversee and track progress of a series of internal process improvements that support the running of the campaign.

Please note, this is not a direct fundraising position, but will support our fundraising teams in delivering ambitious financial targets for the appeal.

What we can offer you:

In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources
• Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our hybrid working model:

We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.

We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.

More about us:

At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Acceptable use of AI:

At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.

To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.

Closing date: 28th September 2025

All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interview date(s):

First Stage (online): w/c 6th and 13th October 2025

Second Stage (in person): to be confirmed

For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack from our Careers website.