Lead Finance Business Partner

Job Title:                     Lead Finance Business Partner

Location:                     Ashton Vale, Bristol + Hybrid Working Arrangements

Compensation:           Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type:                   Full time / Permanent

Role ID:                       SF76048

Shape the financial strategy behind projects that help create a safe and secure world

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Lead Finance Business Partner at our Bristol site, near Bristol, Gloucestershire.

The role

As a Lead Finance Business Partner, you'll play a critical leadership role within our Mission Technologies business, partnering with senior leaders on complex programmes and business activities that support the defence, aerospace and engineering sectors. This is an opportunity to influence strategic decisions, drive business performance and lead a high-performing finance team, while contributing to projects that have a meaningful impact on national capability and security.

Working closely with Operational Directors, Programme Managers and senior stakeholders, you'll provide expert financial insight, identify risks and opportunities, and help shape the long-term success of a diverse portfolio of programmes. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced finance leader looking to combine commercial influence, leadership and strategic thinking in a purpose-driven organisation.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Lead the provision of financial support and insight to programme and operational leadership teams.


• Drive forecasting, budgeting, and long-term strategic planning activities across a portfolio of programmes and contracts.


• Partner with senior stakeholders to challenge assumptions, improve performance and support decision-making.


• Lead the preparation and presentation of financial reporting, forecasts, and performance commentary to senior management.


• Identify financial risks and opportunities while driving margin improvement, profitability, and cash performance initiatives.

This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with days in the office and days working from home.

Essential experience of the Lead Finance Business Partner

• Significant experience in a Finance Business Partnering or commercial finance leadership role.


• Proven ability to influence, challenge and engage senior stakeholders across operational and functional teams.


• Strong leadership experience with a track record of managing and developing finance professionals.


• Experience supporting complex programmes, contracts, or projects within a large organisation.


• Excellent commercial acumen with the ability to translate financial information into meaningful business insight.

Qualifications for the Lead Finance Business Partner

• Professionally qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or demonstrable equivalent experience.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Standard (BPSS) and Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer 

• Generous holiday allowance


• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance


• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+


• Employee share scheme


• Employee shopping savings portal


• Payment of Professional Fees


• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave


• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement


• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity


• Flexible working – we give people more options to better integrate their work and personal life, whilst ensuring that business needs are met


• A dynamic working environment


• Private Medical Insurance and Annual Incentive Plan applicable to this grade

Babcock

We’re Babcock — a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 29,000 people working together to make a difference.

Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we’re building a future that lasts — not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

We call that lifetime engineering.

Join us and see how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident, committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [email protected] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 07/10/2026

#MISYS