Finance Business Partner

Are you a commercially minded finance professional looking to make a meaningful impact in a world-leading scientific environment?

At the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), part of European Molecular Biology Laboratory, we are advance scientific discovery through bioinformatics and enable solutions for global challenges such as infectious diseases, food insecurity and loss of biodiversity. With over 1,900 colleagues across six international sites, EMBL is one of the most influential research organisations in the world.

We are seeking two experienced Finance Business Partners to join our collaborative Budget Office team, based at the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge.

Your role 

In this role, you won’t just report numbers; you’ll partner directly with world-class scientists, and help to shape the financial success of pioneering research projects. You’ll play a critical role in ensuring that our grant funding is managed effectively, enabling breakthroughs that can transform science and healthcare globally.

As a Finance Business Partner you will report to the EBI Budget Office Manager taking ownership for:

• Leading the financial management of a portfolio of research grants, from post-award through to reporting

• Collaborate closely with our Group Leaders, supporting their strategic objectives

• Monitor and control project expenditure, ensuring alignment with funding requirements

• Prepare accurate and timely financial reports for grant-awarding bodies

• Conduct quality reviews to ensure compliance with funding rules and internal processes

• Proactively identify financial risks and provide clear, actionable insights

• Support payment distribution across research partners and projects

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing financial processes and service delivery

• Play a key role in financial systems development, including Workday enhancements and user training

• Build strong relationships across scientific and operational teams, influencing decision-making at multiple levels

You have 

• Professional Accounting Qualifications (ACCA, ICAEW, ACA, CIMA or equivalent)

• University degree in Finance

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a well-regarded medium/large organisation

• Experience of financial/budgetary control and management

• Excellent analytical and organisational skills

• Flexible approach to work and ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload

• Ability to use own initiative to work proactively and independently often working to deadlines set by others

• Excellent general interpersonal skills, including diplomacy and negotiating skills, with the ability to hold difficult conversations with a variety of different colleagues.
   

You may also have

• Experience of working in an international organisation
   

Contract length: 3 years (limited)

Salary: Grade 6 monthly salary from £3,695.61 after tax plus generous benefits and financial allowances depending on family circumstances. Excluding personal pension and insurance contributions.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. 

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

Enjoy lots of benefits:

• Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances

• Flexible working arrangements

• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)

• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays

• Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)

• Campus life: Free shuttle bus (Heidelberg), library, subsidised on-site cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)

• Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances

• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

• For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.

• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.

• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date