E&E Finance Business Partner

As a valued employee of the British Council, you already help us deliver our mission to support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

You are part of our organisation in over 200 countries and territories and where we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

The Role:

This role partners with the English & Exams (E&E) business to provide financial insight, planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis. Working closely with operational teams, it supports informed decision-making, risk management, and commercial performance, acting as a collaborative finance partner to maximise business impact.

Accountabilities:  

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a trusted finance partner to Finance Directors and Market Leads, providing decision support, financial insights, and profitability analysis to drive commercial performance and strategic outcomes.
• Enable stakeholders to understand financial performance by identifying cost drivers, KPIs, risks, and opportunities while building strong relationships across finance, programme delivery, and corporate services.
• Manage multiple stakeholder and product support requests, effectively prioritising work based on risk, business impact, urgency, and competing demands.

Operational Decision Support

• Develop financial analysis and business cases for Teaching Centres, delivery models, market expansion, property changes, and investment opportunities to support strategic decision-making.
• Produce cost-benefit, ROI, and payback analyses, alongside operational and commercial models, to optimise pricing, utilisation, and delivery channels.
• Conduct scenario and financial modelling to assess regulatory, tax, and organisational changes, supporting multi-year planning through revenue, margin, and cost forecasts.

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Support annual planning, forecasting, reforecasting, and scenario modelling by consolidating inputs across business units and regions, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with approved assumptions and strategy.
• Provide clear financial guidance to non-finance stakeholders, explaining variances, managing budget and forecast queries, and supporting expenditure tracking and financial processes.

Financial Monitoring, Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare and deliver accurate management reporting, KPI dashboards, variance analysis, and performance insights, highlighting trends, key drivers, and emerging issues across Exams and Teaching.
• Produce ad hoc analysis and reporting to support business decisions, performance reviews, and leadership requirements, while ensuring data accuracy through close collaboration with the CoE and reporting teams.

Role specific knowledge and experience: 

Essential:

• Intermediate experience in financial management, FP&A, or management accounting.
• Strong financial modelling, forecasting and analytics skills.
• Strong data literacy (Power BI, dashboard creation).
• Experience providing financial support to operational teams with positive feedback.
• Strong communication skills, including story telling supported with data, and the ability to effectively explain financials to non‑finance colleagues.
• Experience handling multiple deadlines and working with a portfolio of activities.

Desirable:

• Experience in Exams, Teaching, or broader education / commercial service environments.
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP platforms.
• Experience with Anaplan or similar EPM platforms.

Role specific skills:

• Business Partnering: able to build trust and communicate financial information clearly to non‑finance teams.
• Financial Acumen: solid understanding of budgeting, forecasting and financial performance drivers.
• Analytical Skills: able to prepare meaningful internal variance analysis and identify early warning indicators.
• Multi‑tasking and prioritisation: able to manage multiple demands and deadlines.
• Collaboration: strong relationship‑building skills across dispersed teams.
• EPM System Expertise (preferably Anaplan): confident in both planning and reporting functions.

Language Requirements:

The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.

Closing Date:   Applications will close at 23:59 IST on Sunday, 11 October 2026

Important Information:

• Business Division: Finance and Corporate Services
• Pay Band: 7-F
• Country/Location:  Lagos/Abuja, Nigeria | Nairobi - Kenya
• Contract Type: Indefinite Contract (Permanent)

• Proof of Identity requirements/right to work in country: Candidates should ensure they have the pre-existing legal right to live and work in the country where the role is based. Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. 

 
British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service.  This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org