Job Overview: Head of Finance Business Partnering (London)

The University of East London (UEL) is seeking a qualified, high-caliber finance professional to lead its Finance Business Partnering team at the Docklands Campus. This is a strategic leadership role designed to align financial management with the university’s “Vision 2028” goals. You will act as the primary financial advisor to senior budget holders across London, ensuring that UEL’s resources are deployed efficiently to support its “Industry 5.0” careers-first mission.

Job Summary

Employer: University of East London (UEL)
Location: Docklands Campus, London (E16)
Salary: £62,443 to £71,685 per annum (inclusive of London Weighting)
Post Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Closing Date: Friday 27 March 2026
Reference: 0610-26-S

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnering: Deliver robust financial management support to university budget holders, acting as a critical friend to ensure financial stability and strategic growth.
Financial Reporting: Lead the delivery of timely, accurate monthly management accounts and capital reporting, providing detailed variance analysis and risk mitigation strategies.
Budgeting & Forecasting: Direct the annual budgeting process and in-year forecasting for assigned areas, ensuring accountability and robust financial outputs.
Commercial Advisory: Provide high-quality financial analysis and business case support for new proposals, including commercial input and post-implementation reviews.
System Optimization: Maintain and improve finance systems—specifically Unit4—to ensure efficient reporting, compliance, and readiness for statutory audits.
Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain effective networks across the university, using influence and negotiation skills to drive “Value for Money” (VfM) across all operations.

Requirements & Qualifications

Professional Certification: Must be a fully qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA).
Experience: Proven track record in management accounting, business partnering, and leading complex financial budgeting/forecasting cycles.
Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex problems with limited data and provide commercially sound, customer-focused solutions.
Communication: Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to influence peers and support senior leadership.
Resilience: Comfortable managing multiple high-pressure deadlines while maintaining a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Salary & Benefits

Competitive Pay: A salary range of up to £71,685, reflecting the seniority and specialized nature of HE finance leadership.
Inclusive Culture: Work for a Stonewall member and Athena Swan award-winning employer dedicated to closing the diversity pay gap.
Strategic Impact: Directly contribute to UEL’s “Vision 2028” and the development of the 5.0 talent pipeline.
Environment: Access to UEL’s comprehensive benefits package, including generous leave, pension options, and professional development.

Job Description

Are you a finance leader who believes that numbers are the fuel for social transformation? The University of East London is looking for a Head of Finance Business Partnering who can turn financial data into a roadmap for student success. Based at our modern Docklands Campus, you will lead the charge in ensuring our financial resources are managed with “Passion, Inclusion, and Courage.”

In this role, you aren’t just “balancing the books.” You are a strategic architect. You will spend your time collaborating with deans and service heads, helping them navigate their budgets and build the business cases for the next generation of academic programs. Whether you are interrogating a Power BI dashboard or optimizing our Unit4 systems, your focus will always be on driving value and transparency.

UEL is a community that is constantly moving forward. As we advance toward our Vision 2028, we need a finance leader who is innovative, curious, and comfortable with complexity. You will be joining an inclusive environment that values talent wherever it is found and is determined to create a “green, balanced future.” If you are a qualified professional with a strong customer focus and a desire to take your career to the next level in one of London’s most diverse universities, we want you to apply today.

Expert Guide: Finalizing Your 2026 London Finance & Leadership Report

This Head of Finance role is the 29th entry in your comprehensive 2026 dataset. To wrap up your project, here are three ways to synthesize this information:

The “Senior Leadership” Salary Bracket: Compare this Head of Finance (£72k) role against the SOAS Professor (£72k) and the UCL Strategic Leader (£149k) to see regional and sector variations.
Finance vs. Data Governance: A comparison of the Head of Finance (£72k) versus the UEL Data Quality Officer (£52k), highlighting the gap between departmental leadership and technical compliance.

The “Vision 2028” Cluster: A summary of all current vacancies at UEL (Docklands) that are specifically aligned with the 2028 Strategic Plan.

University of East London (UEL): Pioneering Careers in the 5.0 Economy

The University of East London (UEL) is a high-energy, “careers-first” institution that has recently experienced a “meteoric ascent” in the UK academic landscape. Founded in 1892 and gaining university status in 1992, UEL is anchored in the historic Royal Docks and Stratford. By 2026, it has solidified its position as a top-tier modern university, breaking into the Top 40 UK universities (ranking 33rd in the Guardian University Guide 2026) and positioning itself among the top six in London. This transformation is driven by its “Vision 2028” strategy, which focuses on social mobility, digital innovation, and preparing students for the “5.0 economy”—an era defined by the intersection of technology, human-centricity, and sustainability.

The company culture is rooted in radical inclusion and “courageous” progress. UEL is one of the most diverse universities in the UK, with over 160 nationalities represented and a commitment to being an anti-racist, socially just institution. The environment is described as a “global gateway,” where the focus is shifted from traditional prestige to “Value-Added” metrics—ranking in the top three nationally for helping students exceed their predicted outcomes based on their entry qualifications. It is a collaborative, hands-on culture where staff and students are encouraged to be “community catalysts,” tackling local challenges like health inequality and climate change through world-leading research.

Key University Highlights (2026)

Feature	Details
National Ranking	33rd in the UK (Highest ever position, Guardian 2026)
Student Satisfaction	2nd in London and 4th in England for Overall Positivity (NSS 2025)
Core Mission	“Careers-First” – 90%+ graduate employability rate
Entrepreneurship	2nd in the UK for student start-ups, up from 90th in three years
Sustainability	Committed to Net-Zero Carbon Campuses by 2030
Social Impact	Ranked 1st in the UK for addressing inequalities (THE Impact Rankings)
Teaching Quality	University of the Year for Teaching Quality (Times/Sunday Times 2025)

Strategic Campus Hubs

UEL operates across three distinct, tech-enabled campuses, all connected by a free inter-campus bus and major lines like the Elizabeth Line and DLR.

Docklands Campus: A stunning waterfront hub at the Royal Albert Dock. It features the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, the “Innovation Lab,” and the iconic circular Student Village overlooking the Thames and city skyline.
Stratford Campus: Centered around a 19th-century listed building near the Olympic Park. This is the heart of Health, Sport and Bioscience, Psychology, and Education, including the new Hospital and Primary Care Training Hub.
University Square Stratford (USS): A £33 million specialist center for Arts and Creative Industries, featuring “Harvard-style” lecture theatres, a simulated moot courtroom, and professional dance and performance studios.

The “Careers-First” Approach

Unlike traditional universities, UEL embeds career development into the core curriculum via its Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth program.

Mental Wealth: Developing emotional intelligence, digital fluency, and resilience alongside academic theory to ensure students are “future-proofed.”
Industry-Led Design: Courses are co-produced with partners like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Siemens to ensure skills match the 2026 job market.
The Careers Guarantee: A formal commitment to provide every student with industry connections, placements, and 15 months of dedicated support post-graduation until they secure a career role.
Track My Future: A personalized digital platform and app that provides a “digital route-map” to university life, combining academic, career, and support services.

To apply for this job please visit jobs.uel.ac.uk.