Finance Business Partner - Defence

Salary – Competitive + Strong Benefits Package

Permanent - Full Time

Hybrid role with expectations to travel nationally

At Serco, our Defence business plays a critical role in supporting military capability, operational readiness, and essential defence services across the UK. We are looking for an experienced Finance Business Partner with a strong Defence sector background to support a complex and operationally focused portfolio.

The opportunity

This role is a key strategic finance position within our Defence business unit, partnering directly with operational and commercial leaders to drive financial performance, support growth, and influence decision-making across critical services and contracts.

You will operate in a fast-paced environment where strong stakeholder management, commercial judgement, and resilience are essential. This role requires someone who can confidently challenge senior leaders, navigate complexity, and provide meaningful insight that improves operational and financial outcomes.

What you’ll be doing

• Partner with Defence business leaders to provide strategic financial and commercial support
• Deliver insight and analysis to support profitable and sustainable contract performance
• Lead long-range planning, and scenario analysis activities
• Support operational leaders in understanding financial performance, risks, and opportunities
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and identify efficiencies across contracts and services
• Provide commercial support around contract changes, rebids, extensions, and customer negotiations
• Challenge assumptions and influence decision-making to improve business performance
• Work closely with operational, commercial, and finance teams across the wider business
• Support governance and ensure strong financial control and accountability

What we’re looking for

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent)
• Previous experience within the Defence sector is essential
• Strong commercial finance and business partnering background within a complex operational environment
• Experience supporting large-scale contracts, programmes, or service-based operations
• Excellent senior stakeholder management and influencing capability
• Strong communication skills with the ability to simplify complex financial information
• Experience driving transformation, process improvement, or operational efficiencies
• Ability to operate with confidence, credibility, and resilience in a demanding environment
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance operational priorities and financial performance

Additional Requirements:

• Must currently hold, or be eligible and willing to undergo, SC (Security Check) Clearance

Why join us

This is an opportunity to join a highly visible finance team supporting critical Defence operations and services. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, contribute to strategic decision-making, and play a key role in driving performance and continuous improvement across an important area of the business.

If you’re looking for a role where you can genuinely influence outcomes, operate at pace, and work within a complex Defence environment, we’d love to hear from you.

What we offer

• Company car / £4200 cash alternative  
• Private healthcare
• Bonus scheme of up to 20%
• Pension – 6%
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.

About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services.  We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.  For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.
 

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box’ pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.