85434 - Financial Governance Manager

Ministry of Justice an Inclusive Employer

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer of choice and ensuring equity of opportunity for all. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Overview

Corporate Finance is structured to ensure it is streamlined and focussed on supporting the frontline. Our objective is to deliver:

• A streamlined Finance structure based upon a strong, effective Centre of Excellence with appropriate local retained functions where necessary and robust business partner model.
• An efficient and flexible model that support its customers as well as delivers on it commitments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Realise savings through rationalising our function.
• A structure that ensures there is the right mix of skills (including greater professionalism) to deliver the finance functional responsibilities.
• A robust service to Business Groups and other parts of the corporate centre.

MoJ is a continually changing organisation, so resilience and strong leadership are critical elements in the team being successful. As a leader and manager within MoJ the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus to visibly champion the MoJ values and the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money.

The Financial Management and Control Senior Management Team expects all leaders to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to the development of ourselves and our colleagues through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

The Financial Governance and Grants Centre of Expertise (CoE) has a pivotal role in providing support, advice and guidance to all staff including senior stakeholders, such as the Permanent Secretary, the Department’s Chief Operating Officer and all Directors General, CEOs and Accounting Officers.

The team also provide front-line staff with the right balance of control to allow the department to function effectively while protecting the public purse from misuse. This is achieved via clear guidance, targeted education and the willingness to find sustainable solutions to real time challenges.

Role Purpose

This role sits within the MoJ Financial Governance and Grants Centre of Expertise (CoE). The financial governance team has a broad role within the corporate finance function and requires the post holder to work on a unique range of governance, propriety and regularity issues.  MoJ is a complex organisation with five Agencies, over 25 Arm’s Length Bodies plus a corporate centre. The central team has a pivotal role as a ‘centre of expertise’, and as the conduit between the MoJ and the National Audit Office and HM Treasury on governance issues.

The team leads on:

• Providing advice and assurance to the Principal Accounting Officer on all matters relating to regularity and propriety, including the interpretation and application of Managing Public Money to the work of the department.
• Clearance of and strategic advice and updates in respect of National Audit Office value for money reports and the Government’s response to Public Accounts Committee reports, including Treasury Minutes.
• Providing advice on a wide range of varied issues to the Principal Accounting Officer and other Accounting Officers across the Ministry of Justice.
• Operation of and compliance with the Ministry’s Spending Control Framework.
• Meeting the department’s transparency publication in respect of third-party financial payments, including those made by government procurement cards.
• The administration of the department’s e-payment system, ensuring compliance with the department’s government procurement card policy.
• Grants governance, ensuring that the department is compliant with the mandatory grants functional standard.
• Various other activities relating to financial governance.

Responsibilities

• Building, maintaining and influencing strong relationships with key stakeholders and budget holders. Be proactive in anticipating issues and understanding underlying causes before providing solutions. Required to consult and negotiate with other grades, some more senior, or with other organisations.
• Developing a deep knowledge of diverse business areas, their needs and priorities, looking at the bigger picture to ensure that the business understands the regularity and propriety implications alongside value for money in the work they undertake.
• Responsible for the continuous improvement of business and financial control processes and helping build and develop financial capability and professionalism both inside the function and across the business. Promoting compliance across the department and challenging senior leaders where non-compliance is identified.
• Be a visible manager and responsible for embedding organisational vision, values and culture. Managing and coaching staff within the Financial Governance and Grants Centre of Expertise and ensuring that all professional training and development requirements are met.

Key responsibilities

This role is part of a team of Senior Executive Officers who work collectively in supporting the three Grade 7 postholders and the Grade 6 Head of Financial Governance and Grants CoE across the activities laid out below. The team operates a matrix management system, as such each member of the team will be responsible for a sub-set of the activities below. These responsibilities may change from time to time as workloads and priorities shift.

The Financial Governance and Grants CoE deliver:

• The effective implementation of the spending control framework, financial governance and rules. Ensuring the framework aligns with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury controls and allows the effective and efficient delivery of services by the department.
• The operation of the department’s scheme of delegation, working with stakeholders to produce a template delegation letter for use for all delegations across the department, its executive agencies and arm’s length bodies.
• Provision of advice to the business to ensure delivery plans are progressed within the confines of managing public money. Liaise with stakeholders across the department to ensure they understand and comply with all financial controls. Providing assurance that the controls remain effective and up to date.
• Support the department’s relationship with the National Audit Office on value for money studies and associated activities, working with the NAO and stakeholders across the department to understand how the work of the NAO impacts upon the department. Drafting and advice in support of the clearance of updates in respect of National Audit Office value for money reports and the Government’s response to Public Accounts Committee reports, including to Treasury Minutes and subsequent updates.
• Act as lead for providing advice and guidance on financial policy and governance issues; contributing to new initiatives and projects, developing procedures, consulting with other policy leads to assess potential impact and manage policy changes.
• Responsible for grants governance for a portfolio of grants as part of the Grants Centre of Expertise element of the team. Working with the Cabinet Office in respect of the application of appropriate governance for grant funding, ensuring that all grants allocated by the MoJ meet the Grants Functional Standard. Note, the day-to-day management of grants sits with policy and operational teams across MoJ.
• Operate the department’s e-procurement (Government Procurement Card (GPC)) scheme, ensuring the GPC policy is up to date, easily understood and assuring that cardholders and budget holders comply with it.
• Meeting the department’s transparency publication in respect of third-party financial payments, including those made by GPC.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties is maintained on the department’s electronic purchasing system, reviewing and approving applications for system access to the department’s ERP (SOP) and maintaining the approval hierarchies with the ERP.
• Production and submission of Accounting Officer appointment letters for issue by the Permanent Secretary
• Maintain and oversee the use of the Gifts and Hospitality portal, reviewing and reporting on compliance with appropriate policies.
• Review, quality assure and challenge HM Treasury submissions in relation to spending controls approvals prior to seeking HM Treasury approval.
• Draft and clear accurate and timely responses to finance related parliamentary questions and requests made under the Freedom of Information Act.
• From time-to-time various other activities relating to financial governance may be allocated.

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post

Key skills and knowledge

• A good understanding of managing public money as well as the principles of effective governance is desirable, but a willingness to learn and put that learning in practice is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels, including establishing and maintaining a good rapport with team members and our customers (we work to support all our colleagues across the department and view them as our customers).
• The ability to influence and negotiate with stakeholders to achieve delivery against tight and demanding deadlines.
• Able to be flexible in approaches to communication, using a variety of media including liaison with colleagues via Teams (both video and instant messaging) phone, email and in person as appropriate.
• Strong excel and data presentation skills and an ability to convey complex information to a variety of audiences, including the preparation and delivery of presentations and workshops with small groups of stakeholders.
• The postholder will be required to work flexibly across a range of duties so the ability to work in a culture of change and work with uncertainty and acceptable levels of risk is key.
• Adaptable and willing to review role and priorities with senior management team to meet the current and future needs of the organisation.

Success Profiles  

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

Civil Service Behaviours

The following SEO Civil Service Behaviour is essential to this post and will be assessed upon application:

• Delivering at Pace

The following behaviours will be tested at interview:

• Delivering at pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Specific Experience Required

In addition to providing evidence of the Civil Service Behaviours identified above, we would like you to provide us with:

• A Statement of Suitability consisting of a maximum of 500 words
• CV

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade will be able to retain this on a lateral transfer.

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application.

Candidates who pass the sift will be progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses. 

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to interview, where the behavioural elements and certain strengths will be tested further alongside other elements of the post. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

Travel

A base location near to the home will be allocated to the successful candidate, as set out below. The post holder is expected to meet their own travel costs to and from their base location. If required to attend a location other than their base location, post-holders may be entitled to claim some or all any extra expense (beyond the usual base location travel costs) in line with the T&S policy.

The successful candidate will be appointed to either one of the locations specified in the advert or, if nearer to their home, an alternative MoJ office location in the region which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed upon completion of pre-employment checks.

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.  Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. As part of all hybrid working arrangements there is an requirement for staff to attend their base location for at least two days per week.

You are advised to access the JCC/JSO office map, which is updated whenever a new JCC/JSO site opens, to determine potential travelling times and distances to MoJ locations before applying for a job.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

For further information please feel free to contact Dan Smith  Dan.Smith@justice.gov.uk