41533 - Lead Finance Business Partner – Youth Custody Services (YCS) (x2 roles)

£43,958 - £69,900 (salary dependent on grade and location)
2
12 Months
East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, National
Birmingham , Havant , Leeds , London, National
102 PETTY FRANCE (MOJ) LONDON, SW1H 9AJ, BIRMINGHAM CANNON HOUSE LAA BIRMINGHAM, B4 6BS, HAVANT MAGISTRATES & ADO HAVANT, P09 2AL, NATIONAL, 10 SOUTH COLONNADE LONDON, E14 4PU, 5 WELLINGTON PLACE LEEDS, LS1 4AP
Grade 7
Grade 7, Grade 7(b)
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Finance

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

The Role

The YCS is a distinct arm of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and has operational responsibility for the daily running of the Children and Young Persons Secure Estate. It accommodates 10-17 year old children across a mixture of Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Childrens Homes within an annual resource budget of c£170m.

We are seeking a Lead Finance Business Partner to support the delivery of operational services that are delivered within both the public and private sector, help drive the agenda on youth reforms and support the vision to move away from a custodial setting to a more child-focussed service that aims to reduce reoffending. 

The Person

You will need to be a person who can build effective stakeholder relationships in order to meet the needs of an evolving business and comfortably provide sound financial advice on a number of complex issues

You will need to take responsibility for the delivery of your team’s work to expected standards and timescales in a fast-paced and changing landscape

You will need to be able to provide impartial and appropriate advice in an area that has a high level of ministerial interest and will often be looking to introduce novel and potentially contentious schemes to meet their vision 

The work you will be doing 

This role forms part of the YCS Finance Business Partnering Team and will manage up to 2 SEO grades. 

Reporting to the Senior Finance Business Partner, the right candidate will play a pivotal role in the following areas 

  • Provide financial support for 4 Young Offender Institutions (public sector), 2 Secure Training Centres (private sector contract) and 8 Secure Children’s Homes (private sector contract), including appropriate financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, reporting, workforce planning, contract management and other support as necessary
  • Continuously develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships with the aim of seeking business improvement through influencing activity and ensuring future and current plans meet the business requirements
  • Proactively promote the Youth Justice reform programme and reinforce positive culture change within Youth Custody Service, the wider HMPPS and external stakeholders
  • Providing financial input into business cases for and procurement of outsourced services, working closely with the policy and commercial functions and ensuring appropriate financial governance is applied.
  • Engaging successfully with senior stakeholders across the YCS and wider HMPPS and MoJ as well as externally with private sector suppliers and OGD’s such as NHSE&I and DfE and being comfortable providing robust challenge to stakeholders of all levels where necessary
  • Proactively build the capability of the team they manage, ensuring diversity and inclusion are considered 

Assessment Criteria 

Job Summary

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the Experience, Behaviours, Ability and Technical elements set out below. These elements will be assessed during the sift process and further tested at interview. In addition, we are looking to appoint an individual who can manage their own team effectively, taking responsibility for its deliverables, and also build strong relationships with other business areas to facilitate co-operation and ensure their input to the financial forecast. You will be unafraid of challenging processes and stakeholders, using strong communication skills to influence them where necessary. We also require a candidate who demonstrates an innovative analytical approach to problem solving. 

Ability

You will have strong communication skills, and be particularly well versed in breaking down complex ideas for a range of audiences. 

Technical

Candidates will need highly-developed professional finance skills, demonstrated by either:

  • current study towards or a full qualification from ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA, or;

if not qualified or currently in training, evidence over a sustained period of significant experience in finance roles. 

Civil Service Behaviours

The following Grade 7 Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be assessed upon application

• Changing and Improving

• Communicating and Influencing

• Managing a Quality Service

• Working Together

Full details on the Civil Service Behaviours Framework can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf 

Experience

We are looking for you to demonstrate past experience of having provided excellent finance business partnering skills 

  • Experience of managing large scale, complex or contentious business area finances
  • Working knowledge and understanding of financial control regimes
  • Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain confidence of senior leaders and sponsors
  • A track record in influencing and challenging budget holders 

The Selection Process

To apply, please complete the advertised CS Jobs application process. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Experience, Ability, Technical and Civil Service Behaviours evidence provided in your application. 

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

The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Feedback available to those invited to interview only

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

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

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

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.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

1-     To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2-     To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3-     To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  

Interviews to be held w/c 29th March

Please note these are subject to change

09/03/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 41533.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

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.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Communicating and Influencing.
if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Changing and Improving - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
Managing a Quality Service - 250 word limit
Technical Skills
current study towards or a full qualification from ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA, or;
if not qualified or currently in training, evidence over a sustained period of significant experience in finance roles. - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Communicating and Influencing
Changing and Improving
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Technical Skills
current study towards or a full qualification from ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA, or;
if not qualified or currently in training, evidence over a sustained period of significant experience in finance roles.
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Assessment(s)
Presentation

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.