28330 - Finance Business Partner - NPS, MoJ Financial Strategy, Planning & Performance

£33,586 - £44,435
1
12 Months
Yorkshire and the Humber
Darlington , York
NPS 108 LOWTHER STREET YORK, YO31 7WD
SEO
Bb
Permanent
Full Time
Finance

This is a full-time role, but flexible working patterns may be considered for the successful candidate.

The location for this role will be either at our offices in Darlington, Co Durham or York; to be discussed with the successful candidate.

Overview of the job

The HMPPS Finance and Analysis (F&A) Directorate is responsible for providing all Finance and Analysis support to the HMPPS Agency across nine directorates and the CEO and COO offices.

The post holder will provide support to the strategic finance lead of a functional and/or geographical area of HMPPS. The role reports to a Lead Finance Business Partner (LFBP) who in turn reports to a Senior Finance Business Partner (SFBP) but with key working relationships with the business area for whom they provide business partner support.

The post holder will be a member of the lead finance business partner support team and will be an active member of the Senior Management Teams (SMTs) to whom they are aligned. The post holder will have a level of authority and respect to proactively support the shaping of strategic decisions.

Summary

The primary purpose of the role is to provide strategic financial support to the LFBP, and key stakeholders, working with the LFBP to improve HMPPS' business.

This is a twin facing role, supporting the LFBP and supporting the business.

In supporting the LFBP, the post holder will be responsible for building and maintaining effective key stakeholder relationships, providing expert financial analysis and interpretation to ensure strategic decisions are implemented efficiently and effectively. They will be an independent thinker, with the confidence to support and challenge the LFBP in improving regional performance.

When supporting the business, the post holder will use the effective key stakeholder relationships built to deliver the finance front line role in engaging with the business, implementing change and spreading best practice.   They will be required to attend all key SMT level meetings and other relevant meetings in support of the business.

They will be responsible for identifying potential financial risks and opportunities, taking mitigating actions where required and providing challenge as appropriate. They will have commercial acumen and be able to operate within a potential environment of ambiguity and uncertainty.

The post holder will provide expert analysis and interpretation of strategic decision making within the business environment.

The post holder will be responsible for providing business partner support across several business units, with financial oversight of up to £160m dependent on the function/geographical area they support.   They will be required to travel between locations on a regular basis.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties

You will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties

Strategy & Planning

  • Have an understanding of and provide professional advice to the LFBP and the business/accountable officer in response to a changing political and economic climate;
  • Accountable for the financial input into the development of the business plans for the units and groups supported over the short, medium and long term
  • Work alongside budget holders to deliver local budgets in line with the annual plan and provide help to produce accurate forecasts;
  • Responsible for providing financial input into the development of Directorate plans over the short, medium and long term;
  • Responsible for contributing to the financial planning and clarity on the affordability and achievability of plans within their business area;
  • Responsible for contributing to the development of the group business plans;
  • Responsible for providing option analysis and challenge to support decision making
  • Responsible for implementing financial strategies to enable delivery of directorate, deputy directorate and group objectives;

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Responsible for ensuring regular contact is maintained with key stakeholders and budget holders, building, maintaining and influencing effective key stakeholder relationships with and on behalf of the LFBP;
  • Working closely with the colleagues within the Lead Finance Business Partner Team and the Management Accounts Team to ensure understanding of in year variances & forecasts and future years’ planning together with forecast and planning assumptions within prisons;
  • Working closely with stakeholders within the Lead Finance Business Partner team and the Management Accounts Team to ensure an understanding of in year forecasts and variances and their alignment with planning assumptions;
  • Responsible for ensuring a strong partnership exists with key stakeholders to support organisational performance and delivery of plans.

Expert Financial Advice

  • Accountable to the LFBP for financial oversight of budgets, ensuring overall financial control by engaging and influencing key stakeholders, accountable budget holders and other relevant stakeholders;
  • Responsible for providing key decision-making support to the business to influence the production of effective and efficient short, medium and long-term plans in line with strategic priorities and available resources;
  • Accountable for analytical interpretation of financial performance within the business and providing advice to key stakeholders, considering adherence to agreed efficiency proposals and workforce plans and providing support and challenge where appropriate;
  • Responsible for being the strategic lead for the provision of professional advice on all financial matters to key stakeholders within the business;
  • Responsible for providing key strategic support for the reduction of costs and delivery of the savings targets by providing expert analysis and decision-making support;
  • Responsible to the LFBP for the identification and interpretation of cost drivers, their impact on financial results and ability to influence them;
  • Responsible for having oversight of compliance with financial regulations and governance within the business, commissioning appropriate assurance testing and providing strategic advice where required;
  • Contributing to the development of a culture of financial awareness within the business;
  • Responsible for contributing to the benefits realisation process from major change and finance initiatives.

Decision Making

  • Responsible for ensuring that budget holders have a common understanding of their financial performance to challenge and support informed decision making;
  • Responsible for instigating and maintaining regular and effective contact with key stakeholders, providing expert analysis and challenging and influencing strategic decision making;
  • Provide assurance to the key stakeholder and the LFBP on key decisions;
  • Responsible for identifying and developing the best use of financial resources at business unit level and playing an active part in corporate decision making regarding finance delivery.

Any Other

  • Work with the LFBP to embed business partner capabilities within the team;
  • Continually develop knowledge base on best practice and techniques.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the Job Holder

Competencies

  • Seeing the bigger picture
  • Collaborating and partnering
  • Delivering value for money
  • Managing a quality service
  • Leading and communicating
  • Making effective decisions

Essential Skills Qualifications, accreditation & Registration


Please state any skills, qualifications, accreditations and registration required for the job.


  • IFAC qualification (Qualified Accountant) is required for this post
  • Consideration may also be given to part-qualified candidates who are currently studying and are qualified to level 2 or higher. Experience and knowledge of a working as a finance business partner is desirable;
  • Experience of delivering high performance and continuous improvement;
  • Experience of presenting financial interpretation and recommendations at an executive level;
  • Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills with the ability to communicate and influence effectively with stakeholders at all levels;
  • Strategic awareness;
  • Influencing Skills;
  • Must be able to adopt a proactive problem-solving approach in order to be able to respond to the changing needs of the business;
  • Experience in central government financial management, financial analysis and financial planning;

 

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

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. 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.

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.

Interviews expected to take place w/c 9th September at our Offices in Leeds.

30/08/2019, 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@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 28330.


To discuss this role, please contact - claire.callaghan@justice.gov.uk [Lead Finance Business partner]  or call 07989 664214

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.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



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
Seeing the Big Picture
Collaborating and Partnering
Delivering Value for Money
Managing a Quality Service
Leading and Communicating
Making Effective Decisions
IFAC qualification
Membership of qualifying professional financial body

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

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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.