39141 - Senior Finance Business Partner - Prisons

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

Please note that this post requires regional coverage and there will be a requirement for some travel.

Overview

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the provision of legal aid, administration of justice through courts and tribunals, and detention and rehabilitation of offenders. Within the MoJ you will provide Finance Business Partnering to senior business leaders responsible for delivery of prison services in England. Our business colleagues operating within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (an Agency within the MoJ), are highly committed professionals who seek to protect the public and rehabilitate offenders.

More information can be found at: www.justice.gov.uk

There are two Grade 6, Prison, Finance Business Partnering roles available, one in the Northern region of England and one in the South region. Each role leads a team of twenty staff partnering colleagues who operate forty prisons across each of those regions. The finance team is geographically dispersed. Travel will be required within the region on average up to once a week either to visit staff or business colleagues. We are flexible about where the main working base is for the successful candidate and we also promote home working.

The Grade 6 will have overall accountability for their work area, operating with considerable freedom. Management guidance is likely to be infrequent and the post holder is expected to work autonomously. They will typically deal with complex or contentious issues which have broad impact across their business area or organisation wide. This may involve solving poorly defined issues without precedent or where potential outcomes are unclear. The role will use creative thinking to develop new approaches in solving problems.

You will be a leader in a high performing finance function where you can rely on colleagues to support you in delivery of the finance business partnering role. We have a strong focus on continuously learning and developing, working collaboratively and a focus on value-add.

The MoJ Finance Function embraces diversity and celebrates our differences. We are inclusive and care about our people. We actively promote a flexible approach to working whilst giving our staff opportunities to maximise their skills and achieve their full potential.

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities and we are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible.

Responsibilities

As a Finance Business Partner, you will need to understand the prisons’ business and the way they operate in a prison environment. You will build trust with decision makers so that your advice is actively sought.

You will be the lead financial advisor to the Head of the Prison Service in the North or South of England. You will need a clear understanding of the financial management arrangements of the MoJ – from budget setting to in year control and support to the financial accounts as necessary. You may be required to help develop business cases or to help demonstrate value for money. At all times you will be upholding the integrity of financial management in the public sector and the need to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.

Specific responsibilities:

• Stakeholder Engagement – develop and maintain strong partnerships with the Executive Director, Prisons Group Directors and Prison Governors. Help improve their financial awareness and provide accurate and credible advice on financial management and wider governance issues. Actively contribute at business meetings and be proactive in looking for efficiency.
• Leadership – lead a team of twenty staff. Establish strong communications across the team and support and inspire staff to fulfil their potential as well as to deliver a highly effective service. As a senior member of the wider finance team, contribute to the ongoing development of the function, keeping an awareness of cross government financial management initiatives.
• Financial management – co-ordinate your business area’s annual financial planning activity and provide information and advice to support effective financial control in year. Present and explain financial information clearly and offer advice to inform decision making. Understand the cost drivers of the business and carry out analysis of information to improve efficiency and understanding.
• Critical friend to the business – you will feel confident to challenge business colleagues on their spending plans and keep a focus on outcomes and business priorities. Give advice to support decision making, encouraging options analysis and appropriate governance. Use your insight to add value.

Essential Skills and Experience

• someone who is qualified under one of the main five Consultative Committees of Accounting Bodies [CCAB] i.e. ACCA; CIPFA; ICAEW; ICAI or ICAS, or CIMA
• a strong track record in team leadership and developing high performing teams
• excellent financial management skills and a proven ability to apply them effectively
• high credibility with senior colleagues and stakeholders and the ability to influence decision-making
• the ability to analyse and communicate complex financial information in a clear and understandable way
• an understanding of cross-government finance priorities, often using internal and external networks to gain insight
• strategic and commercial skills gained from working in, or together with, other specialist areas such as commercial, policy, IT, HR or delivery.

Civil Service Success Profiles – Behaviours and Strengths

The Civil Service looks for strong evidence of effective Behaviours as set out in the Gov.uk guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. We will look for demonstration of these Behaviours in your application and then the interview process.   At interview we will also ask you questions about Strengths to find out what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

Application

Please provide by 1700hrs on Friday, 4 December:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability explaining:
• how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role (max 250 words),

and

• evidence of the following three Behaviours to a maximum of 250 words for each:
• Leadership (max 250 words)
• Communicating & Influencing (max 250 words)
• Changing and Improving (max 250 words)
• Please express your preference for the North or Southern region.

The sift will take place from 7 December and interviews will take place at the start of January 2021. If we receive many applications, we will initially sift against the Leadership Behaviour.

This interview could be conducted via a Microsoft Teams video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Contact for further information:

Elaine Dean, Head of Finance Business Partnering for Prisons

Elaine.dean@justice.gov.uk

For further information contact Elaine Dean, Head of Finance Business Partnering for Prisons at Elaine.Dean@justice.gov.uk

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 - 39141.