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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Type of role
Finance
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About the job
Job summary
DEFRA is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
This vacancy is in our Strategic Finance Team. Strategic Finance sits at the heart of departmental decision making. We straddle the policy and finance communities. Our team advise the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary on the departments financial position and the policy and operational choices open to them in order to manage it. We own the institutional relationship with HMT, engaging frequently with our HMT spending team. We lead fiscal events including Spending Reviews and the Budget. We work across the department in all stages of policy and delivery, and oversee annual and medium term financial and policy planning. We have a role in commercial assessment and investment approval, and oversee mains and supplementary estimates. We have specific policy responsibilities alongside the finance role, and a role in the formal policy development and decision making process at all levels. We produce and communicate, at senior levels, strategic level management information, supported by analysis functions.
Job description
SEOs in Strategic Finance are responsible for building strong relationships and leading key processes and products across the Department. They aim to communicate requirements and expectations clearly and provide valuable advice, challenge and support, and strategic insight to deliver quality outputs to time, often with tight deadlines for delivery.
Strategic Finance SEOs are expected to own the leadership of processes and products to support Financial Planning, Fiscal Events and build and maintain the single point of contact relationship with their counter parts in the HMT Spending Team.
They often have project management type roles to lead the delivery of set pieces, commissioning work, leading the collation of responses / outputs and resolving issues presented.
They are required to understand the big picture of the delivery for their team and commission and collate with confidence, often asking senior stakeholders (including the Executive Team or someone on their behalf) in the Department to complete delivery, sometimes on short deadlines.
Key responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
- Developing a strategic understanding of the business, its stakeholders and deliverables.
- Building and maintaining relationships across the Department and with HMT
- Leading on areas of ownership for preparation and delivery of Spending Review and Fiscal Events
- Own strategic product development and leadership
- Leading the translation and adding insight to financial data to support key discussions across the Department and with HMT
- Providing guidance and coordination with other finance functions on HMT priorities and requirements
- Leading the drafting for briefing to seniors (Senior Civil Servants) and Ministers
- Providing ad-hoc analysis and presentations to the business and across finance functions
- Leading responses and developing resolutions as required for ad-hoc enquiries including Parliamentary questions (PQs) / freedom of information requests (FOIs)
Person specification
Essential experience and skills:
- Able to work independently, proactively, passionately and confidently on high-profile areas across the Department and lead others to achieve quality and on time delivery of outputs.
- Comfortable and confident in working at pace to manage a full workload with conflicting short and long-term priorities.
- Building positive relationships with partners in other teams, and influencing others through excellent interpersonal and communication skills, tailored to the recipient. This includes the ability to critically consider and confidently challenge stakeholders regarding their delivery or information and translating across functions to obtain a joined up approach.
- Influencing policy development and decisions, using analytical skills and different evidence sources to provide ministers or senior officials with high-quality advice. Transferable experience for providing written and oral briefings to Ministers and/or senior officials.
- Leading collaboratively with structure, by constructing clear timelines and processes, with interdependencies and owners, to lead others to successful delivery with clear products and outcomes for the process.
- Fostering and leading a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration between policy, programmes, the business, finance and other corporate services.
This post is eligible to be considered for an accountancy allowance up to £3,107 National and up to £4,495 London. The allowance is determined for each level of qualification (part qualified 1, part qualified 2, accountancy qualified). Line managers must see certificates from the professional body to confirm the individual has passed the relevant examinations before awarding the various stages of the allowance. To achieve fully qualified status, the individual must pass the final level examinations and complete the relevant portfolio or logbook which must be certified by the professional body.
Qualifications
Part or Fully Qualified CCAB, CIMA or equivalent or relevant finance experience.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£10,070 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Blended Working
Defra operates a blended working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.
Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending minimum of 40-60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are a contractual home worker.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application
Please submit your CV demonstrating how you meet the criteria above with a 250-word statement which should detail your experience and suitability for the role.
Sift
Sift will be performed on CV and personal statement
Interview
Candidate successful at sift stage will be invited to a video assessment/interview (1 hour 20 mins) that will consist of a blended interview of Behaviours and Strengths and one other exercise (presentation exercise or experience questions).
Sift – week commencing 20th November 2023
Interview – week commencing 4th December 2023
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.
All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations. Candidates will need to state their location preference on the application form.
If you are successful in your application and your base working location is London, please be aware that Defras Nobel House Office at 17 Smith Square, London will be closing in December 2023.
This means that Defra new joiners will be located alongside existing colleagues in offices a short distance away from Nobel House in our other office at 2 Marsham St, London.
To work from 2 Marsham Street, you will require the higher level of CTC clearance. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful CTC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.
Higher Security Clearance
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Emma Bryan
- Email : Emma.bryan@hays.com
- Telephone : 01553600242
Recruitment team
- Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
