Joint Intelligence Organisation – Business Support Manager -Finance

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented individual to learn and develop a broad range of skills that will stand them in good stead for a whole range of career pathways within the Civil Service, from Intelligence Leadership to Operations Management strategy roles.

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) primarily supports the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the National Security Council (NSC), the Prime Minister and other key decision-makers by providing authoritative, robust all-source intelligence assessment on a vast range of national security matters.

The Capability Team’s remit covers IT and technology, HR, finance, commercial, security and STRAP, intelligence policy, crisis management and estates functions for the JIO. There are two Business Operations Managers within the team working to the Head of Business Operations to ensure all these functions are delivered to a high level of efficiency and expertise, as well as driving projects on future innovations and capabilities that will help the JIO carry out its mission better going forward.

You’ll work at the heart of the UK’s national security community, regularly engaging with colleagues and senior leaders from across the Cabinet Office, UK Intelligence community and key ‘Five Eyes’ allied partners overseas.

You will be exposed to an intelligence environment working at the highest possible classifications within HMG, requiring you to help ensure the security of JIO staff and intelligence, enable delivery of the tools and services we need to get the job done, whilst also being on the front foot to help manage JIO’s response to crisis events.

Your organisational skills will help you manage how the JIO operates on a daily basis. Your ability to manage multiple priorities effectively when under pressure enables you to respond to unpredictable requirements when they arise without losing focus and progression against longer-term goals. And your management skills will help you get the best out of your team, playing to their strengths and helping them develop weaker areas, whilst being a role model that echoes the behaviours and culture throughout the JIO.

You may be expected to work additional or extended hours with little notice during a crisis or critical incident, although this will be managed in line with your regular working hours and alongside others in the JIO drafted in to support those events.

You can read more about working for the JIO in the information pack attached at the bottom of this advert.

The candidate will fulfil a critical role within the JIO Capability Team, managing the day-to-day financial operations of the Organisation; leading on commercial relationships, managing expenditure and ensuring compliance with policies.

You will have exposure to some of the most high-priority work in Government, your expertise will help shape the future delivery of new initiatives and technologies at the beating heart of the UK National Security Community. 

You will also build relationships across the Civil Service, UK Intelligence Agencies, Private Sector companies and Foreign Liaison Partners.

If your application is successful, you will:

• Work collaboratively with the rest of the Capability team, including the HEO HR Specialist and Capability Support Officers to provide exemplary customer service to stakeholders across the organisation, across all areas of the Capability portfolio. 
• Analyse and scrutinise actual expenditure data to provide confidence in our financial position and inform strategic decision making across the organisation.
• Be responsible for day-to-day expenditure and debt recovery; raising accounts receivable invoices and purchase orders. Ensuring prompt payment of accounts payable supplier invoices
• Month end process – working to tight deadlines to review, analyse, accrue and make accounting adjustments as required to ensure each cost centre reports accurate income and expenditure.
• Financial transactions and working with budget holders – undertake accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, answer finance queries from internal colleagues and explore methods of process improvement to make financial processes slicker and more efficient.
• Compliance – ensure compliance with internal policies & procedures, financial reporting standards, including principles around managing public money and FReM. Answer audit queries as required
• Provide training, advice and guidance across the JIO to ensure that our expenditure is recorded accurately in line with accounting standards and Cabinet Office policies.
• Manage the commercial pipeline in line with Government Commercial Function best practice.
• Be the in-house expert and champion knowledge of financial best practice across the organisation. 
• Act as the supplier engagement lead for JIO, ensuring that supplier services are meeting our complex requirements and escalate feedback or complaints to appropriate parties.
• Assist the Finance Business Partnering Team in the drafting of GL Journals and the Credit Control Team in the recovery of Debt.

Skills and Experience Required

A ‘can-do’, assertive and proactive attitude is the most important asset we are looking for in a candidate. If you have a desire to learn, then we will invest in you to develop your skills and expertise.

• Experience in working within a finance team or environment. Ideally, you will have a good understanding of Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Commercial/Contract management best practice.
• Strong organisational skills, ability to manage conflict/ urgent tasks and manage expectations. The ability to remain professional whilst working and delivering at pace and a willingness to meet challenging deadlines.
• Experience of using own initiative to complete tasks to a high standards.
• You have excellent written and oral communication skills, with strong attention to detail and ability to work accurately.
• You will be highly IT literate and have good knowledge of Excel or Google Sheets.

Desirable Skills

• Experience of, or an interest in, intelligence, foreign policy and national security issues.
• Experience of working with, or a general understanding of Crown Commercial Service Frameworks, why they exist and how they work in practice.
• Experience or familiarity with using Oracle E-Business Suite or similar ERP platforms such as NetSuite or SAP S/4HANA.
• Experience using Atamis PM or similar Procurement Management software.
• Experience using QlikSense or similar Business Intelligence tools such as SAP Analytics Cloud or PowerBI.

We invest in upskilling our team members to enable them to thrive once they start working with us. As such, if you don’t quite match these desirable skills, don’t let it put you off applying as we will equip the successful candidate with them once they are in post.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Existing civil servants can take up the post on loan from their parent department for the duration advertised (permission from their parent department would need to be secured in order to take up the post). Those joining on level transfer will retain their current salary. Staff joining on promotion terms will receive up to a 10% increase of their current basic salary or the pay band minimum whichever is the greater. Staff joining on promotion will adopt the modernised terms and conditions of employment which came into force in 2013. Those joining on a civil service loan on promotion will be considered under a temporary promotion for the duration, returning to the home department at their original substantive grade at the end of the loan.

Pension: There is a choice of excellent pension schemes. More information about pension provisions can be found at www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions

Flexible Working: Flexible working including job-share arrangements may be considered for this role.

Leave allowances: 25 days’ paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, full-time staff receive eight public holidays and the Queen’s Birthday privilege day as well as competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave.

Probation: Staff new to the Civil Service will be required to serve a six month probationary period.

Location: The post will be based in Westminster, London. No relocation costs will be available.

Crisis working: As the JIO and PHIA are at the heart of national security function for the UK, there are occasionally times where we need to respond to incidents of crisis or critical importance. Staff in any role may be asked to work extended or anti-social hours with little or no notice on such occasions.

Equality and Diversity: The Cabinet Office is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all staff. We will not discriminate on grounds of gender, gender identity, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, those with caring responsibilities, part time workers or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work. We encourage a diverse workforce and aim to provide a working environment where all staff at all levels are valued and respected, and where discrimination, bullying, promotion of negative stereotyping and harassment are not tolerated.

Civil Service Code: All civil servants are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code which details Civil Service values, standards of behaviour, rights and responsibilities. Go to http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk for more information.

Job contact :

• Name : Vacancy Enquiries
• Email : info.applications@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk