Finance Readiness Lead (Ref:82121)

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview

The Ministry of Justice works to protect the public and reduce reoffending, while endeavouring to provide a more effective, transparent, and responsive justice system for everyone who uses or encounters it. We are responsible for prisons and probation services in England and Wales, and for the courts and tribunals in England and Wales and (in some cases) in Scotland. 

The Synergy programme has been set up to transform Shared Services in Finance, Commercial and HR, across a cluster of four government departments: Ministry of Justice, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Work and Pensions and the Home Office. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Synergy team as a Finance Readiness Lead. The Functional Readiness roles are based within the functional teams they are supporting, to be closer to their main stakeholders. The Readiness roles will be dealing with change being delivered by the Synergy Programme (procuring our new Finance and HR system and Business Processing Service) as well as leading on delivery of our own MoJ Synergy portfolio of projects to be delivered in readiness for the new system.

Role Summary 

The post offers an exciting development opportunity for the successful candidate to utilise their Finance expertise and excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, to work in a fast-paced environment over the Finance, Commercial and Change disciplines. Drawing upon your knowledge and experience, you will have a key role in supporting Finance colleagues through design and implementation of our new shared ERP system and BPS service, as well as leading on a portfolio of readiness projects, from design and feasibility, to testing and deployment.

The role will bring flexibility to pick up a variety of work and the ability to switch focus at pace is also key to being successful in this role. This role aligns strongly with the Synergy design principles and Government Finance Global Design Principles and Data Quality Framework. 

Role Responsibilities   

Key tasks will include:

Synergy Programme: 

•    Lead the MoJ Finance engagement with the Synergy Programme for the design and implementation of the new shared system and service; working with a range of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across MoJ to gain buy-in and understand work pressures to reflect against input required into the programme designs and delivery plan.
•    Ensuring the MoJ Finance directorate is sufficiently represented within the Synergy Programme forum, and sufficiently contributes requirements to the programme design, to make sure that we and the programme understand our requirements and business change journey.
•    Be an advocate of the ‘Adopt not Adapt’ concept of Cloud system adoption, challenging established ways of working to realise the transformation aspirations of the programme; to deliver projects which move MoJ toward standardised or centralised, more efficient ways of working.

MoJ readiness:

Working with a wide range of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across MoJ, the post holder will lead and oversee delivery of a portfolio of complex readiness projects, for their functional areas of accountability. For their portfolio they will:

•    Work with a multi-disciplinary team/stakeholder network to deliver discovery projects; build the case for change, gain Design Authority and Project Board approval to proceed to project implementation. Support handover to a Project Manager (where implementation is phased) and become lead SME for design and implementation of the project deliverables or leading delivery of smaller projects.

•    Co-ordinate requirement gathering activities, their validation and sign-off, ensuring that the needs of the key stakeholders are articulated, requirements capture as-is and to-be state, interdependencies, risks, opportunities and consequences of change. 

•    Lead stakeholder analysis, develop strategies and ensure communication and engagement is delivered to plan. Identify, build and maintain strong effective relationships with senior stakeholders; business experts, architects, commercial and technical teams, from across the department and across government, to confidently challenge, influence and negotiate positive outcomes and solutions. 

•    As well as being a champion of best practice, and assessing and understanding the impacts of change, the post holder will lead business change management activity, working with the Project Manager to create the required business change products and ensure they’re used effectively. Leading on engagement with subject matter experts to ensure products maximise benefit realisation.

•    Line management of one or two individuals may be required. Overseeing the timely delivery of the project products and projects that they will be responsible for. 

Essential Skills

To be successful in this role, candidates will have:

(Lead criteria in bold)

•    Strong Finance background with experience of the interdependencies across different processes, how these processes are delivered and designed within UK government and what is required from a system to enable them.
•    CCAB Qualified accountant or extensive experience of working in finance roles with significant expertise in at least one of the following global process areas; Order to Cash, Record to Report, Financial Accounting, Inventory, Grants, Non-current Assets.
•    Experience of successfully engaging, leading and influencing a wide network of stakeholders of all grades, and/or a proven track record of negotiating with senior stakeholders in order to deliver change or improvements. 
•    Strong ability to interpret complex or conflicting data, insight and evidence or working with analytical evaluation teams to interpret and draw conclusions at a tactical and strategic level.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messages for the audience to secure buy-in, and successfully engage with and influence senior stakeholders.

Desirably, candidates will have:

•    Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment by proactively leading, managing and prioritising competing demands and risks, to meet challenging and changing deadlines.
•    Experience of working between a major programme and a business area, leading business readiness activities and managing large virtual teams to ensure the necessary pace is maintained.
•    Understanding of the Cloud ERP market and capability of these systems to be able to automate and streamline processes in future.
•    Leadership experience within ERP system change and/or transformation at scale, from initial evidence gathering and design, through to implementation and live running.
•    Prince 2 Foundation or Agile Foundation.

The MoJ is committed to offering apprenticeship programmes to new or existing staff at all grades.  The successful applicant will have the opportunity to apply to a range of programmes, including the finance route to become a qualified accountant.

Behaviours Required 

Success Profiles create 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.

To apply, you will be asked to submit a CV and 1000 word personal statement. 

Your Personal Statement should demonstrate how you meet the criteria set out within the Essential Skills.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or straight to interview. 

At interview, we will select based on both strengths and behaviours. Interviews will be conducted online using MS teams. Behaviours assessed are as follows.

•    Leadership 
•    Making Effective Decisions 
•    Delivering at Pace 
•    Communicating & influencing

Advert close date – 23:55 Friday 29th December 2023

The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Reserve / Merit List

Where candidates meet the minimum criteria for the role but are not first placed, they will be held on a merit list. If there are further vacancies for Grade 7 roles within the Future Finance MoJ Synergy Team in the next 12 months, candidates may be invited from the merit list (in order), without the need to run a new recruitment campaign.

Training 

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

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.

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances 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

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com