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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
In Year Management, Planning and Performance, Cabinet Office Finance.
Cabinet Office Finance is responsible for all aspects of the Cabinet Offices finances, including business and financial planning, performance reporting, in-year financial management, financial accounting, management of Parliamentary Supply, and production of the annual accounts. Cabinet Office Finance is within Strategy, Finance and Performance Directorate, a multi-disciplinary team that brings together finance, commercial and other corporate functions under the leadership of the Cabinet Office Chief Financial Officer.
This role will involve management and understanding of the overall Cabinet Office financial position. The post-holder will help to provide strategic financial advice which will be used to support discussions with Directors, the Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee and the Minister.
Presenting robust and intelligent reporting will be an essential part of the role, with forecasting and Business Intelligence systems being a key tool in achieving these aims.
The role involves working with Finance Business Partners to provide challenge to forecasts and influence the strategic direction of the business units, by providing an independent view of what is happening to the Department as a whole. The role also requires an understanding of the Estimates and Government Accounts, to ensure robust forecasting in OSCAR (the cross-government accounting system) and to be able to advise on budgetary changes for the Department and their impact on the Departments Estimates.
We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic, self-starters who will thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.
The role will provide lots of opportunity for both personal and professional development in an innovative organisation at the heart of Government.
Job description
This role is central to the relationship between an individual business area and the finance function. You will use your strong technical and influencing skills and sound understanding of the business unit to provide advice, challenge and scrutiny to senior colleagues. You will ensure that budgets are well constructed, managed and monitored and support senior managers in the production of business cases and plans to deliver improved performance, reduced risk and better value for money.
Your technical knowledge and ability to work constructively with senior teams will make you a valued contributor to the decision-making process and a champion for change within your business, its external relationships and in wider government projects. This post holder will need to establish and develop effective working relationships with a number of stakeholders, including the Directors, Deputy Directors, Internal and External Audit.
Responsibilities
This role is central to the Cabinet Office Finance team. You will use your strong technical and influencing skills and sound understanding of the Cabinet Office to provide advice, challenge and scrutiny to senior colleagues.
Your technical knowledge and ability to work constructively with senior teams will make you a valued contributor to the decision-making process. This post holder will need to establish and develop effective working relationships with a number of stakeholders.
The post-holder will help prepare and provide timely responses to requests for information from HMT, the Chief Financial Officer and the Permanent Secretary.
You will be determined to deliver first class stewardship of public funds and value for money.
1) Leadership and Management
- Leading on the Cabinet Office financial position including in-year spend and forecasts as well as financial risks to the Department in partnership with Finance Business Partners (FBPs).
- Advising the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Deputy Directors (DFDs) on the Departments financial forecasts and ensuring the information is accurately reported against the departments control totals to support the Main and Supplementary Estimates.
- Ensure staff have SMART objectives to deliver their role and lead on staff development.
- Support staff resourcing.
2) Monthly Forecasting & Reporting Process
- Manage the delivery of prompt, accurate management accounts based on standardised systems and processes to an agreed timetable.
- Lead on quality assurance on integrity of data used to support robust forecasting, feeding back via FBPs where operational data is inadequate or inaccurate.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the overall financial position of assigned business areas. Provide incisive variance explanations of material /sensitive /volatile areas, with clear summaries and interpretation for senior management.
- Ensure that Finance Business Partners have confidence in the reported actual and forecast position, enabling them to advise senior colleagues e.g. Directors.
- Ensuring the consistency of data used for internal financial reporting and OSCAR submissions to HM Treasury.
3) Budget Management
- Management of the Main and Supplementary Estimate processes and ensuring that departmental budgets remain within overall control totals.
- Management of the forecasting process, providing trend data to Finance Business Partners to inform the annual budget and workforce plans.
- Ensure that detailed budgets are accurately profiled, documented and uploaded to agreed timetables.
- Overall control of the integrity of budget transfers, ensuring they are adequately commissioned, tracked, approved, loaded and control totals are reconciled.
4) Continuous Improvement
- Develop and maintain effective policies to meet corporate and departmental strategic objectives.
- Invite team feedback to identify opportunities to improve value for money and efficiency.
- Develop strong, collaborative relationships with finance colleagues and business areas, develop consistent and efficient financial processes, implementing continuous improvement.
- Developing and using reporting tools for maximum impact and efficient delivery through collaboration, including with shared service providers, and harnessing relationships across government.
- Share best practice with other government departments to ensure the Cabinet Office is working towards customer service excellence.
5) Analytical Services
- Accountable for the prompt response to ad hoc commissions from Finance Business Partners such as Parliamentary Questions / Freedom of Information data.
- Ensure structural change is supported e.g. hierarchy changes, mapping to OSCAR reporting and revised budget delegations.
- The post holder may be required to undertake additional responsibilities as expected in relation to the role and grade.
Person specification
Essential
A strong track record in team leadership
- Excellent technical skills across a wide range of financial disciplines, including financial reporting, 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 communicate complex financial information in a clear and understandable way
- Well-developed skills in data handling, analysis and presentation using data analysis and business intelligence tools
- A strong track record in team leadership
Specialist Skills (desirable)
- Experience of the Main and Supplementary Estimate processes and reporting using OSCAR, the cross-government system for accounting and reporting.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Data Analysis – Data handling, manipulation and analysis and skills to present and communicate findings using tools such as business intelligence tools.
Benefits
£14,418 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 which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career history and qualifications, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (1000 words max.)
Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.
Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the ‘Person Specification’ section.
Please note – Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.
Candidates who are successful at the application stage will progress to interview where they will be assessed against behaviours and technical skills.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘contact point for applicants’ section.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
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 : Steven Inglese
- Email : Steven.Inglese@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk.
For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.
