Deputy Finance Director, Navy & Finance Deputy Director, Navy Nuclear Enterprise

Navy Command Headquarters, Whale Island, Portsmouth or MOD Main Building, London. For both roles, you would be expected to work at least three to four days per week in the Portsmouth office with frequent travel to London.

Deputy Finance Director will manage our budget of around £8bn per annum and to lead our finance team of around 130 people. We are looking for someone who brings a passion for building inclusive, high performing teams, empowering team members to support, enable and challenge budget holders right across Navy Command and who is committed to providing an excellent finance service to the Navy. The successful candidate will continue to build a finance function that is at the heart of decision making in Navy Command and allows us to make fast, high-quality decisions about where to invest taxpayers’ money. 

Finance Deputy Director within Navy Nuclear Enterprise is newly created deputy director post to help us design our processes and controls for managing the Navy’s part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, and act as a senior finance business partner to Director Submarines. We are looking for someone who is committed to providing an excellent finance service, working through a small and high-performing team. The role will require strong stakeholder management skills to ensure the finance function is the connective tissue across the different parts of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. The successful post holder will also be expected to bring a strong finance input to commercial discussions to help the Royal Navy shape the critical supplier relationships that deliver in-service submarine operations.

The current responsibilities of the Deputy Finance Director, Navy role: 

• Leadership of the finance team of c130 people, setting direction from both a Functional and future Navy Command perspective, developing the identity and sense of community across the team, and ensuring that finance is seen as a key enabler to the business.  Support people’s careers, professional development and talent management across the finance function in Navy Command (working closely with the Head of Profession in MOD and across government). Enable and champion the finance team’s knowledge and understanding of the Royal Navy.
• Ensure budget holders in Navy Command understand their responsibilities, that the Finance Business Partners are empowered to work effectively with them and the wider finance team is seen as an effective enabler.  
• Build excellent working relationships across Navy Command, delivery organisations, other functions and Head Office, to develop a high performing one defence team. Hold delivery organisations’ leaders to account for accurate forecasting and delivery of customer requirements. 
• Support the Royal Navy’s work to design its transition to a future that is increasingly driven by data, technology, autonomy and sustainability and organise the finance function to be an enabler for these complex transitions, working with stakeholders across Defence as a default. 
• Lead on the management of the in-year budget (c£8Bn), identify risks and opportunities to the delivery within budget and within 1% of the mid-year forecast. Ensure that Navy Command contribution to the MOD’s Annual Report and Accounts is accurate, timely and with no material errors.  
• Support the construction of a robust future financial plan (c£90Bn over 10 years), including the contribution from the efficiency programme.
• Maintain excellent but proportionate financial control to ensure expenditure is in line with budget, the balance sheet is managed effectively and the relevant controls and policies are in place to ensure compliance with Managing Public Money (MPM). Build on opportunities to empower Budget holders whilst maintaining appropriate evidence to support assurance.
• Oversee the effective operation of a scrutiny and approvals function, including building the relationship with the Central Team and Delivery Agents, bringing in advice from other functional colleagues as required.
• As a key member of the MOD finance function leadership team, represent Navy Command in wider Defence engagement and represent the finance function across Navy Command.

The current responsibilities of the Finance Deputy Director Navy Nuclear Enterprise role: 

• Leadership of the finance team who support the Nuclear Enterprise, c25 people, spread between Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, setting direction from both a Functional and future Navy Command perspective, developing the identity and sense of community across the team, and ensuring that finance is seen as a key enabler to the business.  Support people’s careers, professional development and talent management across the finance function in Navy Command (working closely with the Head of Profession in MOD and across government). 
• Build an understanding of the strategic challenges facing the complex Defence Nuclear Enterprise, particularly focussing on the delivery of in-service submarines and the UK’s nuclear deterrent, to make a broad and lasting contribution to this vital part of the UK’s security.
• Support the Finance Director (Navy) in shaping and delivering the financial strategy and objectives for the in-service (Navy Command) part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
• Act as finance business partner for Director Submarines, managing a complex multi-billion pound budget, driving business delivery of in-service submarines and the UK’s nuclear deterrent through insightful analysis at the strategic level, strong financial management, risk management, compliance and assurance.
• Build an understanding of the complex supply chain and contractual landscape that enables the delivery of in-service submarines, understanding the strategic drivers and key issues, risks and opportunities, including the economic and political landscape.
• Collaborate with colleagues in MOD Head Office, Defence Nuclear Organisation, UK Strategic Command and Submarine Delivery Agency to collectively provide strategic and expert advice to senior leaders, collectively leading the financial performance of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, ensuring that the obligations to HM Treasury are met, and that financial information supports business delivery and decision making.
• Create an environment within the in-service part of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise that values performance, innovation, value for money, the use of data and analytics, compliance with financial control and appropriate stewardship of assets.
• As a key member of the MOD finance function leadership team, representation and attendance at a variety of Boards across Navy Command and Defence.

You will be considered for both roles unless you make it clear in your application that you are only interested in one of the specific roles. The panel will decide which candidate is best suited to each role after all interviews have taken place.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria for both roles:

• Experience of delivering a pragmatic and robust approach to financial control and governance, as well as managing a complex multi-billion-pound budget in a large organisation.
• Excellent leadership credentials with a proven track record of building, motivating, empowering and continuously improving a high performing diverse team, often under pressure. You will need to be specific with the size of teams you’ve managed.
• Extensive experience of operating at Board Level relationships and an ability to adapt communication style to different stakeholders.
• Demonstratable business partnering experience, using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge that provides strategic decision making as well as providing bespoke financial support and advice that meets an organisation’s multifaceted objectives.
• Excellent analytical skills, demonstrating an ability to use these skills to deliver insight and financial wisdom.
• Must hold the relevant Professional Qualification – Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent and experience in a relevant strategic financial role.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:

• Worked with a commercial environment and experience with complex supply chains

• 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%

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration
is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them
to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through
building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.