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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
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 Cabinet Offices annual accounts. Cabinet Office Finance is within Strategy, Finance and Performance Directorate, a multidisciplinary team that brings together finance, commercial and other corporate functions under the leadership of the Cabinet Office Chief Financial Officer.
Within Finance, the Business Partner teams lead engagement with business units across the department. We need to be resourceful, exercise good judgement and have quick reflexes to make sure that senior leaders have the right financial advice at the right time to deliver important and urgent parts of the Governments agenda. The variety and breadth of the issues we deal with makes these fascinating and fast-paced roles.
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
The role covers the following responsibilities:
- Developing a deep knowledge of diverse business areas, their needs and priorities, looking at the bigger picture to make sure that the business understands the financial implications of decisions and available choices.
- Showing effective leadership skills in the line management of a business partner team.
- Acting as a key liaison point between Finance and the business, building in depth understanding of different business areas and performance & delivery priorities.
- Providing analysis to support decision making and using benchmarking to highlight opportunities and add value.
- Identifying sustainable cost savings targets and initiatives as part of the business planning cycle.
- Supporting business areas with financial analysis to prepare for Spending Reviews, risk management and business planning processes.
- Leading on financial reporting, including analysing financial information and preparing summary reporting, ensuring that the leaders of the Cabinet Office are able to make decisions based on accurate financial information.
- Supporting the construction of business cases through financial challenge and the identification of commercial implications of options considered.
- Assessing accounting implications and providing accounting advice in accordance with international financial reporting standards and central government accounting rules.
- Building financial and commercial awareness of non-finance staff within the business.
Person specification
Essential
- Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, including an ability to engage effectively with colleagues at all levels.
- Proven ability for leading high performing, diverse and inclusive teams where everyone can bring their best performance.
- Experience of gaining credibility with senior colleagues and stakeholders and the ability to influence decision-making.
- Proven competence in budget management, planning, forecasting and risk identification combined with excellent problem solving skills.
Desirable
- Excellent technical accounting, commercial and analytical skills across a wide range of financial disciplines and a proven ability to apply them to deliver insight.
- Knowledge of government finance and fiscal events such as spending reviews.
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:
- At interview you will be asked technical questions to assess your accounting knowledge.
Benefits
£15,876 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 a mixture of behaviour, experience, strength and technical based questions.
You may also be asked to deliver a short presentation at interview. Further details will be provided if you are invited to interview.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interviews will be held virtually using Google Meet.
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
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
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 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.
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).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Jay Wyatt
- Email : Jay.Wyatt@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.
