Strategic Finance Adviser

The Strategic Finance and Investment Approvals Group sits at the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Group leads on financial management, strategic financial planning and control, and approval of a multi-billion pound programme. The group is friendly and supportive, operating a flat structure and empowering our people to the fullest extent possible. We’re a diverse team bringing a mix of policy, finance, strategy and project skillsets, and experience both within national security and a range of other departments.

We are the strategic finance function for the department, bringing financial insight and scrutiny to all areas of the Department’s work. The Group plays a vital role developing strategic financial policy, securing and managing funding to achieve the department’s strategic objectives, and advising MOD Ministers and the Executive Team on financial strategy and financial management.

About the team:

The Defence Spending team leads on engagement with key business areas of Defence – Top Level Budgets (TLBs). These TLBs include RAF, Army, Navy and others. We play a pivotal role in providing strategic financial advice to senior stakeholders, including the Accounting Officer, Executive Team and Ministers and developing strategic financial policy on securing and managing funding for Defence. The team operates in a friendly and collaborative environment, working closely with both civilian and military advisers. The team provides great development opportunities for SEOs through unique exposure to senior stakeholders across Defence.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

About the roles:

You will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders within your TLB(s), gaining a strategic understanding of the financial drivers within their forecasts and their deliverables. The role holder will provide strategic finance advice, guidance and scrutiny, coordinating with all other teams within the Strategic Finance and Investment Approvals Group to provide the overall financial intelligence for your TLB.

This includes feeding insight into both in-year and long-term financial planning assumptions, providing a strategic financial review of business cases and Accounting Officer submissions to identify issues, challenge assumptions and improve outcomes.

These are key roles within the team, leading interesting and challenging work with a lot of opportunity to develop and engage with senior stakeholders. We are an expanding team and would welcome applications from those coming from a policy or strategy background as well as those in finance. It is not essential to have a formal accountancy qualification, but you would need to be comfortable working with financial or spending numbers.

These posts are responsible for:

• Stakeholder engagement: Building an in-depth understanding of your TLB through regular engagement, linking their financial performance to strategic objectives and delivery outcomes. Maintaining a strong understanding of TLB programmes, approvals, efficiencies and deliverables to enable insight and analysis that drives decision making.
• Spending control and challenge: Leading on a range of reviews into TLB finances, including monthly performance reviews and quarterly deep dives, using insight to provide scrutiny to forecasts and writing briefing for seniors when required. Monitoring and supporting the management of financial or delivery risks within in your TLB, escalating significant risks to wider teams. Use your knowledge of your TLBs to provide a strategic review of business case submissions and Accounting Officer Assessments.
• Strategic financial advice: Feed insight on your TLB into the overall departmental position, ensuring that a well-rounded, evidenced view is represented.
• HMT engagement: Negotiating confidently and effectively to both secure funding for Defence priorities and manage the Departmental in-year and future year financial positions effectively.

The successful candidates will:

• Work independently, proactively, passionately and confidently on a high-profile area across Defence.
• Have strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions, teams and Departmental boundaries to influence key stakeholders and provide solutions.
• Be a strategic thinker, with the ability to understand and enable delivery of Departmental priorities, while ensuring affordability and adherence to Managing Public Money principles.
• Have effective communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to deliver often difficult messages.
• An understanding of Government Finances is desirable.

Qualification

It is desirable, but not essential to hold or be studying towards an accountancy qualification. We are happy to support those already studying towards an accountancy qualification or thinking of studying towards achieving one.

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

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

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

• 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%

The post does not offer relocation expenses. 

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period. 

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. 

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.  

Any move to MOD 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/. 

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.  

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. 

Job contact :

• Name : Kim Tyler
• Email : kimberley.tyler102@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk