Deputy Director – Finance Business Partner
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 23rd September 2024
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Finance
Senior leadership
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About the job
Job summary
Defra group Finance team which is passionate about delivering a high-quality finance service that meets the standards expected of us by our partners and by ourselves.
This is a complex time for central government bodies with multiple financial pressures meaning that the next Spending Review (SR) will be challenging for Defra and the EA. You will lead a team of finance business partners who work closely with colleagues in the Environment Agency to support strategic decision making looking at trade offs and choices in managing their business, optimising outcomes and value for the taxpayer. You will provide financial support to an infrastructure programme which supports the UK in being more resilient to the effects of flooding.
As Senior Finance Business partner and member of the Finance Leadership Team you’ll act as a role model and standard bearer for our business. You’ll lead and inspire a team of around 20 business partners and other specialists, assuring investments and delivering insight. You will be key in ensuring a strong and trusted relationship between the EA and Defra Finance, particularly including our centralised management reporting service and supporting improvements and success of our our financial model. You will occupy a unique role, providing leadership both within the EA and our Group Finance model.
Job description
The role holder will be an outstanding finance leader capable of leading, motivating and developing a high performing finance business partnering team delivering a great service to the Environment Agency. You’ll also be capable of driving a broad range of improvements to support EA to make most effective use of its finances. This is a challenging but highly rewarding role, with complex stakeholder management.
As Head of Business Partnering for the Environment Agency you will:
- Lead and maintain a strong and diverse team of 20 to provide insight into the financial position of the Environment Agency providing strategic financial advice and insight to the Environment Agency executive and their teams.
- Work closely with leads on major projects and programs to ensure robust business cases are developed with strong commercial focus, options appraisal, realistic benefits and risk management within appropriate governance. You will provide advice on the Agency’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management Programme and other significant investments.
- Be an integral member of the Finance Senior Leadership Team and be a trusted partner to senior leaders across the Environment Agency
- Set the correct financial tone for the Environment Agency and ensure finance is at the heart of all key decision making through oversight, support and challenge.
- Provide oversight of the delivery of effective outcomes by providing tailored guidance, insight and effective solutions, ensuring public funds are being spent wisely and represent value for money
- In the event of a major national incident managed by the EA, provide necessary financial knowledge and advice to the incident, and, if necessary, manage any financial implications and escalate needs for funding.
Key responsibilities of the role are:
- Leadership of EA’s finance business partnering team, ensuring that the team is well led and managed and that all individuals are supported to perform at their best and develop in their careers.
- Support EA to manage their in-year budget, ensuring the agency lives within its delegated budgets and recommending controls and actions to bring budgets back on track as needed.
- Ensure project appraisal is robust and support the agency in developing business cases and optimising the investment resource available
- Ensure that the EA finance business partnering team is visible, influential and well plugged into the work of the Environment Agency. This is through your own personal relationships and impact as well as through the culture and ways of working of the team.
- Act as a member of the Finance Leadership Team, supporting the EA Finance Director and Defra Group CFO to make Defra Group Finance a great place to work.
- Act as a catalyst for change to improve financial processes, innovation and value for money, ensuring advances in data and analytics are fully used to support financial reporting.
- Able to influence and make positive impacts at highest levels through excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including by building and maintaining networks and relationships.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to put complex financial issues into layman's terms for non-specialist audiences across a wide variety of stakeholder groups
- Able to collaborate and seek constructive outcomes in discussions, balancing a firm stance with a willingness to compromise when beneficial to the operation.
We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Anna Caffyn, Finance Director for the Environment Agency and will take place on:
Thursday 19th September between 9:00 - 10:30
The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department.
It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about the application, and the interview and assessment process. Please email Rachel.Kingsmill@defra.gov.uk who will send you an invite to the session.
Person specification
- Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent with a substantial track record of success in a senior finance leadership role.
- A track record of successful senior leadership within a large and highly complex organisation, engaging staff and with a proven ability to build inclusive and high performing teams.
- Experience of providing strategic financial management advice and tailored guidance, insight and effective solutions to senior leaders in order to deliver effective outcomes and able to build a reputation as a trusted advisor.
- Developing and maintaining strong, collaborative and influential relationships with budget holders, and more widely across the business with senior and external stakeholders.
- Ability to collaborate and seek constructive outcomes in discussions and ability to challenge when required.
- Experience of delivering at pace in a strategic finance leadership role. You will enjoy variety and be able to respond positively and strategically to the unexpected.
Security
A minimum of BPSS, with a willingness to undertake CTC.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
- 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%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 on 23rd September 2024 via the Civil Service Jobs portal:
A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
A Statement of Suitability (max 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.
For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.
Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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.
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SCS Candidate
- Email : scscanddiate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
