About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally.

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Job Title/ Position        Commercial & Corporate Finance Specialist
Band/Grade    SEO (Band B)
Number of Vacancies    1
Business Group    COO Group
Directorate    Financial Strategy and Partnerships (FSP) Group.
Location    National – All locations. Travel to London is not anticipated unless there is a business requirement.

Hours    37 
Working Pattern     Permanent 
Role Type/ Team    Commercial Finance & Income

Ministry of Justice an Inclusive Employer

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer of choice and ensuring equity of opportunity for all. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Overview

•    The Ministry of Justice sits at the heart of public service delivery and the government’s wider social reform agenda, working to protect and advance the principles of justice. The department has been at the forefront of the Government’s wider efficiency agenda making a finance roles an exciting and challenging opportunity.

•    C40% of the department’s budget is spent on external 3rd party suppliers that provides critical services to the department.  Additionally, the department continues to embark on major multi-billion pounds change projects from building more prison places to restructuring, the complex commercial arrangements coming to an end, etc. 

•    This role in the Commercial Finance & Income team (CFI), within Financial Strategy and Partnership Group, is crucial in providing technical commercial & corporate finance expertise in influencing the financial construct of various initiatives and programmes for both current and future undertakings, delivering opportunities and managing risk. 

Role Purpose

This role in the Commercial Finance & Income team, within MoJ Group Finance plays a crucial role to help and support delivery of the team's objectives. These include, monitoring supplier financial health, providing technical and commercial and corporate finance expertise, identifying, managing and remediating commercial and corporate finance risks, providing expert financial advice to support major commercial and change programme decisions and supporting the Department to protect and maximise its income.  

The team is diverse and has members with both private sector and public-sector experience. You will be expected to flexibly work across the five main areas of the Commercial and Income Finance Team, with the following indicative distribution of your time: 
•    Investment Case Reviews (c.60%) 
•    Risk Mitigation & Management (c.10%)
•    Commercial and Income Strategy & Policies (c.10%)
•    Supplier Financial and Market Monitoring (c.10%)
•    Income & Debt Support (c.10%)

The weightings and focus of work will depend on demand and risk priority i.e. you may need to work on any/all of these 5 areas. More details on the 5 areas and the respective role requirements are provided below. This list is not exhaustive. 

The work will be varied, fast paced and interesting and will require skills and experience to be applied across a range of complex financial, operational, legal, strategic and commercial areas. 
A passion for being involved in large scale, complex decision making will be required with the individual applying finance and accounting skills across wide ranging projects and programmes.

The individual will need to have the ability to influence people throughout MoJ, other Departments and external stakeholders to ensure key decisions, complex analysis and investigations align with the financial strategy for the Ministry and enhance the reputation of the Dept.

Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities.

Investment /Business Case Reviews: 

•    Support/lead financial assurance reviews of business cases over £10m, providing advice to the approval bodies on the financial aspects in order to influence major Programmes on commercial and finance decisions.
•    Work collaboratively with other functional experts in forming your overarching assessment. 
•    Upskill MOJ Finance colleagues to help ensure that they are able to deliver good quality financial analysis within business cases and carry out 1st line assurance responsibilities on business cases.
•    Participate in process improvement work around governance of investment assurance process specifically around the finance requirements with the intention to work with Other Government Departments to leverage best practice and share ours. 
•    Develop to become the MOJ’s central expert in relation to Finance Case preparation and application of the HM Treasury Green Book (Investment appraisal and evaluation).

Risk Mitigation & Management 

•    Provide corporate and commercial advice and insight on the financial implications of commercial contracts and major programme decisions.
•    Support complex reviews of existing contracts to ensure MoJ is gaining the maximum economic value and applying the financial elements of the contract fully.
•    Support on major investigations to do with fraud/financial crime and complete complex financial analysis.
•    Support on major contract issues with suppliers in respect of financial terms for major programmes.

Commercial and Income Strategy & Policy:

•    Provide corporate and commercial finance advice on the financial implications of commercial strategies and decisions for major change programmes and existing commercial arrangements.
•    Develop expertise in the end to end commercial cycle on commercial arrangement types, supplier legal structures, payment mechanisms, financial contract clauses, financial rights and obligations, market players, macro-economic impacts (e.g. inflation and foreign exchange), financial protections and guarantee models and overarching bid/cost model requirements.
•    Develop commercial finance policies and support their introduction and implementation in the relevant business areas. These will include learnings from key cross-government guidance documents, in particular the Outsourcing Playbook.

Supplier financial and market

•    Provide corporate and commercial finance advice through detailed analysis of supplier’s finances on the relative strength and ongoing financial viability of suppliers. This includes but not limited to:

o    You will provide specialist finance advice in the context of engagement with 3rd party suppliers.

o    Support on major change of control request e.g., Supplier structural change

o    Undertake Independent Business Review for/with supplier in distress

Income & Debt Support    

•    Supporting policy-makers and other key stakeholders to ensure, as far as possible, income is protected and maximised within legal constraints, but challenging risk aversion;
•    Supporting work to ensure income and debt are accurately represented in planning rounds and forecasts;
•    Supporting the development of advice and assurance to senior officials, the Income Board and Ministers on new and existing income streams or programmes as well as complex, high risk and/or value commercial finance elements;

Other duties

The post holder will be required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post. This may also include working closely with other MoJ Finance staff and functions to develop solutions/problem-solve, engaging in project work to drive finance improvements.

Key skills and knowledge

The post holder will have:

•    Knowledge in commercial and/or corporate finance techniques and methodologies and how to apply them - Note: Corporate finance activities include and are not limited to activities that deal with financing, capital structuring and investment decisions.  Commercial Finance are finance related activities within an end to end commercial cycle.
•    Experience of commercial and/or corporate finance from either public or private sector.
•    Meeting tight deadlines within unpredictable and demanding environments whilst delivering high quality products. 
•    Effective engagement with senior management e.g. Boards, Senior Executives 
•    Ability to provide insight and clear strategic understanding to ensure financial objectives are embedded into the decision-making process.
•    Critical thinking & problem solving. 
•    Confidence to challenge and influence at all levels; Strong track record of building excellent stakeholder relationships. 
•    Works independently and flexibly with a focus on delivering outcomes, not just following process.
•    Ability to analyse and interpret financial models and financial statements. 
•    Good Microsoft Office Excel and Word Skills.

Success Profiles   

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

Civil Service Behaviours

The following SEO Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be assessed upon application:
•    Making effective decisions
•    Communicating and Influencing
•    Seeing the big picture

A statement of suitability is also required.

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

If we receive a large volume of applications, we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Making Effective Decisions

Professional Skills 

•    Qualified/Part Qualified  CCAB, CIMA or equivalent

Or

•    Financial experience over an extended period
Key for Levels of Professional Skills
•    A = Awareness
•    W = Working
•    P = Practitioner
•    E = Expert

CORE

Strategic Analysis and Insight    P
Oral and Written presentation skills         E
Data and analysis interpretation         W
Influencing Senior Leaders and Ministers
(Including drafting skills)    E
Proactive problem resolution    P

DESIREABLE    

Negotiating with pragmatism    W
The Budgeting Framework    W
Government Financial reporting and governance requirements    W

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application. Should many applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.  

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to interview, where the behavioural elements and strengths will be tested further alongside other elements of the post. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

Travel

A base location near or within the region will be allocated to the successful candidate, as set out below. The post holder is expected to meet their own travel costs to and from their base location. If required to attend a location other than their base location, post-holders may be entitled to claim some or all any extra expense (beyond the usual base location travel costs) in line with the T&S policy.

The successful candidate will be appointed to either one of the locations specified in the advert or, if nearer to their home, an alternative MoJ office location in the region which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed upon completion of pre-employment checks.

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.  Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

You are advised to access the JCC/JSO office map, which is updated whenever a new JCC/JSO site opens,  to determine potential travelling times and distances to MoJ locations before applying for a job.

Training 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks 

The opportunity to join employee run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees.

For further information please feel free to contact PIP@justice.gov.uk

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.