About the job

Job summary

The award-winning Commercial and Contracts Capability Team is a division within the Government Commercial Function. It was formed in 2014/15 and was established to ensure all government departments bolstered their commercial and contract management capability to deliver the best value for the taxpayer.

This role supports the Commercial Capability Programme (a directorate of the Government Commercial Function (GCF) with the Cabinet Office) in delivering its objectives.  The Commercial Capability Programme (CCP) develops commercial and contract management capability across all government departments and is expanding into other public bodies, making this a unique role. 

The Cost Recovery Lead will be responsible for income and cost recovery of c.£160m plus across all government departments and wider government bodies. The work is varied and covers cost recovery, budgeting, forecasting, month end cycle, various projects and other finance related tasks as needed. The Cost Recovery Lead will work closely with the CCP internal teams, the Cabinet Office finance team, other GCF central teams, external government departments and wider government bodies. 

This is a hybrid role as per the Cabinet Office policy. Also, please note that the role will require some travel between York and London, on average maximum one day per month.

Job description

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead for all cost recovery – deliver the cost recovery process as per agreed timelines, resolve internal and external issues on cost recovery for all our services that are recharged to government departments and any other public body.
• Oversee and manage budget management and forecasting for delivery of services – to work closely with your designated budget holders, service delivery teams and direct line reports to effectively and accurately manage budget, forecast and variances. 
• Oversee and manage reporting and month end process – working closely with your direct line reports and stakeholder, review, analyse, accrue and make corrections as needed to ensure each cost centre data is correct. Produce reporting packs on time that are clear, succinct, accurate and appropriate to the stakeholder. 
• Highly skilled stakeholder management – ensure data (inwards) is being managed effectively and work with stakeholders to keep deliverables and timelines on track.
• Experienced line management – to manage, coach and develop 3 part qualified team members. Responsible for overall deliverables and behaviours. 
• Project lead – responsible for delivery of finance process improvements and data improvement projects.
• Compliance – to ensure compliance with internal policies & procedures, financial reporting standards, including principles around Managing Public Money and FReM. Additionally, lead on any NAO and other audit requirements.
• Financial modelling – to prepare financial models as needed to price projects, products and mixed deliverables. 
• Governance and financial accountability  – to provide support with data analysis and narrative for Customer Board, Oversight Committee and any other governance group.
• Where necessary, undertake any other work and projects, in support of the Capability programme and the Government Commercial Function. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Fully qualified (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CA or equivalent).
• Relevant experience working in Finance, ideally including senior level responsibilities as per the key accountabilities, especially managing cost recovery (or revenue management equivalent).
• Experience of running, or being a part of, a full range of finance cycles (monthly, quarterly, annually etc).
• Experienced at working with multiple stakeholders, including delivering process improvement projects across teams.
• Production of external documents (board reports, presentations etc.) for senior stakeholders.
• Experience with full suite of Microsoft Office products, including minimum intermediate Excel.
• Highly skilled problem solving and ability to work independently.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your Experience and will be asked to complete:

• A name-blind (anonymous) CV which includes job history & skills and experience
• A name-blind statement of suitability (500 words max). Referring to the essential criteria section of the job advert please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. 

Please complete the online test and written application as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 17/01/2023 at 23:55. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the name-blind CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Selection process

At interview you will be assessed on your Experience and the following Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving 
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service (lead behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace

There will also be a Technical assessment including a test (Excel skills and Technical Accounting ability (including journals/ double entry).

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 8/01/2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 12/02/2024
Interview location - Virtual via 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 you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

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.

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for CTC is 3 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

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 successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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 applicant’s 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

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.