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 Efficiency Lead

Band/Grade Grade 7

Number of Vacancies1

Business Group Chief Operating Officer Group

Directorate Financial Strategy, Planning and Performance

Location National

Hours 37

Working Pattern Permanent

For nationally advertised campaigns, candidates will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Role Type/ Team

Permanent

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 Finance Strategy and Planning Team is responsible for setting MoJ's financial strategy and delivering our medium-term financial plan. We work with colleagues in every area of the department at every level, to make sure that finance is at the heart of decision making, and that when developing our strategic plans, we understand and have gained buy-in from policy, operational and corporate colleagues. We also represent the department to HM Treasury, for whom we are the main link, including in negotiations over the department's financial settlement.

Our work is fast paced, high priority and strategic, regularly reporting directly to ExCo, the Permanent Secretary and the Secretary of State, and influencing all areas of departmental planning.

Key work includes planning for, negotiating and delivering fiscal events including a Spending Review, assisting Ministers in forming their plans and priorities over the next Parliament, managing the annual budget allocations process, regular reporting on and planning for efficiency and continuing to scrutinise and challenge how funding supports delivery of the Outcome Delivery Plan. 

Role Purpose

FSP is a friendly multi-disciplinary team, representing policy, finance and strategy experience from across the department and government. We work hard to foster an inclusive atmosphere and value a broad range of experiences in the team.

The role offers the postholder unrivalled insight into the interaction of financial planning with policy and operations. You will learn to quickly build relationships, communicate clearly and persuasively with a wide range of audiences, and develop a good understanding of the big picture as regards government priorities and finances, and the MoJ’s work. 

As an Efficiency Lead, you will have oversight of efficiency plans and delivery along with building and maintaining key stakeholder relationships with teams across the department. You will be responsible for regular reporting internally and to HMT. You will work closely with the planning team at fiscal events, especially at Spending Reviews.

Key responsibilities

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

• Leading on quarterly reporting to the Finance, Performance and Risk Committee along with HM Treasury.
• Leading on productivity and invest to save proposals for the next spending review, along with other fiscal event support. This will include reshaping the way MoJ makes and tracks investment decisions over the programme life-cycle.
• Devising a proportionate process for identifying new efficiencies in advance of the next Spending Review.
• Regularly updating and engaging with business case programme leads to understand delivery, slippage and share best practise.
• Working with the Planning team to produce a methodology for smaller change programme funding and benefit tracking.
• Working closely with HR to understand workforce plans and provide a process for linking these to financial plans through the allocations process and build workforce efficiency programmes into the plans.
• Building strategic, financial capability and understanding across the department, through outreach.
• Participating in MoJ’s strategic relationship with HM Treasury in support of the department’s strategic objectives. Specifically, working with HM Treasury to build credibility and to make sure they understand and are able to respond to financial risks affecting the department. 

Travel

Occasional travel will be required.

Key skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain confidence of senior leaders.
• Excellent communication skills, orally and in writing, able to communicate with confidence and credibility on complex financial issues to a range of financial and non-financial audiences.
• Confident in using your initiative and professionally curious, with a proven track record for problem solving.

Desirable criteria

• A good understanding of government finance, including HMT Consolidated Budgeting Guidance and Managing Public Money.
• Understanding of key issues in the justice system and of the Ministry of Justice’s services and stakeholders.

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 Grade 7 Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be assessed upon application:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

In the event that 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 Seeing the Big Picture.

Specific Technical Skills Required

• Finance qualification or working towards a finance qualification.

The Selection Process

To apply please complete the online application form, providing:

• A Statement of Suitability is required consisting of a maximum of 1000 words. In this, you should demonstrate how your experience is relevant to the role and how you have demonstrated the behaviours required.
• CV

Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Seeing the Big Picture. 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.

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.

Interview dates: Expected WC

For further information please feel free to contact Alice Manifold (alice.manifold@justice.gov.uk) or Bryan Gillingham (bryan.gillingham@justice.gov.uk)

Closing Date:   18/12/23, 23:55 hours.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,358, Ministry of Justice contributes £15,165 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

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.