About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Are you interested in starting or continuing your career in finance?

Can you use your superb attention to detail skills to complete your work to a high standard?

Do you have experience of using Microsoft Excel effectively and efficiently to complete tasks?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

Group Finance plays a pivotal role in the financial management of DfT and this is an exciting opportunity to build your knowledge and gain a professional qualification whilst helping us deliver real value for money to the taxpayer.

We are fully committed to your development as we want you to be the future of our business. We have a proven track record of supporting individuals so that they successfully obtain their qualifications and you will be surrounded by a strong support network of line managers and colleagues who will help you to embrace the culture of DFT. You will gain all-round experience of working in a busy finance directorate by supporting a number of teams in DfT’s finance directorate.

We can teach you the tasks you may not be familiar with, but you should be comfortable working with people, systems, numbers and data.

As a multitasker, you will collaborate with our stakeholders from various teams and departments and deliver exceptional customer service.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Assisting in budgeting and forecasting activities for monthly accounts and cash management.
• Assisting in the preparation of DfT’s annual accounts.
• Completing transactional activities with a clear record for audit.
• Providing information to colleagues across the department that help them make decisions, such as Finance, Procurement and HR reporting.
• Maintaining and improving the quality of data in our Finance, HR and Procurement systems.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

You will be used to working as part of an effective team but can also work from your own initiative.

You have good interpersonal skills and are comfortable dealing with customers and stakeholders at all levels.

You have superb attention to detail, being able to use your organisational skills to complete skills using excellent time management skills. You have experience of working to tight deadlines and can adapt to shifting priorities.

To be successful, you will need to be someone who has experience of using Microsoft Excel effectively and efficiently to complete tasks, along with using various other Microsoft office suites.

Additional Information:

A minimum of 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. 

There will be some occasional travel required with this role, we will remain flexible to your personal and working circumstances and you will be provided with full notice if this is to occur.  

If you take one of these roles, our expectation is that you will undertake a qualification in Finance, Procurement, Digital or Project delivery, for example, a Finance level 4 professional qualification (AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW).

This could be via one of our apprenticeships or supported self-study whilst in post. This is a great way for you to combine theoretical learning, with the practical skills you build ‘on-the-job’ and the department will support your learning with dedicated time to focus on your studies.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

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, Ability and Experience.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Experience of using strong attention to detail to complete a piece of work while using your initiative to influence results to promote positive business outcomes.
• You have good interpersonal skills and are comfortable dealing with customers and stakeholders at all levels.

Please fully utilise the 500-word count when completing your personal statement.

You will also be required to provide 250-word behavioural statements on the behaviour, Working Together as listed in the advert.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Working Together.

After submission of the first stage of your application (personal details) you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical and Verbal test. If you successfully pass the tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application (CV and Personal Statement).

If you are successful at both of the application and Civil Service Numerical and Verbal test you will be invited to an interview.

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

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Due to the Christmas period and annual leave on team, there will be a delay in the sift commencing. We thank you for your patience and look forward to receiving your application.

The sift is due to take place from Monday 15th January 2024.

Interviews and Excel tests are likely to be held from Monday 12th February 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview
• An Excel test

This interview will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

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. 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.