About the job

Job summary

Finance is at the heart of decision making in the Department for Business & Trade (DBT).

The Finance Business Partner team works with the Finance function and across the department and its Partner Organisations to support DBT’s ambitious agenda. The team builds relationships and works in partnership with policy and delivery colleagues as well as other key stakeholders in corporate services and other Departments including HM Treasury, to provide a seamless end-to-end service to customers. 

Finance Business Partners work closely with the DG groups, supporting the development of policy and delivery plans and associated funding requirements, providing financial information, advice, challenge and assurance to enable effective decision making. They ensure that colleagues have the knowledge and support they need to manage spend effectively, ultimately supporting the wider Department to meet its objectives.

They provide expert financial advice, analysis and assurance to Ministers, Executive Boards and budget holders. They champion a value for money culture and embed a robust financial planning management and control regime throughout the department.

Job description

Grade 7 Finance Business Partners are business experts with strong interpersonal relationships.

They understand the business and are able translate and present complex financial information clearly. They provide valuable financial advice, challenge and support, strategic insight and business solutions to budget holders and senior stakeholders. 

Responsibilities are varied, but will include:

• Building an in-depth knowledge of the areas of the Department for which you are responsible, understanding the financial and performance drivers, risks, opportunities and issues.
• Providing expert advice and challenge to the Group on financial matters, helping them to live within their delegated budgets and deliver value for money.
• Ensuring robust stewardship of, and accounting for, public money, underpinned by effective planning, risk management and internal controls.
• Supporting senior stakeholders and DGs through the transition to the new Department, working through ambiguity and championing change.
• Providing expert advice, challenge and assurance to senior stakeholders, including, where appropriate, the Accounting Officer in accordance with Managing Public Money.
• Providing tailored support to individual programmes on financial matters including correct budgeting treatment, accounting issues and how external delivery partners should manage DBT money, working with colleagues across Finance as appropriate.
• Influencing financial and business planning through the provisions of financial assessment and business case appraisal.
• Embedding a value for money culture within the department and supporting financial decisions through the provision of advice and challenge.
• Leading as the subject matter expert and key conduit between finance and the business for financial exercises such as Business Planning, Quarterly Reviews and the Spending Review, providing high quality information and advice to shape bids and support prioritisation decisions and ensure robust financial and delivery plans are in place.
• Working collaboratively and constructively with colleagues to support the development of business cases, ensuring that HMG controls and guidance are complied with, and to improve financial capability and understanding.

Person specification

Skills and experience

The successful applicant will be a strong leader who can work collaboratively and build trusting relationships with stakeholders and influence them with impact and professional credibility.

They will have a broad skill base with strong financial awareness and a proven ability to think strategically about a wide range of organisational problems and come up with innovative solutions.

Applicants will also demonstrate the ability to work across organisational boundaries with a variety of stakeholders to achieve outcomes and strong communication skills, including the ability to convey complex financial performance and management information to decision makers and advise on associated risks, pressures and potential under-spends to non-specialist audiences thereby influencing the decision making of senior management.

Essential criteria

• Be a credible and authentic leader, with the ability to articulate a vision, engage and motivate people to deliver results.
• Demonstrate the confidence, composure, credibility and resilience needed to challenge and influence senior stakeholders in a considered and professional manner to ensure best use of public money.
• Work through uncertainty as the Department transitions to DBT.
• Show the ability and willingness to make difficult decisions and stand by them, communicating effectively to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.
• Show that you have the skills to provide insight and clear strategic advice to ensure financial objectives are embedded into decision-making including fiscal event and business planning bids, business cases and, where appropriate, Accounting Officer advice.
• Show the ability to introduce resilient and robust financial management and financial governance procedures, including reviewing and updating financial risks and mitigations.
• Show the ability to build a network of relationships across organisational boundaries that support collaborative working in order to deliver.
• Recognise change as an opportunity to deliver efficiency and innovation acting as an agent for change when you identify the chance to do so, in order to protect, drive and add value.
• Show evidence of delivering at pace under challenging circumstances.
• Demonstrate impeccable professional and ethical standards.

Desirable criteria

• Be qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent or working towards the qualification.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,560, Department for Business and Trade contributes £14,461 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.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

1.  A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.

2. A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.   

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview. 

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered. 

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment: 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. 

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.  

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

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.  

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department. 

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.   
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.  
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.  
• Terms and Conditions are attached.  Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland and Access NI 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk 

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5-years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected. 

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Feedback

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 security 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.