About the job

Job summary

Based in the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) Finance Directorate, this is a varied and interesting role that would suit someone who is passionate about supporting others to gain and enhance their finance knowledge and skills. Supported by a small team, you will be leading on a wide range of capability work strands, ranging from implementing cross-government capability initiatives to directing and managing the Department’s professional finance training programme to helping new and existing students gain a professional qualification, whilst upskilling both finance and non-finance colleagues. The role also involves some line management. 

DBT is an excellent employer that encourages a healthy work/life balance - flexible working hours, job shares, diversity & inclusion, and is a disability confident employer. 

DBT recognises and promotes an environment that welcomes and values diverse backgrounds, thinking, skills and experience. DBT is an inclusive organisation, where people are able to bring their ‘whole selves’ to work, enables everyone to fulfil their potential and to produce their best work.

Job description

The successful applicant will lead the Finance Capability team to deliver the team’s overall strategy of building a confident and knowledgeable finance function and equipping colleagues with the skills they need to do their jobs well and build their careers. This includes:  Strengthening financial capability within the Finance team and across the Department, working closely with the Finance Senior Leadership Team and the Finance Continuous Improvement Team. Identifying finance capability gaps and organising and delivering programmes of training, working with colleagues to deliver programmes that are informative and interesting, using multiple formats and channels to ensure high levels of engagement and interaction. Identifying new developments and trends that may require solutions to upskill colleagues and developing training solutions to meet these needs. Overseeing the Department’s professional finance training programme, working closely with DBT Human Resources (HR) to support apprentices and other trainees to gain a qualification. Overseeing the Finance Fast Stream within DBT, helping to boost talent management by ensuring Fast Streamers are deployed to roles that promote their development while make the best use of their knowledge and skills. Acting as DBT’s key point of contact for the Government Finance Function’s cross-government Finance capability initiatives and acting as GFF advocate, feeding views to/from Finance and promoting cross government products and resources, such as the GFF career framework and skills capture tool. Putting in place mechanisms internally to promote and enable colleagues’ self-development, including establishing governance arrangements and lines of accountability to ensure that individuals are able to access the right learning and development at the right time. Maintaining links with professional bodies to ensure that DBT’s finance professionals can access high quality continuing professional development.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

You will need to demonstrate that you can fulfil the following essential criteria for the role:

• Full or partial CCAB Qualification or equivalent (with willingness and intention to complete qualification if partial).
• A good understanding of financial systems and processes.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills with the ability to promote team cohesion.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with ability to engage and influence colleagues at all levels.
• Ability to work flexibly and easily adapt to changing circumstances or priorities and to new developments, to meet the organisation’s needs.

Desirable Criteria

Experience building capability across teams and functions.

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:   

• 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.
• A Personal Statement (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 short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview. 

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:

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. 

• 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.

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. 

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

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 

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.