About the job

Job summary

Are you an experienced Finance Professional looking for your next challenge?

Do you thrive in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment?

Would you love to be a part of an organisation that makes a real difference to people’s lives every day?

If so, we are looking for a Financial Strategy Manager to join us at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and we'd love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) implements the government’s maritime safety policy in the United Kingdom and works to prevent the loss of life and occurrence of pollution on the coast and at sea. 

Safer lives. Safer Ships. Cleaner Seas.   

Our vision is to be a world-leading organisation, accelerating the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards. We put our people, our customers and our planet at the heart of everything we do.  

We welcome applications from all communities, and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.

Job description

As part of the Directorate of Finance and Audit, Financial Strategy and Planning is responsible for managing the medium-term financial plans (MTFP) of the Agency and ensuring that its total budget is deployed in an efficient and value for money way.

This role sits within the Financial Strategy and Planning Team and works closely with the Savings and Efficiencies Lead, Finance Business Partners, the Directorates, and the Department of Transport (DfT) Strategy Finance team.

As the Finance Strategy Manager, you will be reporting to the Head of Financial Strategy and Planning. Your role will provide direct support for the development of the MTFP and the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).

This will be achieved through high quality analysis of financial and non-financial date/information, to ensure plans are clear, concise, logically developed.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become a part of the MCA Team whereby your daily role provides a valuable enabling function for the delivery of a life saving service. It is a fast paced role where no two days are the same and you will have the opportunity to meet and build lasting relationships with Internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage a Medium-Term Financial Plan for the Agency, underpinned by a robust understanding of key cost drivers and aligned to the strategic direction of the organisation.
• Working with the Finance Business Partnering team, support the development and implementation of credible financial plans at Directorate level.
• Undertake scenario modelling on the medium-term financial plans to support business decisions.
• Support the Head of Financial Strategy and Planning on Spending Reviews and other fiscal events and negotiations with DfT/HMT.
• Develop a good understanding of the business and its drivers.

For further information about the role and responsibilities, please see the attached role profile.

Person specification

About You 

To be successful in this role, you will need to be either qualified or part qualified CCAB/ CIMA with extensive experience or other relevant comprehensive experience in a financial business partner or financial strategy role.

You will have a proven track record of business improvement or long-term financial planning as well as supporting the delivery of organisational change.

Well-developed interpersonal and influencing skills will be a strength of yours, which enables you to manage stakeholder engagement effectively.

Additional Information 

This role will be based in the Southampton HQ.  MCA supports flexible working and operates a hybrid working model between home and office for this role, giving you greater flexibility over where and when you work.  

The expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace or out on official business. Details of the arrangement will be discussed further with your line manager.

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.

Click here to get a copy of the MCA Staff Benefits Brochure

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency 

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.

How to Apply  

CV and Personal Statement:

Within your CV and personal statement please demonstrate your knowledge and experience of:

• Qualified or part qualified CCAB/ CIMA with extensive experience but will consider other relevant comprehensive experience in a financial business partner or financial strategy role.
• Track record of business improvement or long-term financial planning.
• Well-developed interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Proven track record of supporting the delivery of organisational change.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 1,000 words. 

It is essential when submitting your personal statement that you provide as much detail as possible, and utilise the full word count given, against the essential criteria outlined above as this will be used in conjunction with your CV to assess candidate suitability to move to the next round in the recruitment process.   

Sift and Interview Dates

The sift is due to take place on 3rd & 4th January 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 16th January 2024.

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

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. 
• A presentation. 

In addition, we will also assess - The Finance Career Framework

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

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.