About the job

Job summary

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates   

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.  

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education 

Department for Education (DfE)

The Department is responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships, and wider skills in England. The Department’s vision is to ‘provide world-class education and care that allows every child and young person to reach his or her potential regardless of background.’ 

Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)

The ESFA is an executive agency, sponsored by the DfE, which provides £67billion of funding. The Agency regulates academies, FE colleges, employers and training providers, intervening where there is risk of failure and/or where there is evidence of mismanagement of public funds. 

Finance and Provider Market Oversight

This role is within the ESFA’s Finance and Provider Market Oversight directorate which improves the oversight of education funding and providers and is an expert function that anticipates, detects and prevents the misuse of public money. PMO comprises approximately 190 staff based at DFE sites across the country. 

Further information about the Department can be found at: www.education.gov.uk

Job description

This role is based within the Intervention Support team, which is part of Strategic Restructuring within the Finance and Provider Market Oversight directorate.  

This is a high-calibre team of accounting and audit professionals, comprising of over 20 staff. Our primary focus is to provide expert financial and governance advice to ESFA colleagues to support their intervention and oversight of Academies, FE Colleges and ITPs. 

We are seeking a highly motivated professional with the following relevant experience and skills:

• Be able to work closely with senior colleagues across the ESFA and provide expert advice on financial matters including financial underperformance, analysis of recovery plans, management accounts and financial forecasts. 
• Scrutinise and evaluate complex financial intervention cases.
• Support fieldwork to assess the quality and appropriateness of organisation’s financial management and governance arrangements and make recommendations for improvements.
• Provide support to colleagues undertaking intervention cases and casework, quality assuring as appropriate.
• Deliver presentations and training as required to a variety of stakeholders.
• Write concise papers with clear recommendations for senior staff.
• Undertake project work as allocated.
• Be able to travel nationally with occasional overnight stays.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Have a background in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, accounting or financial audit. 
• Have technical expertise that allows you to make sound and balanced judgements.
• Be able to persuade and influence senior grades and stakeholders.
• Have sound analytical skills and good judgement to inform your decisions or when providing opinions or advice to others.
• Be able to provide expert advice to colleagues on financial issues.
• Have excellent report writing and interpersonal skills.
• Have experience of managing multiple tasks and be able to prioritise where necessary.
• The team is dispersed across several sites, so the ability to work at a distance will also be key to the post holder’s success.
• A good level of Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook) including Office 365.

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application

In your application, in addition to providing your job history and confirmation of your qualifications, you’ll be asked to prepare a personal statement and CV which you should ensure provides evidence as required in the person specification and essential criteria outlined above. We will assess in line with the criteria in the person specification section.

Sift

At sift stage, you will be assessed on the information you provide on your CV and personal statement (max 500 words) demonstrating how you meet the listed person specification essential criteria.

Interview

If your application is selected for interview, you will be invited to a video interview (via Microsoft Teams).

Interviews will consist of behaviour based questions on:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We will also assess experience at interview.

Interviews are likely to take place in early February 2024.

Detailed feedback will only be provided if you attend interview.

Other Information

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.   

DfE cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DfE holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

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.