About the job

Job summary

Are you a qualified accountant with significant experience of leading a team in a fast paced finance environment?

 Do you enjoy building great working relationships with different business areas?

 Can you influence a wide variety of people at all levels?

 If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

DVLA Finance is a vibrant and dynamic place to work, and we offer the opportunity for you to grow and express yourself in a forward-thinking team. We are responsible for collecting over £7 billion in Vehicle Excise Duty and over £600m in fees and charges each year,  with an annual operating expenditure budget of over £500m.

You will provide strategic leadership and manage the Finance Group in the provision of a challenge, support and advisory service to Directors, Programme and other managers and ensuring effective and efficient delivery of financial management processes that fall within the remit of the Group.

You will be joining a fast-paced environment with a multifaceted workload where a resilient leader will thrive. You will work collaboratively, and instil confidence with a variety of senior stakeholders including heads of group, members of the Executive Team, and the Department for Transport Finance team providing excellent exposure to networks,  and securing strong working relationships.

The Head of Finance Group will lead a team of Finance Professionals to deliver services to a high standard, ensuring quality assurance and timeliness of services provided to key stakeholders.

You will be a key member of the Finance & Assurance Services (FAS) senior management team and will be expected to work collaboratively to promote good financial management and professionalism across DVLA.

Key accountabilities of the role include:

• Lead and manage the Group in the provision of professional finance support to the Agency to enable decision making, whilst ensuring compliance with all statutory and Government reporting requirements and standards.
• Provide assurance of propriety/ regularity as part of ensuring effective delivery of robust financial management processes.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with all customers and stakeholders, ensuring due process is followed.
• Provide direction on required leadership, task management and people management processes within Group including career development, support and coaching of staff.
• Develop the overall FAS strategy as a member of the FAS Strategic Management Team.
• Working with the FAS Director to develop the quality and capability of financial management and financial governance expertise and standards to operate at the very highest standards.

 For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

• Strong Technical Accounting and investment appraisal skills and experience of leading a Finance team within a large organisation
• Excellent leadership and influencing skills
• Experience of stakeholder engagement, building and maintaining positive work relationships at all levels
• Understanding of the big picture
• Resilient and highly driven to work against set timeframes
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills

We strive to ensure that DVLA is a great place to work where everybody can be their true self, be treated with dignity and respect, and according to their individual needs. We have a number of staff network groups run by staff to support their colleagues.

Further Information

This role will be based in Swansea. At DVLA, we believe in working flexibly, where possible, to allow greater work life balance. This is reflected in our informal hybrid working arrangements and other family friendly policies. 

The expectation is that you will spend a minimum of 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace (DVLA). We would encourage you to discuss the working arrangements for this role with us during the recruitment process. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. 

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role  
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance 
•  25 days holiday, increasing by one day each year up to 30 days pro rata 
• Access to the staff discount portal 
• Reimbursement of Professional Subscriptions: Subject to business rules, this role may be eligible for re-imbursement of relevant professional subscription costs. 
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff 

Our competitive pension scheme (that you can enter as soon as you join), along with your salary and other benefits, is one of the significant benefits of joining the Civil Service.

Our principal, defined contribution pension scheme (Alpha) offers generous employer contributions of 27.9% (based on Employer contribution rates 01/04/23 – 31/03/24). You will also get tax relief on the pension contributions you make, subject to HM Revenue & Customs limits.

The Alpha pension scheme offers additional benefits for you and your family, and has potential access to ill health and injury benefits if you become too ill to work, or die before you retire (subject to scheme rules).

Further information on our pension scheme benefits can be accessed via

DVLA's Finance and Assurance Services is accredited by the ACCA as a Platinum Employer demonstrating our commitment to training and continuous professional development.

If you would like to read more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA visit our Careers website.

 

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.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide both a CV and Personal Statement (Maximum of 1250 words) to Robertson Bell (our Recruitment Partners for this campaign) which outlines your experience and suitability for the role(based on the experience points outlined below):

• Experience of leading a finance team within a large organisation
• Evidence of strong technical accounting and investment appraisal skills
• Evidence of strong influencing, leadership and communication skills
• Evidence of strong resilience skills
• Experience of stakeholder engagement, building and maintaining positive working relationships at all levels.

Please send your CV and Personal Statement to Michael Swinburn at Robertson Bell. This should be sent via email to DVLA@robertsonbell.co.uk. For any questions regards the role or the process, please contact Michael directly on 02038247100.

Following the close of the application window, DVLA Hiring Managers will complete an internal sift and this is due to take place from 24th January 2024.

Interview/ Assessment Stage 

If at sift your application is successful, you will be invited to the next stage of the process which will consist of:

• An interview
• A presentation   

This interview will be conducted from 1st February 2024, details of which will be provided, should you be selected for interview. 

If invited to interview, this may consist of a range of question types. These could include questions around behaviours and how you would respond in any situation as well as specific examples of things you have done.

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

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 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. 

Please take note that DVLA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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.