About the job

Job summary

The Government Legal Department is the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters that are frequently scrutinised in Parliament and the media. Our work includes: 

• Developing and drafting legislation
• Providing legal advice on policies
• Securing our economic and trade relationships
• Ensuring value from commercial contracts worth billions of pounds
• Providing the Civil Service’s employment law advice

We are at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department, sponsored by the Attorney General. We are headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary and employ nearly 3000 people, including over 2000 legal professionals. Our offices include London, Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and Manchester as well as overseas. We provide specialist legal services including Litigation, Employment and Commercial Law as well as advising most Government Departments on the policies and services they deliver. 

GLD also depends on a range of vital corporate services. These are essential to the smooth and efficient running of the Department and provide the foundation to enable GLD to deliver outstanding legal services. Our corporate functions include Strategy, HR, Finance, Digital, Data and Technology, Communications, Security, Commercial and Project delivery. 

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.  

To find out more about what we do visit the Government Legal Department’s webpage or have a look at this short film which showcases the breadth of work government lawyers and legal trainees are involved in.

Job description

About the Finance, Planning and Performance Division

The aim of the Finance, Planning and Performance Division is to ensure that GLD has effective business planning and sound financial and performance management processes that meet its business needs. The Division has approximately 40 staff covering transaction processing (accounts payable, customer billing, treasury functions such as banking, expenses and travel payments), financial and management accounting, planning, performance, finance policy, procurement and Bona Vacantia (BV) Finance.  BV Finance collect income from bona vacantia (ownerless) assets on behalf of HM Treasury.

The external reporting requirements places on GLD are the same as those of larger government departments, and in addition, GLD having only limited resources, needs to have a robust internal performance and finance regime to ensure we get maximum value for money for our clients. The variety of work offered by GLD’s Finance, Planning and Performance Division is very diverse when compared to finance roles in some larger organisations.

We also provide financial services to the Attorney General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. 

The Finance Team is part of the Finance, Planning and Performance Division (FPPD).  Although FPPD is based in Central London, BV Finance is located in Croydon to provide finance support to the BV Division, based there. However, there is significant contact and interaction between the two teams.

About the Role

The post is in the Operations team, within Finance

Key responsibilities:

• Manage the Billing and Credit Control team of three EOs and 2 AO using their personal skills in order to manage their time and activities effectively to deliver an efficient service.
• Ensure the Credit Control inbox is managed on a rota system to ensure all enquiries are dealt with in a timely manner.
• Run the Split billing tool at the end of the month
• Manage fixed fee invoices escalating any issues with clients where payment is being withheld due to disputes over responsibility of charges.
• Be responsible for handling complaints quickly and fairly explaining the outcome to the client.
• Manage own share of allocated clients for billing and credit control to monitor and reduce the debt.
• Check unallocated receipts at month end to ensure all receipts are allocated and resolved and support the monthly bank reconciliation.
• Cover the Team leader’s tasks and role when on leave
• Review existing processes and practices regularly to  improve or maintain the quality of service and reduce the risk of fraud.
• Plan ahead and set realistic targets to meet objectives.
• Ensure Data Protection and audit requires are adhered to.
• Using own judgement and using evidence to evaluate options, reassess work priorities and workloads to meet conflicting demands when needed.
• Identify personal skills needed to deliver priorities and deploy resources accordingly.

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profile that make up this role.

You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at interview stage.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour)

Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities. Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation. Ensure the most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively. Regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance. Allow individuals the space and authority to meet objectives, providing additional support where necessary, whilst keeping overall responsibility.

• Working together

Encourage teamwork within own team and across other groups. Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders, collaborating to share information, resources and support. Invest time to develop a common focus and genuine positive team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another. Actively seek and consider input of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

• Communicating and Influencing

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests.

• Managing a Quality Service

Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence. Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales. Successfully deliver high quality outcomes that meet the customers’ needs and gives value for money. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently. Involve a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and delivery partners in developing suggestions for improvements. Establish ways to find and respond to feedback from customers about the services provided.

Experience

• Experience in managing a finance team within a professional finance environment.
• Good working knowledge of Excel.
• Knowledge of financial systems and processes.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders to achieve common goals

Civil Service Code

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of you and other civil servants. These are based on the core values which are set out in legislation. As a civil servant, you are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of:

• ‘integrity’ is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
• ‘honesty’ is being truthful and open
• objectivity’ is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence
• ‘impartiality’ is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

These core values support good government and ensures the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does.
For further information about Civil Service recruitment processes and Success profiles, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,309, Government Legal Department contributes £8,993 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.

The Recruitment Process

Application

To apply for this role please submit the following online on Civil Service Jobs before Monday 8th July 2024 at 12:00 noon

• An online CV setting out your career history, skills and qualifications to assess your Experience. The CV will be scored against the Experience criteria, set out on page 7 of the vacancy notice.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience set out in the person specification essential criteria.

Please provide examples in no more than 250 words for each behaviour listed below:

• Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour)
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

During the application stage you will be assessed against the skills outlined above. Your application should demonstrate how you meet the criteria for the post, with relevant examples. It will not be sufficient to reiterate the criteria; you are expected to illustrate how you have met the requirements.

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours and experience outlined in the person specification.

Please note, if a large number of applications are received then we will sift on the Lead Behaviour alone.

Interview

Should you be successful in being invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in all essential behaviours and criteria as listed in the Person Specification alongside strength-based questions.

• Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)
• Behaviour: Working Together
• Behaviour: Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Experience

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interviews will take place in person, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Offer

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible after the final interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months.  We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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.