About the job

Job summary

The Finance Business Partner is a vital role which will include being a key member of the Senior Leadership Team in your business area responsible for influencing the strategic direction of the business and enabling the organisation to deliver against its plan, objectives and outcomes.

The successful candidate will be required to act as a finance business partner to the Military Operations Budget Holders and SROs in Navy Command. We are looking for someone who is committed to providing an excellent finance service, working as part of a small and high-performing team. The role will also require strong stakeholder management skills to ensure the finance function works effectively across the different parts of the organisation.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

This Finance Business Partner role requires the incumbent to utilise a combined skill set encompassing interpersonal skills, professional skills and technical knowledge. By applying these skills together with their contextual understanding of the business’ strategic goals, plans, performance and risk management, the FBP will be equipped to provide strategic financial advice and enhance the quality of decision-making.

 As part of the Navy finance leadership you will support the development of your team and wider finance function staff, providing opportunities for development and encouraging ideas for improving team performance.

Duties include:

Provide Leadership and Line Management to your team.

Supporting the business to deliver their outcomes – Working collaboratively with the business and other functions to enable the delivery of business plans and objectives.

Driving financial performance – against agreed targets working with stakeholders. Develop an understanding of the drivers behind key variations and work with the business to identify remedial actions, risks and opportunities

Providing constructive challenge, scrutiny, insight and analysis on financial plans and programmes to ensure ambitions are sustainable, aligned to strategy, maximise value for money and are linked to benefits.

Reporting and analysing the business financial position for consolidation to Head of Corporate Reporting

Reviewing Financial Accounting treatment and resolution of accounting anomalies and/or anything adversely impacting the SOFP

Supporting your business area in the development of the 10 year plan. Providing constructive challenge, scrutiny, insight and analysis on financial plans and programmes.

Input into the development of business cases, investment appraisals and proposals identifying and highlighting any potential issues.

To identify opportunities for new efficiencies and support in delivering the existing pipeline.

Implementing Continuous Improvement – proactively identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in the service finance provides by engaging with the Business to prioritise those changes that could add most value.

Acting as the bridge between the business and the rest of finance-Engaging with the wider business and drawing on the required support from the finance function.

Building effective stakeholder engagement – Building successful partnerships and maintaining relationships with business leadership and wider stakeholders.

For this role, the Budget Holder and finance team are located in Portsmouth. The business needs are such that the successful applicant should expect to be in Portsmouth on average 6-8 days a month with regular travel to other Navy Command locations potentially required.

A 12 month reserve list will be held for this vacancy, with the potential for other equivalent roles to be filled at a later date.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will have experience of working as a Finance Business Partner in a complex environment. At this level the individual will be able to demonstrate their experience and skill against the following criteria and be comfortable briefing at Board Level.

• Experience of delivering pragmatic and robust approach to financial control and governance, as well as managing a complex
• Excellent leadership credentials, with a proven track record of developing and leading high performing teams
• Experience of presenting complex financial information simply and effectively to a range of stakeholders
• Experience of using financial, operational performance and economic data to deliver insight that both drives and facilitates change and continuous improvement.

Acting as the bridge between the business and the rest of finance, the successful candidate will build effective stakeholder relationships, support the business to deliver their outcomes, drive financial performance, and provide constructive challenge and, scrutiny.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,670, Ministry of Defence contributes £15,570 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 and Experience.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (500)

We'll assess you against your experience and these behaviours at interview:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for your experience and evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk 

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.