Senior Finance Business Partner – Contracted Services
Department for Work and Pensions
About the job
Job summary
At DWP we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at DWP accessible to you.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
As one of the largest government departments, almost every individual in the UK is a direct customer of DWP at some point in their lives. DWP’s mission is to improve people’s quality of life, both now and in the future. We do that by focussing on delivering excellent services that make a difference to millions of people. We trust and empower our people to deliver these services to customers every day, including the most vulnerable in society.
We seek to be an exemplar of the modern Civil Service, and to build on our achievements for the benefit of those we serve. When we are at our best, we care, we deliver, we adapt, we work together and we value everyone, and we seek to ensure that these values guide the way we serve our country, our communities, and our fellow citizens.
You will have the responsibility for three Finance teams, made up of qualified and generalist finance staff, to support and enable business decision making by providing support, challenge and professional advice on all aspects of financial management, performance, value for money, investment and risk.
This will be achieved by developing and maintaining key relationships with senior managers and their teams in Contract Management and Partner Delivery (CMPD), to ensure the effective management of resources, risks to the delivery of business objectives and compliance with all DWP’s financial policies.
The post-holder will work closely with a large number of high-profile stakeholders in the Contract Management and Partner Delivery, Senior Operational Managers, Strategy, Change, IS/IT, Senior colleagues across the Finance and Commercial Community and the HR Business Partner.
Job description
The post holder will support the Senior Leadership Team in leading the Finance Management and Partnering Team, ensuring the delivery of sometimes competing priorities, ensuring proper provision of financial management and advice to business senior leaders and managers. They will:
- Establish credibility and maintain strong and influential relationships with the business Senior Leadership Team/Boards and develop an excellent understanding of their dedicated business area.
- Ensure clarity of plans and effective deployment of resources by engaging actively with the business and providing challenge to planning assumptions, forecasts, budgets and performance.
- Lead on the financial support to and analysis for Contract Management and Partner Delivery (Health) and deliver enhanced business partnering, ensuring a clear understanding of the market for 3rd party service provision, provider performance and the implication this has for provider cost base and profitability whilst adhering to Managing Public Money principles.
- Manage financial risk, ensuring early warning and effective mitigation.
- Support the construction of business cases to include financial benefits management and realisation; production of Discounted Cash Flows (DCF’s), Net Present Values (NPV’s), providing robust and constructive financial challenge.
Leadership and People Management
The Senior Finance Business Partner will ensure that their team:
- Is fully conversant with the DWP Finance Group Strategy and how this impacts the business plan for Contract Management and Partner Delivery.
- Demonstrates DWP Values in their working relations within the team, across corporate functions and policy areas, DWP, other government agencies, stakeholders, suppliers, and local community.
- Adopts working practices which are consistent with DWP mission and policies relating to diversity issues.
- Has an appropriate awareness of the need to adopt a service culture and improve commercial capability, which enables DWP delivery and corporate businesses to fulfil the requirements of the modernisation programme.
- Finance coaching is provided to Contract Management and Partner Delivery, and wider DWP staff as appropriate.
- Financial knowledge is shared across the wider Finance and Commercial community and with operational managers, in corporate functions and policy areas, in order to promote self-reliance.
Places for Growth and Social Mobility
As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers. As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location.
The roles available will be based in:
- Birmingham 3 Arena Central, Bridge Street, Birmingham B1 2AX.
- Blackpool Peel Park, Brunel Way, Blackpool FY4 5ES.
- Leeds – Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7UA.
- Manchester – 2 St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 3AA.
- Newcastle – Benton Park View, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE98 1BA.
- Sheffield – Hartshead Square, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2FD.
Person specification
Essential Criteria Full professional qualification awarded by a CCAB recognised accounting body (e.g. ACCA, CIPFA, ICAEW) or CIMA.
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Qualifications
You must hold a full chartered level professional qualification awarded by a UK-recognised accountancy body: CIMA, ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS and Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Memberships
In addition we accept applications from candidates with a chartered level international qualification where a reciprocal agreement exists with the ICAEW or where the criteria of the ICAEW Pathways programme are met. More information on ICAEW membership agreements can be found here Members of other bodies a z , ICAEW. Your membership of one of these institutes must be up to date and active. Please note that membership of AAT or other technician level qualifications does not satisfy the qualification criteria. If you are unsure whether you meet the qualification criteria you should confirm with our recruitment team before proceeding with your application. If you are invited to interview, you will be asked to provide evidence of both your qualification status and live membership.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Location
Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
Hybrid Working
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
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.Sift stage: As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Personal Statement of no more than 1250 words. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Please ensure that your Personal statement is aligned to essential criteria in the person specification. The sift panel will use your Personal Statement to assess your skills and experience against the essential criteria listed for this position. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Lead Criteria to assess your application during the Sift stage;
Candidates who pass the initial Sift may be progressed to a full Sift or direct to interview. Interview stage: If you have been successful in sift stage, you will be invited to an online interview via Microsoft Teams. You will need to produce proof of evidence of your accountancy membership prior to the Interview and Proof of ID will be required. The interview will take a blended approach, and you will be assessed against the behaviours outlined in the job advert, as well as experience-based questions. Further information will be provided to those who are invited to interview. Application sift is planned to be carried out week commencing 22nd April 2024. |
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access 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
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be 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 circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
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.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
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
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.