About the job

Job summary

Would you like to be a Senior Finance Business Partner? Do you enjoy strategic and tactical decision making? Do you like to influence, negotiate and work collaboratively to promote innovation?

Job Summary

The role is to work closely with CCS Directorates creating a real and active partnership with both commercial and non-commercial Directorates  and financial management. 

 

The role will provide 'real time' support and analysis, to be a trusted adviser and to add value that will assist in decision making in an efficient simple manner to improve the accuracy, consistency and transparency of commercial delivery, reporting and forecasting.

 

We are recruiting to two posts within the Finance Planning and Performance team. One post will be more commercial focused whereas the other will be more project focused. Both roles will be assigned areas of the business to suppose as Senior Finance Business Partner.

The Finance, Planning and Performance Directorate

As a directorate, FPP are responsible for the planning, reporting and financial wellbeing of CCS. This includes:

• budgets and financial reporting

• strategy and business planning

• supplier and project assurance

• performance reporting

• risk management

The Finance team develop and manage all financial reporting. We work closely with different departments to develop budgets, projections and business plans related to money and finances.

The Planning Performance and Risk team develops our business plan, tracks its implementation, measures business success and holds the business to account. The team is responsible for increasing the management capability of corporate risk through review and assurance.

Team Summary

These fantastic opportunities sit in the Finance Planning and Performance (FPP) Directorate and provide both commercial, projects and general finance advice, support and challenge to all Directorates across CCS.

 

Our team really makes a difference ensuring financial governance, control and alignment is maintained and delivery plans are affordable, regular, proper and represent value for money. The team protects, drives and adds value, ensuring that the Accounting Officer position is protected with balanced commercial and professional reporting.

 

The Finance team of c30 FTE covers three main areas: Operational Finance, Finance Business Partnering (FBP) and Commercial Finance.  One of the roles sits in the FBP team and the second sits in Operational Finance with a dotted line to the FBP team. The second role also has line management responsibility for two individuals.

Job description

• Work with commercial (post 1 only) and non-commercial colleagues and finance professionals to measure and analyse business performance.

• Collaborate with colleagues across governance functions to drive the project finance function forward and lead a small project finance team  (post 2 only)

• Ensure the requirements of the financial processes are met through the Commercial Directorate and assigned non-commercial Directorates

• Work across stakeholders of the financial planning and forecasting processes to ensure user needs are met and consistency and transparency embedded

• Facilitate discussions around business performance and risks and opportunities

• Utilise Workday, Adaptive Planning and other data tools in an efficient manner to support the transfer of business information across CCS

• Develop and implement reporting and forecasting processes and templates aligned to financial requirements

• Support, advise and challenge on Business Cases, including commercial, project investment and partnerships, particularly on any financial aspects

• Convey complex financial reports, processes and information in a simple manner

• Be able to calculate and understand commercial benefits and the quantification of value generated by procurement activities.

• Ensure Business stakeholders are trained in required financial systems.

Person specification

Essential Criteria (To be assessed at application stage):

• Strong technical finance and accounting system skills 

• Experience of understanding, managing and analysing complex  financial processes

• Experience of working effectively with multiple stakeholders with varying levels of financial knowledge

• Demonstrates a clear understanding of Project techniques and business cases

• Qualified or part-qualified Accountant, or a willingness to  work towards a professional accounting qualification

Desirable criteria 

• Commercial and procurement knowledge or experience of supporting these areas

In the event of a high number of applications, the desirable criteria will be used as a second sift.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,031, Crown Commercial Service contributes £15,632 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Selection Process

Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift will commence WC 20th May and interviews will be held WC 27th May either at one of our offices or via video with interview times and dates to be confirmed. (Subject to change)

To find out more about our recruitment process please click here

Please note: Applicants can make use of artificial intelligence but the information presented at application must be factual.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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

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.