About the job

Job summary

Finance is at the heart of decision making in the Department for Business and Trade. 

The Finance Business Partner team works with the Finance function across the department and its Partner Organisations to support DBT’s ambitious agenda. The team builds relationships and works in partnership with policy and delivery colleagues as well as other key stakeholders in corporate services and other Departments including HM Treasury, to provide a seamless end-to-end service to customers.   

Finance Business Partners work closely with Director General groups, supporting the development of policy and delivery plans and associated funding requirements, providing financial information, advice, challenge and assurance to enable effective decision making. They ensure that colleagues have the knowledge and support they need to manage spend effectively, ultimately supporting the wider Department to meet its objectives. They champion a value for money culture and embed a robust financial planning management and control regime throughout the department. 

Senior Finance Business Partners are business experts with strong interpersonal relationships. They understand the business and are able translate and present complex financial information clearly. They provide valuable financial advice, challenge and support, strategic insight and business solutions to budget holders and senior stakeholders.  

Job description

Responsibilities are varied, but will include:  

• Building strong relationships with senior leaders and support them in developing financial advice to senior officials and Ministers.
• Championing the importance of value for money and strong financial management, insight and stewardship of public funds. 
• Using strategic and commercial acumen to champion a culture of effective decision making and risk management. 
• Drawing insights from financial reporting and other complex information, translating policy proposals and strategic objectives into financial impact, risks and opportunities and communicating these clearly to senior audiences. 
• Building an in-depth knowledge of the areas of the Department for which you are responsible, understanding the financial and performance drivers, risks, opportunities and issues.
• Providing high quality information and advice to shape fiscal event or business planning bids and support prioritisation decisions within the Group and the Department .
• Working collaboratively and constructively with colleagues to support the development of business cases, ensuring that HMG controls and guidance are complied with, and to improve financial capability and understanding.
• Champion a culture of collaboration and improving financial capability and understanding across business areas.
• Lead and develop a small team of finance professionals.

Person specification

Personal Skills and Attributes

You will need to be self-starting, flexible and proactive to respond to complex and diverse financial management challenges and to provide an efficient and effective service to both DBT budget holders and its Partner Organisations, as well as central finance teams within DBT.  

You will be a results-driven, collaborative player, with excellent attention to detail and the ability and communication skills to build good working relationships at all levels across the DBT family. 

We are keen to hear from applicants who enjoy working in a collaborative way with people across different teams. 

Essential Criteria: 

• Be a credible and authentic leader, with the ability to articulate a vision, inspire, engage and motivate teams to deliver high performance and build capability.  
• Demonstrate excellent strategic awareness and an ability to influence decision making in a political context.  
• Show ability to provide insightful analysis on complex issues, develop solutions and communicate effectively to a variety of audiences. 
• Demonstrate the confidence, composure, credibility and resilience needed to challenge and influence senior stakeholders in a considered and professional manner to ensure best use of public money.  
• Work through uncertainty as the Department transitions to DBT. 
• Show the ability and willingness to make difficult decisions and stand by them, communicating effectively to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes. 
• Demonstrate the ability to provide insight and clear strategic advice to ensure financial objectives are embedded into decision-making including fiscal event and business planning bids, business cases and, where appropriate, Accounting Officer advice. 
• Introduce and maintain resilient and robust financial management and financial governance procedures, including reviewing and updating financial risks and mitigation.  
• Show the ability to build a network of relationships across organisational boundaries that support collaborative working in order to deliver. 
• Show evidence of delivering at pace under challenging circumstances. 
• Recognise change as an opportunity to deliver efficiency and innovation acting as an agent for change when you identify the chance to do so, in order to protect, drive and add value. 
• Demonstrate impeccable professional and ethical standards.

Desirable Criteria   

• Demonstrate evidence of success in understanding and using central government finance policies and protocols (for example Managing Public Money, Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, and the Government Financial Reporting Manual). 
• Be a CCAB, CIMA or equivalent qualified chartered accountant, or part qualified and actively studying towards qualification. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,432, Department for Business and Trade contributes £17,596 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.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception. 

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way. 

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages. 
2. A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Location and working arrangements 

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered. 

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment: 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. 

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.  

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.  

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department. 

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.   
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.  
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.  
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.  
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland and Access NI 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk 

Vetting 

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.   

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

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.