About the job

Job summary

Please refer to job description

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

The location is subject to discussion with the successful candidate.

Job Title/ Position : Senior Finance Business Partner

Grade : G6

Number of Vacancies : 1

Business Group : Chief Operating Officer, MoJ

Directorate : Finance Business Partnering

Location : This role is for a Senior Finance Business Partner (FBP) supporting His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) operations in Wales and the South-West of England.  There is a requirement for the successful applicant to be based within the region or near the specified region as travel is required.

Hours : 37

Post Type : Permanent

Role Type/ Team : Finance

Overview of Role

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).  MoJ is responsible for everything that goes into running the UK’s criminal and civil justice systems, creating the foundations for a safe, fair and prosperous society. We are one of the largest government departments with over 88,000 staff based across England and Wales. We are responsible for 500 courts and tribunals, 122 prisons, the policies underpinning the system and much more. 

The MoJ Finance Function is a high performing group with a commitment to provide the best possible information and advice to our business colleagues.  This role sits in the HMPPS Finance Business Partnering Team and will provide direct FBP support to two HMPPS Area Executive Directors and their operational teams running prisons and probation services.  It’s an interesting business area to support and will give the postholder a fascinating insight into operational challenges and delivery.

Role Summary

G6 FBPs typically have responsibility across a specific part of the Department, for financial advice, planning and reporting. They develop a good understanding of the areas of the business they support and build and maintain strong relationships at a senior level in their areas of responsibility, across the department, and beyond. They will bring insight and influence to bear through effective advice, presentation, and communication, enabling them to ensure finance is considered in commercial and operational decisions at all key stages.  

Role Responsibilities

• Stakeholder Engagement – develop and maintain strong partnerships with the Area Executive Directors and their teams. Help improve financial awareness across the business and provide accurate and credible advice on financial management and wider governance issues.  Actively contribute at business meetings and be proactive in looking for value for money and efficiency.
• Leadership – lead a team of twenty staff. Establish strong communications across the team and support and inspire staff to fulfil their potential as well as to deliver a highly effective service.  Work collaboratively with the other Senior Area FBP Leads.  As a senior member of the wider finance team, contribute to the ongoing development of the function, keeping an awareness of cross government financial management initiatives.
• Financial management – co-ordinate your business area’s annual financial planning activity and provide information and advice to support effective financial control in year. Present and explain financial information clearly and offer advice to inform decision making.  Understand the cost drivers of the business and carry out analysis of information to improve efficiency and understanding.
• Critical friend to the business – you will feel confident to challenge business colleagues on their spending plans and keep a focus on outcomes and business priorities. Give advice to support decision making, encouraging options analysis and appropriate governance.  Use your insight to add value.  
• Business Expert – build an in-depth knowledge of the areas of HMPPS for which you are responsible, understanding the financial and performance drivers, risks, opportunities, and issues.

Essential Behaviours, Skills and Qualification Required

Success Profiles enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role.  For this role we will be looking for specific examples of your experience of the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead)
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Interpersonal Skills

Ability to influence and make impact at senior levels through excellent interpersonal and communication skills including building and maintaining networks and relationships.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to put complex financial issues into layman’s terms for non-specialist audiences.
• A collaborative approach to problem solving and the ability to consider a number of options and scenarios in order to achieve effective outcomes.
• Leadership, and the ability to motivate and develop a diverse finance team and promote excellence.
• Leading, promoting and embedding the use and value of data and analytics, in particular as part of senior level reporting. Identifying additional data sources and tools to support specific programmes or areas of spend, keeping aware of developments and changes in technology.

Qualifications

You must be a CCAB, CIMA or equivalent chartered accountant.

Travel

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas).

There is a requirement for the successful applicant for this role to be based within the Wales or South-West region or near the specified region for the post.  The postholder will be appointed to an office/hub location within their region, this will be discussed with the successful candidate. 

Candidates will be expected to work 3 days a week at their base location or another MoJ establishment – this includes travel across the region which can be on average 4 or 5 times a month.  Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by MoJ but If required to attend a location other than their base location, post-holders may be entitled to claim some or all of any extra expense (beyond the usual base location travel costs) in line with the MoJ travel policy.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Application

Please apply for this post by 1800hrs on 15 May 2024.  You will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• 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.
•  A Personal Statementof 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 Behaviours and skills described above.

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

Should we receive a large number of applications, we will sift primarily on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing. Successful applicants will then be invited to an interview, testing both behaviours and strengths.

Interview

Please note that interviews will be held via Teams.

During the interview, we will be assessing you on the four Behaviours included in the application and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework. You will also deliver a presentation (details will be provided to candidates invited to interview).

Further Information

Please contact Elaine Dean, Head of Finance Business Partnering for Prisons and Probation Operations, for more information about the role.

elaine.dean@justice.gov.uk

Person specification

Please refer to job description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,314, Ministry of Justice contributes £18,501 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, Experience and Technical skills.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.