About the job

Job summary

The Strategic Finance team sit at the heart of financial decision making and analysis. The activity we are responsible for includes: 

• Liaising with HM Treasury on all financial issues and fiscal events;
• Leading on all Financial Planning, ensuring any financial decisions take into account future trends and strategies; 
• Leading on Fiscal Events Financial Strategy, including all financial input and analysis for Spending Reviews and Budgets;
• Leading on Business Planning for the Department, ensuring our funding is allocated according to our priorities and provides greatest value for money;
• Advising our Executive Board on in-year Financial Management, in particular at each quarter to ensure we can re-prioritise any underspends towards our Ministerial priorities;
• Ensuring financial controls for example delegated authorities are adhered to and spend is governed appropriately.
• Providing cross cutting Financial Analysis relating to financial planning.

Please see the candidate pack attached below for further information about the role. 

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity within the Strategic Finance team for a Senior Financial Analyst.  This is a critical role in the team and will add significant value to finance colleagues and the wider organisation. The outputs of this role will be used to provide compelling and well evidenced data to senior stakeholders. You will provide strategic analysis on financial impact, performance and risk through analysis of past data as well as modelling of future trends. This will be utilised for key in-year exercises including budget management and business planning, as well as activities such as spending reviews where multi-year analysis will inform departmental requirements. 

In addition, the individual in this role will be responsible for:

• Analysing and presenting data from the departments 42 arms length bodies.
• Cost base analysis, including assessment of the discretionary nature of expenditure, understanding commercial models and the department’s grant mix.
• Ad-hoc project work which may be required to respond to new or enhanced/high profile activity through project cycles.
• Sensitivity analysis and scenario modelling which should feed into and inform medium-term financial planning and planning cycles.
• Work closely with HR analysts to feed in workforce modelling, assess supply and demand and present analysis which enables the teams to prepare for future risks.
• Work to link forecasts and outturn to business plans, having detailed analysis to enable the department to improve performance and support the delivery and risk committee.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience.

Essential requirements:

• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret financial data, perform data analysis, develop financial models, and conduct financial forecasting.
• Excellent communications skills with experience of working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders to provide accurate financial data.
• Have the confidence and enthusiasm to present complex financial information to a diverse audience including non-finance colleagues. Ability to understand end users’ needs and provide the information in a way that takes this into account.
• The ability to present findings and recommendations in a persuasive and engaging manner with the use of data visualisation and other relevant techniques.
• Advanced proficiency using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and the ability to demonstrate strong analytical skills with attention to detail to produce financial analysis. 
• Must hold CCAB or equivalent qualification, or have significant financial analysis experience.

Desirable skills:

• The ability to think strategically and provide insights into financial planning, forecasting, and decision-making processes enhancing the effectiveness and impact of  financial analysis.
• Effective communication skills to convey complex financial concepts to non-financial stakeholders.
• Experience of Financial and Business Planning as well as wider Fiscal events in a complex organisation

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,839, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £13,456 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.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than Monday 15th July 2024 at 23::55 via the CS Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable 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 and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 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 requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and potentially include a presentation or scenario-based task which will be provided at interview.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets.

For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.

Further Information

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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   

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

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, please:

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. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or a verbal test rather than a written one. 

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

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

Feedback

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. 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.