About the job

Job summary

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates  

At DfE, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfE, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.

Equality and Diversity - Department for Education

The ESFA is an executive agency of the Department for Education. It has responsibility, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, to oversee and be accountable for the funding of all 3 to 16 education as well as post-16 education and training for young people, apprenticeships and funding for adult education in England, excluding higher education.

This position is an exciting opportunity in the Finance & Provider Market Oversight (FPMO) group within the ESFA.

FPMO leads on developing the financial and governance framework used by academies and post-16 education providers to manage and report on their spending; identifying institutions at risk of financial failure, providing expert financial assessment and advice; and where necessary undertaking investigations into financial irregularity. This work is key to the Department’s aim to maximise value for money achieved from the public funds it pays to the education sector. 

As a member of FPMO’s senior management team, the role is pivotal to the division’s success, as you will be responsible for leading restructuring initiatives and funding for education providers across the country. 

The role will be responsible for liaising with multiple stakeholders across the ESFA and DfE, including regular exposure to senior colleagues, including Ministers.

The role is part of a small specialist restructuring team of highly qualified accountants and insolvency practitioners. Each member is responsible for managing a portfolio of cases including their own analysis and credit papers.

Job description

The role operates in a variety of generalist and specialist settings. Therefore, duties will vary over time and the post holder will need to be adaptable and resilient, ready to undertake a diverse range of tasks including the following:

• Undertake reviews into restructuring situations, dissect complex evidence, add value to the proposed options, establish alternatives to those already identified and make recommendations to senior colleagues, including Ministers.
• This will include outsourcing some work to accountancy and law firms and undertaking your own analysis and due diligence in Excel, and writing credit committee papers in both PowerPoint and Word.
• Incorporate non-financial information and data, such as real estate and curriculum, to produce high quality integrated financial and non-financial advice.
• Managing transactions through to completion, including accurate forecasting and payment of funding.
• Raising general awareness of restructuring issues, identifying risks across the ESFA and education providers funded by the ESFA.
• Engaging with stakeholders across government, the wider stakeholder community and the finance profession to keep on top of leading practice.
• Manage stakeholders’ needs and expectations effectively so that ESFA and Departmental objectives and priorities are met.
• Make the links between policy and/or business delivery within the intervention and restructuring environments and wider where appropriate.
• Contribute to the wider management of the Finance & Provider Market Oversight team, including through leading roles in corporate activities and risk management.
• Proactively manage performance by setting clear and stretching objectives for colleagues and provide regular constructive feedback.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• You will have a high level of technical skill in public and/or private sector restructuring environments, including detailed financial assessment and/or modelling.
• You will have proven experience in reacting effectively to unplanned restructuring situations, being able to reach consensual decisions with imperfect information.
• You will be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively deliver results at pace in challenging environments.
• You will be able to demonstrate the ability to deliver difficult messages and communicate complicated financial and legal concepts to stakeholders with different points of view.
• You will demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to make an impact at the highest levels.
• You will have experience of representing an organisation externally, managing external stakeholder relationships and securing confidence in decision-making through partnership working.
• You will be an accomplished leader with a strong track-record in getting the best from your people by creating the culture and environment that motivates and engages a diverse workforce, demonstrating leadership behaviours and delivering on commitments.
• Professionally qualified accountant, auditor or equivalent: e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA, Insolvency Practitioner or relevant and comparable restructuring experience (ie banking, legal, consulting).

Desirable criteria:

• You will have worked in or with the education sector and/or the public sector more generally.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie break situation to make an informed decision.

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. 

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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.

Application

All applications will be sifted against the essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

Applicants are asked to provide a CV and a personal statement. The personal statement (maximum 750 words), should fully articulate how you meet the essential criteria, outlined in the person specification.

At sift, the experience outlined in your application (CV and Statement) will be assessed to determine your experience for the role against the listed essential criteria.

Interview

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview in person at our office located in Leeds this will include the following assessment:

Behaviours, Technical and Experience:

A formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across the two Behaviours listed:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating & Influencing

We will also assess your Technical ability to successfully carry out the role. You will also be assessed on your Experience.

Technical

We will also share with you a short case study and the exercise will involve answering questions on the financial governance and performance of an education provider.

Details of interview will be e-mailed to all successful candidates.

Other Information

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.  

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

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

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” 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.

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/

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.