About the job

Job summary

In December 2021 Baroness Heather Hallett, a retired Appeal Court judge, was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chair of the independent public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry was formally established with full powers under the Inquiries Act 2005 in June 2022. The Inquiry sits independently of the Government with the Cabinet Office acting as the sponsoring department. 

Following an initial set up phase the Inquiry began hearing evidence in May 2023. We are now looking for an energetic and collaborative senior leader to join the excellent team that is delivering the Inquiry.

This is an exciting role, offering the opportunity to lead an innovative team, in fast moving circumstances, to ensure lessons are learned from the UK response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further information about the Inquiry can be found on the UK Covid-19 Inquiry website.

About The Finance Team

The Finance and Commercial function within the inquiry is an inclusive and close knit team of Finance and Commercial professionals led by the Head of Finance and Commercial. Our established team consists of a Contract management lead, Finance Manager and a Finance Officer. The team oversees the provision of all management and financial information, providing assurance and oversight of the Inquiry’s budget and monitoring of spend. We are looking to expand our team with the addition of a Senior Finance Manager to support the Head of Finance in leading on all financial matters across the Inquiry.

To find out more about the team and the role, please refer to slides 5-6 of the attached candidate information pack.

Job description

Reporting directly to the Head of Finance and Commercial the Senior Finance Manager will be instrumental to providing day to day leadership to a small team of finance professionals who strive for excellence.

The post holder will be responsible for the ongoing development of financial controls, assurance and oversight of the Inquiry's budgeting, monitoring of spend and accounts. As Senior Finance Manager you will be responsible for overseeing the production and reporting of the monthly financial position and for providing an accurate forecast out turn position for all budget areas to inform operational and strategic decision making. 

You will be determined and resilient, and known for building relationships with a range of colleagues across professions. In return you will be offered the opportunity to make a positive impact, develop the team and drive best practice.  

Person specification

Some of the key responsibilities include and are not limited to:

• Lead the preparation, interpretation and presentation of in-year financial information into the monthly financial reports.
• Provide financial analysis and insight, through meaningful variance analysis commentary including risk management, mitigating actions, deep dives or financial modelling.
• Ensure effective controls are in place to maintain accuracy of data in financial systems.
• Ensure team delivers the month end activities in a timely manner and to the required standard.
• Undertake all month end activities, including approving journals, budget profiling and accurate forecasting and provide explanations for significant changes in forecast and actuals; provide updates on issues and risks to senior managers.
• Produce high quality reports and insightful management information for senior managers.
• Championing the role of finance across the Inquiry team, including ensuring relevant and timely flow of information to the whole Inquiry team and seeking regular feedback on improvements to ways of working.
• Line management of an HEO and EO.

Essential Criteria:  

• Previous experience in a finance role, leading and delivering on month end activities and reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, efficient in prioritising, planning, and monitoring of workflows/loads and skilled in flexibly responding to and managing competing priorities
• Highly numerate, enjoys working with numbers, with excellent attention to detail and a thorough approach to generating and checking documents.
• Good stakeholder engagement skills with and ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively across the Inquiry.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage and negotiate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to manage the delivery of month end activities in a timely manner and to the required standard.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working in an Inquiry, investigation or legal context.
• CCAB/CIMA/equivalent qualified, part qualified accountant, international equivalent, candidates working towards or willing to work towards a CCAB/CIMA qualification. Note, a finance qualification is desirable but not essential.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,850, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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 and Experience.

Application process

Please upload your CV and employment history. You should also provide a personal statement of no more than 750 words which should address the essential criteria and demonstrate the areas outlined in the person specification listed above. 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

If you are successful in securing an interview you will be assessed on the behaviours listed.  There will also be a short presentation on the behaviour Managing A Quality Service.

Conflicts of interest

Please note that candidates invited to interview will be invited to declare any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interests which could affect the independence of the Inquiry, in confidence, to the senior recruiting manager. This may include current or prior work undertaken on the COVID-19 pandemic response. Decisions on any potential conflict of interest will be made before an appointment to the role is confirmed.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 12/02/2024
Expected interview date/s – w/c 26/02/2024
Interview location - Remote - Video - Google Meets

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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 or Disclosure Scotland 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

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.

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

Reasonable adjustments

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 Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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.

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

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 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. 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.