General Information
Descriptions & requirements
Job title: SEO - Business Case Officer
Directorate: Chief Financial Officer
Workstream: Strategic Finance and Planning Division
About us
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.
About the team
This is a rare opportunity to become part of the Strategic Finance and Planning Division, which sets the financial strategy for HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The division works closely with colleagues across HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice to embed finance, affordability, and value-for-money at the heart of decision-making.
You’ll be joining a friendly, multi-disciplinary team with expertise spanning finance, analysis, and strategy. We pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment, and we value diverse experiences and perspectives. The team sits within the wider Chief Financial Officer Directorate (CFOD), which encompasses financial management, financial control, security and safety, contracted services, governance, and assurance.
About the role
We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual to join HMCTS Strategic Finance as a Business Case Officer. This permanent role plays a pivotal part in supporting the scrutiny and assurance of investment decisions, ensuring alignment with HM Treasury’s Green Book principles, and contributing to robust financial governance across HMCTS.
This role offers a unique vantage point across HMCTS, supporting critical business functions and influencing strategic investment decisions. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring that the Accounting Officer responsibilities of the CFO and CEO are met, and that HMCTS spending consistently adheres to the principles of Managing Public Money.
The work is fast-paced, high-profile, and strategic—often reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer and shaping project planning across the organisation.
The Business Case Officer will be embedded within the Strategic Finance and Planning Division, supporting the HMCTS Investment Committee. The role involves reviewing and preparing business cases, investment appraisals, and governance documentation for major funding decisions taking account of risk proportionality. It requires strong analytical skills, effective stakeholder engagement, and excellent communication abilities.
Your role as the Business Case Officer encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):
· Providing advice and guidance on the construction of all investment casework across each of the 5 cases, Strategic, Economic, Financial, Management & Commercial.
· Review and provide formal feedback on draft Investment Appraisals, Cost Models and Business Cases over the £5M threshold.
· Scrutinise cases for the approvals board in line with required timelines.
· Produce affordability statements for investment proposals.
· Support the production of Accounting Officer Assessments for cases over £30M.
· Maintain oversight of project pipelines and integrate into medium-term financial planning.
· Deliver training workshops and awareness briefs across HMCTS.
· Engage with senior stakeholders including SCS and the Chief Financial Officer.
· Support wider finance teams and contribute to strategic planning and budgeting processes.
Who are we looking for? (Person Specification)
The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:
Essential
· Experience of reviewing and critically appraising technical documents at pace.
· Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships across teams and functions, including when delivering challenging messages with clarity and professionalism.
· Ability to assess risk and provide proportionate, constructive feedback that reflects the context, complexity and potential implications of the issue at hand.
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information in a clear and concise manner to a range of audiences. Confidence in engaging with senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and insight.
· Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outputs to deadlines.
Desirable
· Familiarity with key features of the central government budgeting framework, HM Treasury’s Green Book and the investment appraisal process.
· Full or part-qualified CCAB or CIMA accountancy qualification or equivalent is not a requirement but may be helpful.
How to apply
Please submit
· An anonymised CV
· Statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 750 words)
Please ensure you cover both ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do it. (i.e., the effective skills, knowledge & experience needed to undertake the role).
If successful at sift, you will be invited to attend a remote interview, via Microsoft teams. During your interview, you will be assessed against the following Civil Service Success Profiles which will include:
· Questions in relation to the following Civil Service behaviours:
• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
· Strengths will also be assessed however these are not shared in advance.
Further details
Travel requirements
We operate a hybrid working policy whereby individuals are required to spend a minimum of 60% of their working hours in their office location, and the remaining 40% can be from home. If based outside of London, occasional travel to 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ will be required (approximately once per month).
Opportunities for development
HMCTS is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
About our benefits
We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family
friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.
Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
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). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.
Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.
For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).
For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.
All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.
There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Eligibility
Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.
Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order
- To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
- To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
- To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)
As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.
You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.
For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.
Diversity & Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
Civil Service Nationality Rules
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
- 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
MoJ:
If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
Please quote the job reference 11171
HMPPS
If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
Please quote the job reference 11171
Job Description Attachment
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Role profile.docx (Job Description Attachment)
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.