Role Title

Business Case Officer, Strategic Finance and Planning Division

Job family group

Finance

Job family/ies

Strategic Finance

Grade

SEO

Status

For internal use

Role Purpose

(250 words max)

The Business Case Officer plays a pivotal role within the Strategic Finance and Planning Division of HMCTS, supporting the scrutiny and assurance of investment decisions to ensure robust financial governance and value for money. Reporting to the Head of Investment Cases, the postholder is responsible for reviewing and preparing business cases, investment appraisals, and governance documentation for major funding decisions, ensuring alignment with HM Treasury’s Green Book principles and Managing Public Money. The role is central to supporting the HMCTS Investment Committee and the Accounting Officer responsibilities of the CFO and CEO.

Operating in a fast-paced, high-profile environment, the Business Case Officer works collaboratively with colleagues across HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice, embedding finance, affordability, and risk management at the heart of decision-making. The postholder leads through influence and expertise, engaging and supporting colleagues at all levels, and providing assurance, scrutiny, and oversight on business cases and investment proposals, some of which have whole life costs exceeding £100m. The role will also contribute to the implementation of governance review outcomes and continuous improvement of assurance processes, helping to shape the strategic direction of HMCTS investment activity.

Key Accountabilities (600 words max)

• Provide expert advice and guidance on the construction of investment casework across the five-case model (Strategic, Economic, Financial, Management, and Commercial), ensuring all proposals are robust, proportionate, and aligned with organisational objectives.

• Review and provide formal feedback on draft Investment Appraisals, Cost Models, and Business Cases, particularly those exceeding the £5m threshold, ensuring compliance with HM Treasury’s Green Book and best practice standards.

• Scrutinise business cases for the approvals board, delivering timely and constructive challenge to ensure proposals are evidence-based, affordable, and deliver value for money.

• Produce affordability statements for investment proposals and support the production of Accounting Officer Assessments for cases over £30m, providing assurance to the CFO and senior officials.

• Maintain oversight of project pipelines, integrating them into medium-term financial planning and supporting the strategic allocation of resources.

• Deliver training workshops and awareness briefs across HMCTS to build capability in business case development and investment appraisal.

• Engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including project teams, finance business partners, senior leaders, commercial colleagues, and Project Governance & Assurance, building effective relationships and facilitating collaborative working.

• Support wider finance teams and contribute to strategic planning and budgeting processes, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and continuous improvement in financial governance.

• Work with the Team Leader and Project Governance & Assurance Team to implement the outcomes of the Governance Review and other changes to governance and assurance processes within HMCTS.

• Exercise sound judgement in escalating issues, providing recommendations for consideration by senior leaders, including the Investment Committee and ICGC.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture within the Strategic Finance and Planning Division.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience (500 words max)

Essential:

• Proven experience in reviewing and critically appraising technical documents and business cases at pace, with a strong attention to detail.

• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships across teams and functions, including when delivering challenging messages or feedback.

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess risk, tailor feedback proportionately, and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of conveying complex information clearly to a range of audiences.

• Confidence in engaging with senior stakeholders, providing constructive challenge and insight to support robust decision-making.

• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outputs to tight deadlines.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with the central government budgeting framework, HM Treasury’s Green Book, and the investment appraisal process.

• Experience in delivering training sessions, workshops, or knowledge-sharing activities to build organisational capability.

• Understanding of strategic financial planning within a government or public sector context.

• Formal finance qualifications are helpful but not essential.

Additional:

• Demonstrates leadership through influence and expertise, supporting and directing colleagues at all levels.

• Commitment to continuous improvement, organisational change, and the development of responsive, high-quality services.

• Strong interpersonal, consultative, and negotiating skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally.

Problem Solving and Decision Making (300 words max)

The Business Case Officer is responsible for supporting projects to develop robust business cases, scrutinising proposals, and assessing affordability. This requires independent decision-making and the ability to make recommendations for consideration by senior leaders, including the CFO and ICGC. The role involves planning and balancing workloads across a wide range of planned activity, managing relationships across functional and organisational boundaries, and specifying standards for business cases.

Problem solving typically involves generating new ideas, evaluating options, impacts, risks, and potential solutions, and reconciling different priorities to achieve cooperation and meet deadlines. The postholder exercises discretion and judgment in relation to issues within their area of operations, escalating matters as appropriate and providing options and recommendations based on detailed analysis and appraisal. As an expert in business case scrutiny, the recommendations put forward by the Business Case Officer carry considerable weight and influence the strategic direction of HMCTS investment activity.

Management of Resources (250 words max)

While the Business Case Officer does not have direct budgetary responsibility or line management duties at the outset, the role is critical in advising the Chief Financial Officer and other senior officials on the affordability, strategic alignment and assurance of projects and proposals, some with whole life costs exceeding £100m. The postholder provides scrutiny, assurance, and oversight of business cases and investment proposals, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and in line with organisational priorities.

The role demands proactive leadership and effective management of the work area, building strong links with other teams, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, and supporting colleagues to deliver outcomes. The Business Case Officer is instrumental in the successful development of business cases, facilitating coordination, engagement and setting expectations across teams to ensure proposals are robust and audit ready. This is achieved not only through clear and effective communication, but also by demonstrating leadership, influencing plans and activities appropriately.

The Business Case Officer communicates business objectives in a functional and operational context, contributing to the negotiation and agreement of investment proposals and supporting the strategic allocation of resources across HMCTS. As the role evolves, there may be scope for line management or task management responsibilities.

Autonomy (250 words max)

The Business Case Officer operates with a high degree of autonomy, working within a framework guided by policies, accepted standards, and precedents, but expected to take independent action and exercise judgement and discretion in interpreting business and operational requirements. The postholder identifies and clarifies priorities, responds to changing requirements, and manages performance to ensure quality outcomes are delivered on time.

The role requires the ability to make independent recommendations, scrutinise proposals, and assess affordability, escalating issues and providing expert advice to senior leaders as appropriate. It is of paramount importance that each of the five elements of a business case are effective to ensure compliance with policy, requiring the post holder to have exceptional communication skills with the ability to autonomously digest large amounts of information quickly and making effective decisions on the way forward. The Business Case Officer is expected to adapt to evolving governance and assurance processes, contribute to organisational change initiatives, and support collaborative working across boundaries. This autonomy is balanced by a strong commitment to organisational objectives, risk management, and continuous improvement.

Key Relationships and Contacts (300 words max)

The following outlines the key relationships and the aims and outcomes of each:

• Investment Cases Team
  Aim: Collaborate closely to review and assure business cases, ensuring alignment with best practice and organisational priorities.
  Outcome: High-quality, evidence-based proposals that withstand scrutiny and support sound investment decisions.

• Project Governance & Assurance Team
  Aim: Work in partnership to embed robust governance and assurance processes across all investment activity.
  Outcome: Consistent application of governance standards, timely escalation of issues, and continuous improvement in assurance frameworks.

• Strategic Finance
  Aim: Coordinate on financial planning, affordability assessments, and integration of investment pipelines into medium-term financial strategy.
  Outcome: Effective resource allocation and alignment of investment activity with strategic financial objectives.

• Project Teams
  Aim: Provide expert advice and constructive challenge during the development of business cases.
  Outcome: Well-constructed, proportionate business cases that reflect operational realities and deliver value for money.

• Commercial and Legal Teams
  Aim: Engage to ensure commercial and legal considerations are fully addressed in investment proposals.
  Outcome: Proposals that are compliant, commercially sound, and legally robust, minimising risk to the organisation.

• Finance Business Partners
  Aim: Collaborate to ensure financial implications are fully understood and integrated into business case development.
  Outcome: Accurate, transparent financial modelling and assurance that supports decision-making.

• Senior Civil Servants (including Chief Financial Officer and Senior Responsible Officers)
  Aim: Provide assurance, expert recommendations, and clear communication to support senior leaders’ decision-making responsibilities.
  Outcome: Informed, evidence-based investment decisions that meet governance and accountability requirements.

• HMCTS Change Portfolio Committee, MoJ Investment Committee, MoJ Assurance, MoJ Financial Strategy and Planning
  Aim: Engage with governance and oversight bodies to secure approvals, provide updates, and respond to assurance requirements.
  Outcome: Timely approvals, effective oversight, and alignment with wider Ministry of Justice and HMCTS strategic objectives.

Across all relationships, the Business Case Officer acts as a trusted advisor, facilitating collaboration, building capability (e.g., through training and workshops), and ensuring that communication is clear, timely, and tailored to the needs of each audience.