Overview

Role Summary

Strategic Finance SEOs are expected to own the leadership of processes and products to support Financial Planning, Fiscal Events and build and maintain the single point of contact relationship with their counter parts in the HMT Spending Team.

They often have project management type roles to lead the delivery of set pieces, commissioning work, leading the collation of responses / outputs, and resolving issues presented.

They are required to understand the big picture of the delivery for their team and commission and collate with confidence, often asking senior stakeholders (including the Executive Team or someone on their behalf) in the Department to complete delivery, sometimes on short deadlines.

Typical Role Responsibilities

SEOs in Strategic Finance are responsible for building strong relationships and leading key processes and products across the Department. They aim to communicate requirements and expectations clearly and provide valuable advice, challenge and support, and strategic insight to deliver quality outputs to time, often with tight deadlines for delivery.

Role Responsibilities/Tasks

• Developing a strategic understanding of the business, its stakeholders, and deliverables.

• Building and maintaining relationships across the Department and with HMT

• Leading on areas of ownership for preparation and delivery of Spending Review and Fiscal Events, e.g., may represent a specific area of the Department

• Own strategic product development and leadership

• Leading the translation and adding insight to financial data to support key discussions across the Department and with HMT

• Providing guidance and coordination with other finance functions on HMT priorities and requirements

• Leading the drafting for briefing to seniors (Senior Civil Servants) and Ministers

• Providing ad-hoc analysis and presentations to the business and across finance functions

• Leading responses and developing resolutions as required for ad-hoc enquiries including PQs / FOIs

Travel

In addition to the standard expectations for hybrid working, there will be some ad-hoc travel required to other locations to attend some team and stakeholder meetings in person.

Interpersonal Skills

• Able to work independently, proactively, passionately, and confidently on high-profile areas across the Department and lead others to achieve quality and on time delivery of outputs.

• Comfortable and confident in working at pace to manage a full workload with conflicting short and long-term priorities.

• Building positive relationships with partners in other teams, and influencing others through excellent interpersonal and communication skills, tailored to the recipient. This includes the ability to critically consider and confidently challenge stakeholders regarding their delivery or information and translating across functions to obtain a joined-up approach.

• Influencing policy development and decisions, using analytical skills and different evidence sources to provide ministers or senior officials with high-quality advice. Transferable experience for providing written and oral briefings to Ministers and/or senior officials.

• Leading collaboratively with structure, by constructing clear timelines and processes, with interdependencies and owners, to lead others to successful delivery with clear products and outcomes for the process.

• Fostering and leading a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration between policy, programmes, the business, finance, and other corporate services.

Professional Skills

Key for Levels of Professional Skills

• A = Awareness

• W = Working

• P = Practitioner

• E = Expert

Application Process

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application.

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews

Behaviours

Please provide examples of how you have met each of the behaviours below:

• Seeing the Big Picture (Lead Behaviour)

• Leadership

• Delivering at Pace

• Communicating and Influencing

*Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the professional skills of Expert and Practitioner (noted above) within the responses for Seeing the Big Picture and Communicating and Influencing.

Experience

In addition to Civil Service Behaviours identified above, please provide:

• CV (anonymised)

If we receive a large volume of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead behaviour, Seeing the Big Picture

Interview Stage

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to a virtual interview.

At interview you will be assessed on behaviours (noted below) and Strengths:

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture (Lead Behaviour)

• Leadership

• Delivering at Pace

• Communicating and Influencing

You will also be asked to deliver a 5-minute presentation on a pre agreed topic that will be shared in advance of the interview. The presentation will assess the lead behaviour of Seeing the Big Picture. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

For further information please feel free to contact Stewart.McGill@justice.gov.uk