Ministry of Justice

Overview

Corporate Finance is structured to ensure it is streamlined and focussed on supporting the frontline. Our objective is to deliver:

• A streamlined Finance structure based upon a strong, effective Centre of Excellence with appropriate local retained functions where necessary and robust business partner model.
• An efficient and flexible model that support its customers as well as delivers on it commitments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Realise savings through rationalising our function.
• A structure that ensures there is the right mix of skills (including greater professionalism) to deliver the finance functional responsibilities.
• A robust service to Business Groups and other parts of the corporate centre.

MoJ is a continually changing organisation, so resilience and strong leadership are critical elements in the team being successful. As a manager within MoJ the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus to visibly champion the MoJ values and the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money.

The Financial Management, Control, Risk and Governance Senior Management Team expects all managers to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to the development of ourselves and our colleagues through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

The Financial Governance Team has a pivotal role in providing support, advice and guidance to all staff including senior stakeholders, such as the Permanent Secretary, the Department’s Chief Operating Officer and all Directors General, CEOs and Accounting Officers.

The team also provide front-line staff with the right balance of guidance and control to allow the department to function effectively while protecting the public purse from misuse. This is achieved via clear guidance, targeted education and the willingness to find sustainable solutions to real time challenges.

About the Role

This role sits within the MoJ Financial Governance Team. The financial governance team has a broad role within the corporate finance function and requires the post holder to work on a unique range of governance, propriety and regularity issues.  MoJ is a complex organisation with five Agencies, over 25 Public Bodies plus a corporate centre. The central team has a pivotal role as a ‘centre of expertise’, and as the conduit between the MoJ and the National Audit Office and HM Treasury on governance issues.

You will be part of a high performing, flexible Financial Governance CoE with an exciting and high-profile programme of work planned for the coming years.  

The team leads on:

• Providing advice and assurance to the Principal Accounting Officer on all matters relating to regularity and propriety, including the interpretation and application of Managing Public Money to the work of the department.
• Clearance of, and strategic advice and updates in respect of, National Audit Office value for money reports and the Government’s response to Public Accounts Committee reports, including Treasury Minutes.
• Providing advice on a wide range of varied issues to the Principal Accounting Officer and other Accounting Officers across the Ministry of Justice.
• Operation of, and compliance with, the Ministry’s Spending Control Framework.
• Meeting the department’s transparency obligations in respect of clearance and publication of third-party financial payments data and Senior Officials, Ministers and Special Advisors transparency data.
• Government Procurement Card (GPC) administration, ensuring that the department enacts and administers the rules from Cabinet Office.
• The administration of the department’s e-payment system, ensuring compliance with the department’s government procurement card policy.
• Various other activities relating to financial governance.

Key responsibilities

This role is part of a team of Higher Executive Officers (HEO) who work collectively in supporting Senior Executive Officers (SEO) who report into three Grade 7 postholders and the Grade 6 Head of Financial Governance Team across the activities laid out below. These responsibilities may change from time to time as workloads and priorities shift.

·       Support the department’s relationship with the National Audit Office on value for money studies and associated activities, working with the NAO and stakeholders across the department to understand how the work of the NAO impacts upon the department. Support the clearance of updates in respect of National Audit Office value for money reports and the Government’s response to Public Accounts Committee reports, including to Treasury Minutes and subsequent updates.

·       Own and manage the NAO/PAC inbox, drafting responses, flagging urgent issues, and ensuring timely and accurate handling of correspondence.

·       Maintain and update internal trackers, ensuring actions, requests and study statuses are accurately recorded and kept up to date.

·       Support cross-government governance activity, including the Departmental Overview and Cross Government quarterly meeting.

·       Maintain clear and well-structured records, folders and guidance to support the team.

·       Production and submission of Accounting Officer appointment letters for issue by the Permanent Secretary.

·       Draft accurate and timely responses to finance related parliamentary questions and requests made under the Freedom of Information Act.

·       Support the processing of special payments, ensuring accurate documentation, audit compliance and timely progression.

·       Assist with the preparation, review and clearance of transparency data, ensuring accuracy and adherence to reporting deadlines and guidance.

·       Support EO’s in transparency

·       From time-to-time various other activities relating to financial governance may be allocated.

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Travel Requirements

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

Key skills and knowledge

·       A good understanding of managing public money as well as the principles of effective governance is desirable, but a willingness to learn and put that learning in to practice is essential.

·       Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels, including establishing and maintaining a good rapport with team members and our customers (we work to support all our colleagues across the department and view them as our customers).

·       Confident working with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders.

·       Able to be flexible in approaches to communication, using a variety of media including liaison with colleagues via Teams (both video and instant messaging) phone, email and in person as appropriate.

·       Ability to work at pace with excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and tight deadlines.

·       Strong attention to detail and accuracy when updating trackers, correspondence, and documentation.

·       Confident use of digital tools such as OneNote, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Excel for information management and collaboration.

·       The postholder will be required to work flexibly across a range of duties so the ability to work in a culture of change and work with uncertainty and acceptable levels of risk is key.

·       Adaptable and willing to review role and priorities with senior management team to meet the current and future needs of the organisation.

Desirable Skills and Experience

·       Working in or with private office

Please note that whilst we don’t assess or score ‘desirable’ criteria, we may consider evidence provided that demonstrates meeting the desirable elements of the role, only after essential criteria is assessed and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates.

Skilled Worker Visa

This role is not eligible for new Skilled Worker visas in accordance with the current immigration rules.

From 22 July 2025, the Government introduced changes to the Skilled Worker visa route. The department cannot consider sponsoring you for this role unless you have held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes. If you have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously, please raise this during your vetting checks and eligibility will be assessed in accordance with the immigration rules and transitional provisions in place.

If you are applying for this role and you have not held a Skilled Worker visa prior to the 22 July 2025 changes, you will need to consider your options for obtaining and/or maintaining your right to work in the UK in light of these changes. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the Civil Service and in the United Kingdom.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service. You can read more about Skilled Worker visas and the eligibility criteria here

Application Process

To apply please complete the online application form.

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework.

Candidates who pass the sift will be progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the role requirements within the application behaviour responses. 

Should a large number of applications be received, please note that an initial sift will take place on the lead behaviour communicating and influencing and candidates that don’t meet the required skills, and experience will be sifted out.

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

Assessment process at application

Behaviours

Please provide a 500-word example of how you have met the following behaviour:

·       Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)

Statement of Suitability

Please provide a 750-word Statement of Suitability which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should address the following three areas, using a separate paragraph for each:

• Clear communicator who can influence up, across and externally: Demonstrate your ability to communicate information clearly and confidently, adapting your approach for different audiences, including influencing peers, senior colleagues, and stakeholders to gain buy-in and support agreed outcomes.
• Organisation and Prioritisation: Explain how you balance multiple, competing deadlines and resources to keep every task on track and delivered to a high standard.
• Supportive team member with a proactive approach: Describe how you work collaboratively with others, contribute positively to team objectives, and take initiative to improve ways of working, including making effective use of digital tools or processes where appropriate.

CV

·       Please provide an anonymised copy of your CV

Assessment process at interview 

Interviews will be in person and held at 102 Petty France London.

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

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

You will also be expected to undertake the following task during the interview:

·       A technical task of no more than 10 minutes. (Provided on the day)