MoJ Job Profile- Finance Business Partner SEO

Background

The Policy Group has a budget of c£296m, including c£100m income. The group supports development of policy across the MoJ and administers and runs tenders for grants that are awarded to external bodies who support in the delivery of the MoJ's aims. The finance business partnering team supports the group in prudent management of this financial resource, ensuring advice and analysis is available to support decision making, compliance with governance requirements is supported, budgets are understood and adhered to and that key financial principles around managing public money are embedded in the culture of the business group.

Role Purpose

The Finance Business Partner MI reporting reports to a G7 Lead Finance Business Partner and is responsible to that role for the day-to-day delivery of financial reporting and variance analysis of budgets relating to a predefined subset of the total budget based on supporting a few directorates, covering support on non-pay budgets.

The role will advise directors and deputy directors on policy and process, for complex activities, sign posting to the relevant colleague, or escalating to the G7. The SEO will have considerable knowledge and a full understanding of the directorates they support, in terms of budget, forecasts and drivers of variance.

Finance Business Partnering SEOs are responsible for building strong relationships with their directorates, understanding the business, and explaining financial information for budget holders in an understandable manner. For day-to-day issues they will act independently in giving advice and making recommendations to the discrete areas that they support. If the financial implications spread more widely, to the wider MoJ, they will escalate this to the G7.

The FBP teams will work with other Finance teams across the function to provide a high-quality finance service to the department, and in particular form a close co-operative relationship with the Management Accounting team.

The role will support the Lead Finance Business Partner in ensuring all annual and multi-year financial returns and commissions are completed on time, acting as a key advisor to the directorates they support. They will apply their discretion when advising on how internal processes should be applied to such commissions. In areas of uncertainty in the application of guidance they will apply judgement to develop the best approach to deliver a good output for a particular piece of work.

Main Activities / Responsibilities

SEO FBPs are responsible for supporting several Directorates in the following ways:

The post holder will be responsible for building and maintaining effective key stakeholder relationships within their own areas of responsibility and the wider business area.

The post holder will support the business to manage their budgets effectively, providing challenge to decisions to help provide assurance that decisions being taken by stakeholders are making the most effective use of resources.

Communicating financial data and variance analysis relating to non-pay expenditure in the form of monthly MI packs, and with appropriate support of the Lead FBP, through attendance at appropriate SMTs. Challenging and supporting the business to enhance decision-making and increase performance.

Clearly communicating technical, business and financial information to internal and external stakeholders, using the most appropriate methods.

Proactively identifying gaps in financial knowledge within the business and support the G7 to put in place mechanisms to support the enhancement of financial skills within their business.

Ensuring budgets are updated appropriately, to reflect the operating structure, for different budget iterations, during the year.

Coordinating and as appropriate contributing to completing of commissions that support central financial processes such as annual budget build and the spending review.

Advising on and signposting the business towards appropriate specialists to support the business in ensuring it operates in a way that is process compliant.

Helping to build financial and commercial awareness of non-finance staff within the business.

The post holder will provide routine and ad hoc analysis and additional insight on specific issues - using resources provided from the Management Accounting team and other Finance expertise outside of their FBP team.

Support the G7 in delivery of responsibilities, deputising for them as appropriate.

The post holder will be 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. This may also include working closely with other MoJ Finance staff to develop solutions/problem-solve, engaging in project work to drive finance improvements.

Person Specification:

• Experience of providing professional finance and corporate services to senior stakeholders and influencing business decisions. Helping to ensure that decisions made deliver value for money.

• Experience of building, maintaining and leveraging collaboration networks and partnerships.

• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues in different finance teams across dispersed locations.

• Experience of communicating financial information to a non-financial audience.

• Experience of applying analytical skills to interpret financial data, draw conclusions and supporting decision making.

• Experience of proactively identifying opportunities to enhance service delivery, leading on implementing change and improving outcomes for stakeholders.

• Experience of being able to prioritise competing demands from stakeholders, all to tight deadlines.

• Experience of supporting budget holders in delivering services in a more efficient way.

• Experience of budgeting, forecasting and completing detailed variance analysis.

• Experience of delivering regular, timely and accurate financial reports to budget holders.

• Experience of training/ developing non-finance staff members on finance best practice and enhancing their commercial awareness.

• Experience of providing financial insight to support negotiations with external bodies, including other government departments.

• Good working knowledge of Excel.

It is desirable the post holder has:

• Experience of Spending Review and annual allocations process within Central Government.

• Knowledge of government accounting principles and policies including HMT Managing Public Money, HMT Financial Reporting Manual and HMT Green Book.

We may consider any evidence within the application form that demonstrates meeting the desirable criteria as set out in the job description. This will only be after essential criteria is scored and where there is a need to differentiate between closely scored candidates.

Application process

Sift

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

Experience

• You will need to submit a 500-word statement of suitability, providing examples of how your skills and experience align with the person specification as set out in the job description above.

• You will need to provide an anonymous CV

Qualification:

• You must be fully or part qualified CCAB (or equivalent) or QBE (Qualified by Experience)

Behaviours

Please provide 250 word examples of how you have met each of the following behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead Behaviour)

• Making Effective Decisions

• Working Together

• Managing a Quality Service

Please refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade:

Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK

If we receive a large number of applications, we will carry out an initial sift on the Statement of Suitability.

Candidates Invited to Interview

Please note that interviews will be carried out remotely via MS Teams. During the interview, we will be assessing you on behaviours (listed above) and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework.

You will also be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation, details of which to be shared prior to interviews.