Ministry of Justice

The Roles

Director of Strategic Finance

You will lead the development of our long-term financial strategy and hold the institutional relationship with HM Treasury. You will ensure our financial planning processes are robust, credible and aligned with ministerial priorities. This post will also take responsibility for some business partnering functions including MoJ Headquarters.

Director of Finance Business Partnering

You will be central to linking operational decision-making with the Department’s wider financial framework, including HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), helping ensure resources are used to maximum effect.

Key Responsibilities

Both role holders will:

• Provide strategic leadership to the MoJ finance function alongside the Director for Financial Management and Control, creating a strong cultural identity, driving cohesion and collaboration across the MoJ Finance Function, empowering staff, promoting accountability and the autonomy to deliver internal and external objectives
• Ensure that all financial activity meets the standards of set out in Managing Public Money
• Act as a trusted adviser to ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and senior officials, shaping financial choices and trade-offs across competing priorities
• Strengthen financial capability across the Department through effective workforce planning, professional development and talent management.
• Represent MoJ Finance in cross-government finance networks, building collaborative relationships with HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and other departments.
• Inspire staff through exemplifying the organisation's values as part of the senior leadership team, driving staff engagement and promotion inclusion and diversity.
• Ensure that the department's medium and long-term financial plan reflects our priorities, represents good value for money and enables delivery of our outcomes.
• Work closely with operational leaders and the Executive team to identify efficiencies, manage risks, and inform investment decisions that support public safety and rehabilitation outcomes.
• Provide data-led and insight-driven finance business partnering to Directors General and CEOs on the development and implementation of priorities, commercial and policy decisions and the delivery of change programmes.
• Lead an effective challenge function to improve operational delivery and sustainability and strong relationships with functional leads across the department to provide a joined-up set of services to operational leaders.
• Ensure the effective delivery and value for money of the Department's major programmes and contracts and providing high quality Accounting Officer Advice to agency Accounting Officers and the Principal Accounting Officer.

You can apply for both or either role, and the panel may match successful candidates to roles based on experience and skills. Your statement of suitability should make clear which role you are applying to. A choice may be offered to the highest scoring candidate.

It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the below essential criteria:

Essential criteria:

Director of Strategic Finance

Demonstrable experience of leading organisation-wide financial strategy and medium- to long-term financial planning in a complex system, including developing credible, evidence-led financial positions and securing agreement with senior funding bodies, commissioners or external partners to align resources with priorities and long-term sustainability.

Director of Finance Business Partnering

Proven experience of leading finance teams in large-scale, operational delivery environments of significant complexity, combining strategic insight with hands-on delivery leadership to support senior leaders to manage performance, address delivery risks, and drive sustained improvement in outcomes across complex systems.

Both roles

• Excellent financial and analytical skills, with credibility across all aspects of finance and experience appyling sound judgement to complex financial, performance and value-for-money decisions in  large, complex organisations.
• Ability to influence and make an impact credibly at senior levels with ministers, office holders, senior board executives or equivalent. Demonstrates  excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including building and maintaining broad diverse networks and relationships, especially across organisations and systems.
• Strong analytical curiosity and challenge mindset using financial and wider performance analysis to promote transparency, challenge the status quo to reduce system costs.
• A proven track record of excellent leadership as part of a senior management team with an ability to build capability, develop people and lead high-performing diverse teams.
• The ability to translate complex and dynamic political priorities into clear direction, maintaining momentum and delivery focus in fast-pace, ambiguous and evolving contexts.

• Full CCAB, CIMA, or equivalent professional accountancy qualification.