Job summary
Firstly, a huge thanks for your interest in this role. I have been the Cabinet Office Chief Finance Officer since March 2025 and this is a fantastic time to join the Cabinet Office as we are deep into delivering our 'Cabinet Office Future' plans and about to start implementation and delivery of our Spending Review plans. The Cabinet Office is essentially the HQ for the whole of Government, supporting the Cabinet and Ministers whilst providing a range of functional services to other government departments where it makes sense to do that, alongside areas of core frontline delivery e.g. independent arms-length public bodies such as the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
It is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is an experienced finance professional to really make a difference and support decision making at the very heart of Government. You will lead the strategic finance team, be a key member of the Chief Finance Officer Directorate's Senior Leadership Team and will have a significant opportunity to influence decisions and plans across the whole organisation and make a real difference to ensuring we deliver at pace.
It will require someone who is both a strategic thinker but also willing to face issues head on and work across Cabinet Office and across Government to find solutions. You will own the Cabinet Office business and medium-term financial planning processes and will be someone adept at building relationships and influencing a wide range of stakeholders.
Thanks,
Caroline Patterson
Chief Financial Officer
This role is an exciting and unique opportunity to shape financial strategy at the heart of Government. The postholder will work closely with the Permanent Secretary, Ministers, HMT and other senior stakeholders to negotiate and agree funding settlements, lead on fiscal event planning, agree business plans and support some of the biggest decisions the Cabinet Office makes. The postholder will be an experienced leader with a strong track record of delivery in public sector finance roles - someone who can see the bigger picture and use their communicating and influencing skills to drive decisions. This is a fast paced and rewarding role with a significant opportunity to make a difference to Cabinet Office and to Government more widely.
Job description
As Deputy Director (DD) of Strategic Finance in the Cabinet Office, you will lead the strategic finance team and will sit on the CFO Directorate SLT providing leadership to your team and to the CFO Directorate more widely. This includes working with leaders across Finance to set the vision and transformation ambitions for the Cabinet Office Finance function.
You will spend a significant amount of time informing, influencing, and advising senior officials, the Executive Committee, Board, Permanent Secretary and Ministers on key strategic departmental decisions and processes.
You will lead on fiscal events including Spending Reviews, agreeing the Cabinet Office medium term financial plan and agreeing annual business plans and budgets working more widely with Cabinet Office strategy teams, finance business partner teams and budgetholders.
You will support Permanent Secretary and Ministerial Private Offices to ensure finance is taken into account for key decisions providing expert accounting officer advice where required.
You will own the Departmental relationship with HMT and build strong relationships with both HMT and a network of finance leaders more widely to facilitate cross departmental working and prompt resolution of issues.
You will develop and deliver and own the Cabinet Office functional service catalogue to improve engagement with Government Departments and ensure services are focused where needed and payment mechanisms are appropriate and efficient.
You will own the Cabinet Office efficiency strategy ensuring compliance with the Government Efficiency Framework.
Person specification
It is important, that through your CV and Supporting Statement that you evidence the following Essential Criteria:
- A qualified finance professional or someone with extensive experience in public finance roles combined with a willingness to progress a qualification in the future.
- An exceptional leader with a proven ability to lead teams and influence stakeholders.
- A natural collaborator who can work with teams within the Cabinet Office, its ALB’s and wider stakeholders to build consensus, drive decision making and resolve problems often delivering at pace.
- An ability to see the bigger picture and plan strategically whilst also focusing on the detail where it matters.
Desirable Criteria:
- Excellent team leadership and previous membership of a Senior Leadership Team during a period of significant change/transformation.
- Experience of delivering Spending Review decisions and producing departmental financial strategies, medium-terms plans and running business planning rounds.
Qualifications
●Qualified (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) or someone with extensive experience working in public finance roles●Significant experience
●Competent to operate at SCS1 level with minimal guidance or supervision
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £81,000, Cabinet Office contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead. You’ll benefit from a wide range of training and development opportunities, regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
This includes:
- 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays and one privilege day to mark the King's birthday.
- A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire;
- Flexible working patterns including part-time or term-time working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours;
- Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers;
- Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle;
- The opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable); and
- Occupational sick pay.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.Application process
To apply for this post, you will need to complete and submit an application to the following address: orla.murphy@cabinetoffice.gov.uk This should be completed no later than 23:55pm, Tuesday 13th January 2026.
1. A CV (max 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
Failure to complete both sections of the application form (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
As part of the application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions on the diversity monitoring form attached to the vacancy advert. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.
Should you encounter any issues with your application please contact: orla.murphy@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Shortlist
A panel, including the hiring manager, will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
The timeline later in this advert indicates the date by which decision is expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.
Interview
If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. We will be assessing against the success profile Experience and Behaviours.
Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. If you are required to prepare a presentation for the final interview you will be given the subject in advance.
Indicative Timeline
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Advert Closing Date: 25:55pm Tuesday 13th January 2026.
Shortlist: 16th January 2026.
Interview: Week commencing Monday 26th January 2026
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Reserve lists
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.
Further Information
Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; orla.murphy@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
Attachments
GFF Resourcing - Tara and Conrad Opens in new window (pdf, 104kB)Diversity Monitoring Form (2) Opens in new window (docx, 312kB)Share this page
Salary range
- £81,000 - £117,800 per year