Director, Finance and Commercial

Job summary

The Finance and Commercial team are an enabler for IPSA, offering vital support to internal and external stakeholders to ensure MPs have the funding and services they need for their parliamentary and constituency work. The team is responsible for all aspects of financial support from management accounting, finance business partnering and financial control, setting and managing the Main Estimate, MP budgets and IPSA spend, alongside commercial activity, including procurement and contract negotiation for IPSA and MP services.

The Director, Finance and Commercial leads an efficient and effective high-performing service that delivers IPSA’s statutory responsibilities accurately and with confidence. The role is a key member of IPSA’s leadership team, attending Board meetings and committees, and representing IPSA with external partners including auditors and regulators. Working with colleagues, you’ll help deliver IPSA’s vision, purpose and strategic priorities.

With a strong focus on integrity, you’ll oversee an annual budget of more than £310m. You’ll ensure IPSA’s finance and commercial arrangements are principles-based, proportionate and compliant, supported by robust governance that delivers value for money for the taxpayer and strengthens public confidence in IPSA’s work.

This role reports directly to the CEO and Accounting Officer and has four direct reports with up to nine indirect reports.

Please find a candidate information pack here. This includes the full job description, essential criteria for the role and a candidate profile. You'll also find information about IPSA, our values and culture, together with further information about the application and interview process.

Job description

• Leading a high-performing Finance and Commercial directorate through inclusive, values-led leadership, building capability, resilience and an agile culture.
  
• Shaping and delivering IPSA’s strategy and business plans, balancing transformation, regulatory change and day-to-day delivery.
  
• Providing strong financial stewardship and corporate governance: effective budgeting and forecasting, clear risk management, and timely escalation of issues to the CEO.
  
• Clear on the principles of managing public money and considering the Accounting Officer’s position in all relevant decisions.
  
• Ensuring accurate, prompt reimbursement of MPs’ business costs and consistent, principles-based application of the Scheme, supported by high-quality management information for MPs and staff.
  
• Delivering insightful reporting and advice to the Board, the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee, CEO and Leadership team, enabling robust decision-making and value for money.
  
• Building trusted relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, providing a high-quality service in a high-scrutiny environment and protecting IPSA’s independence and reputation.
  
• Responsible for continuous improvement of financial controls ensuring all controls operate effectively and provide assurance over the completeness and accuracy of all financial information including IPSA’s Annual Report and Accounts.
  
• Leading commercial activity, working with the Head of Commercial to run compliant, proportionate procurement and manage suppliers to secure value, resilience and service quality.
  
• Living IPSA’s values: Staying Connected, Seeing the Bigger Picture, Being Open, Doing the Right Thing and Making a Difference - and demonstrating commitment to the Seven Principles of Public Life.

Person specification

You’ll be an accomplished leader who cares about supporting democracy and delivering regulation through excellent service. You’ll bring clarity, credibility and calm, working collaboratively in a complex, high-profile environment to deliver IPSA’s strategy.

With a positive influence on how our stakeholders feel about us, you’ll build trust, strengthening confidence in IPSA and democracy more widely. You’ll invest in your team, setting clear expectations, encouraging accountability, and constructively challenging behaviours and ways of working to align with IPSA’s culture.

You’ll bring strong judgement, resilience, and curiosity and you’ll be comfortable challenging assumptions to help IPSA navigate opportunities and tough decisions. With deep expertise in finance, financial risk, and commercial strategy, you’ll deliver value for money and strengthen financial capability across the organisation.

You’ll have an uncompromising approach to corporate governance and risk management, working confidently with the IPSA Leadership team and Board. You’ll develop people and capability in the team, ensuring people live and breathe IPSA’s values, perform at their best and feel valued.

The experience and technical level required for the role, along with personal qualities, skills, attributes, and qualifications are listed below.

Essential criteria

• Strategic leader with a strong track record in a high-profile, public-facing organisation.
  
• CCAB/CIMA (or equivalent) qualified, with senior financial leadership experience and stewardship of public money.
  
• Expert in public-sector financial planning, control and reporting, including budget setting and analysis to drive value for money; strong commercial/procurement capability.
  
• Inclusive, collaborative leader who inspires high-performing teams across diverse and dispersed settings.
  
• Proven delivery of transformation (including digital) and continuous improvement against clear performance measures.
  
• Experience in a principles-based regulatory environment, with strong grasp of governance, assurance and risk.
  
• Confident communicator and influencer, able to handle sensitive issues with tact and build trusted senior relationships.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £110,000, Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority contributes £31,867 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A competitive salary which is regularly benchmarked against industry.
• Hybrid and flexible working, with occasional travel to our London office for team meetings
• Generous contributions into a ‘Civil Service’ pension.
• 25 days holiday entitlement (+ bank holidays), increasing by 1 day each year up to 30 days.
• Option to purchase additional holiday days each year.
• Access to learning and development tailored to your role with coaching opportunities.
• Working in a high-performing organisation which supports democracy with a great team ethic.
• A culture encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Time in your work time to participate in our inclusive workplace networks.
• Mental Health First Aid network and access to our EAP
• Enhanced family leave provisions
• Workplace awards programme for living IPSA’s values and innovative ideas.
• Season ticket/rent deposit loans.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Volunteering days and ‘you’ time.

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

Before applying please be sure to read the candidate information pack here, which includes information about the application and interview process, together with information about IPSA and our values and culture.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 counter-terrorist 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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.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 :

• Name : Jamie Storey
• Email : jamie.storey@theipsa.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : people@theipsa.org.uk

Further information

https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk/