Finance Business Partnering

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Chief Operating Officer Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities. The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.

Finance is at the heart of everything we do.

Finance Business Partnering Senior Executive Officers provide critical support to Finance Business Partners (FBPs) by developing specialist expertise, fostering strong relationships, and gaining an in-depth understanding of their directorate or unit. They communicate financial information with clarity and deliver insightful advice, constructive challenge, and strategic input to enable effective business decisions.

Post holders take ownership of delivering exceptional customer service, including commercial support such as business case development and cost modelling, alongside comprehensive budgeting and reporting.

If you want to influence strategy, work closely with senior stakeholders, and make finance central to decision-making, this is your opportunity.

Job description

These roles support the Finance Business Partners (FBPs) who are trusted advisors embedded within business areas. They provide financial insight, challenge assumptions, and ensure decisions are sound and aligned with the Group’s strategic direction. By putting finance at the heart of decision-making, FBPs enable business leaders to achieve the best outcomes for the public.

Our Finance Directorate ensures every pound delivers value for money, supports strategic decisions, and protects public trust. We provide professional finance advice and challenge which ensures that the Home Office delivers value for money to the taxpayer and protects the Accounting Officers in their responsibilities for regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility on all spending decisions.

We embed finance into operational decision-making across key Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) programmes and other Home Office investment initiatives. Using a business partner model, we support strategic planning, operational control, and effective financial management through robust reporting and planning within challenging budgets.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the business, its stakeholders, and deliverables.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with budget holders.
• Provide guidance on compliance with policies, standards, accountabilities, and controls.
• Interpret and enhance financial data to deliver clear, evidence-based insights that support business objectives.
• Review and contribute to business cases and strategic documentation.
• Collaborate with Management Accounting to design and maintain a suite of financial performance reports. Some of the roles in programme finance would action these as part of the role along with other management accounting responsibilities.
• Analyse monthly finance reports, co-ordinate corrective journals, and manage recharge processes.
• Analyse payroll data and produce payroll and FTE summaries for the business.
• Work with stakeholders to prepare Workforce Planning Profiles (WFP), identify budget pressures, opportunities, and risks, and provide appropriate challenge.
• Prepare and submit cashflow forecasts in collaboration with the business.
• Apply costing, benefits analysis, and investment appraisal techniques to support decision-making.
• Deliver ad-hoc analysis and presentations to inform decisions on efficiency, cost reduction, and strategic priorities using available data and analytics tools.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. However compressed hours working is available.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Fully qualified / Part Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent or actively working towards qualification.
• Proven ability to leverage data and evidence to influence decisions and negotiations, delivering high-quality financial analysis and advice on complex business and financial issues, supported by strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Skilled in navigating multi-stakeholder environments, balancing and meeting competing priorities and demands.
• Collaborative approach with a track record of building strong relationships across teams and stakeholders.
• Expertise in tailoring communication for diverse audiences, translating financial concepts into business language and vice versa to act as a critical link between finance and operations.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, presentation tools, and strong IT capability.
• Experience of financial systems.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• New entrants to the Civil Service will be appointed at the pay scale minimum for that grade but an additional £4,000 allowance is applicable to SEO staff with a full CCAB qualification.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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, Ability and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the followingCivil Service Numerical and Verbal reasoning tests.

1. Online Test – by 23rd March 2026

If you successfully pass the Numerical and Verbal reasoning tests, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online tests or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service tests will be available when you are invited to take the tests. The online tests are accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the tests on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your tests, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

2. Application – by 23rd March 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Evidence of the Behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together, Managing a Quality Service (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – from 26th March 2026

The sift will be held on the CV and Behaviours, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (CV and Behaviours). Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4. Presentation Assessment – week commencing 20th April 2026

Candidates who pass the full Sift will be invited to a separate Presentation Assessment (5 mins presentation and 5 mins Q/A). The presentation topic/scenario will be disclosed in advance to allow sufficient preparation time.

The presentation will be assessed against 'Behaviours' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be specifically assessed against the Behaviour Communicating and Influencing.

The Presentation Assessment will take place on Teams.

5. Interview – week commencing 11th May 2026

If you are successful at both Sift and Presentation Assessment stages, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert). All behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on Teams.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preferences

You can select up to threelocations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Standard

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. The level of Criminal Record Check required for this role is Basic. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Serviceon your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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

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.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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamCorporateEnablers@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)candidate_information_v16_January_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)