Finance Director

Job summary

The Director of Finance provides strategic leadership and authoritative advice on all financial matters across MHCLG, shaping financial strategy and supporting effective decision-making at the most senior levels. The role advises on the financial sustainability and affordability of departmental priorities and is a formal member of the Executive Team. The Finance Director is also the Deputy Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee and the Finance Sub-Committee.

The role is the Department’s principal interface with HM Treasury, leading negotiations on funding, estimates, fiscal events and in-year financial management. The Director of Finance ensures ministerial priorities are deliverable within fiscal constraints and that strategic financial choices are clearly understood.

The Director of Finance provides authoritative advice to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary on financial performance, risks, opportunities and trade-offs, using deep financial insight to shape strategic choices and support effective delivery across the Department’s portfolio.

The postholder leads the Finance Directorate and is accountable for robust, transparent financial management aligned to ministerial and organisational priorities, and for building a high-performing, inclusive and professional finance function with strong capability in business partnering, analysis and assurance.

The Director of Finance leads the Department’s risk function, ensuring risk is embedded in strategic planning, governance and delivery, and supports informed decision-making.

The role manages senior relationships with HM Treasury, the National Audit Office, the Government Finance Function and other central government stakeholders, ensuring compliance with Managing Public Money and wider cross-government financial frameworks.

As a senior leader within MHCLG, the Director of Finance is expected to role-model Civil Service values and leadership behaviours, contribute corporately beyond finance, and promote a strong value for money and continuous improvement culture.

Job description

• Lead the Department’s overall financial strategy, working closely with the Strategy Director to align policy priorities, fiscal events and long-term affordability.
• Lead the Department’s relationship with HM Treasury, including funding negotiations, estimates, fiscal events and ad-hoc discussions on policy affordability and delivery.
• Provide authoritative financial advice to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary, including on fiscal events and ensuring a clear understanding of financial implications and trade-offs.
• Ensure efficiency, affordability and value for money across the Department’s activities, including through membership of key investment and governance committees.
• Ensure compliance with Managing Public Money, maintaining robust systems of internal control, assurance and accountability, and supporting the Accounting Officer in discharging their responsibilities.
• Oversee financial reporting, systems and shared services to ensure accurate, timely and reliable financial information.
• Provide leadership of the Department’s risk function, ensuring alignment between financial management, delivery, risk appetite and assurance, and that departmental risks are effectively managed, escalated and mitigated.
• Manage senior external relationships, including with the National Audit Office, Government Finance Function and other departments.
• Contribute as a senior leader within the Corporate Group and the wider Department, supporting organisational change, effective delivery and strong leadership culture.

Person specification

This role requires an experienced and credible senior finance leader, capable of operating with confidence at the most senior levels of government. You will bring a strong track record of leading complex finance functions, providing trusted advice to senior decision-makers and influencing outcomes in challenging, fast-moving environments.​

​You will be a strategic thinker with the ability to see the wider organisational and policy context, translating complex financial information into clear, actionable insight. You will be comfortable balancing long-term financial sustainability with short-term delivery pressures, and able to make sound judgements in situations of ambiguity and risk.​

​As a leader, you will inspire high standards of professionalism, integrity and collaboration. You will be committed to developing people and building inclusive, high-performing teams, with a strong focus on capability, talent and succession within the finance profession. You will value partnership working and be effective at working across organisational boundaries, including with other corporate functions and delivery partners.​

​You will bring strong political and organisational awareness, with the confidence and credibility to engage constructively with Ministers, HMTreasury and senior stakeholders across government. You will be resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a complex public sector environment, with a clear commitment to public service and stewardship of public money.​

​Above all, you will combine technical financial expertise with leadership, judgement and influence, enabling MHCLG to deliver its priorities effectively and with confidence in its financial management.​

​Essential Criteria

• Significant senior-level experience leading a finance function in a large, complex organisation, with clear evidence of impact and delivery. The department has a SR Settlement of £50b.
• Proven ability to act as a senior trusted adviser, providing high-quality financial insight and challenge to senior leaders, Boards and Ministers (or equivalent), and influencing strategic choices in complex and high-risk contexts.
• Experience of leading finance through organisational change and systems transformation, including the implementation of new or significantly enhanced financial systems, operating models or shared services, while maintaining effective control, assurance and business continuity.
• Strong experience of financial strategy, planning, control, reporting and assurance, including operating within robust governance frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead and develop high-performing, inclusive teams and professional capability.
• Fully finance qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent, or able to gain full accountancy qualification within 3 months.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

How to apply

To apply you will need to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability via Be Applied. Your CV (up to two pages) should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your Statement of Suitability (up to two pages) should explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

Equal Opportunities

We encourage candidates to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data via Be Applied. The data will be treated in the strictest confidence and used for monitoring and statistical purposes only.

Guaranteed Interview Schemes

MHCLG is a Disability Confident employer and is committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health of all colleagues and applicants. We also operate the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Redeployment schemes. Applicants applying under these schemes who meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

The panel – Sarah Pittam, Civil Service Commissioner and Chair, Matt Thurstan - Chief Operating Officer and Hiring Manager, and Brendan Threlfall - MHCLG Director General. Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Shortlist

Applications will be sifted after the closing date and shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next phase of assessment and interview. Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria, these will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s final interview questions. Desirable criteria will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly against the essential criteria.

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a Staff Engagement Panel – designed to provide insight into how you engage and interact with your team. Feedback from the session is passed to the panel for consideration alongside your final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to meet with a Senior Stakeholder. This is not a formal part of selection, but an informal chance to find out more about the role and organisation.

Shortlisted candidates may also be invited to give a short presentation, or complete an exercise at interviews - further details will be provided when invited to interview.

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

Introduction

This is an appointment at Senior Civil Service (SCS) role at Pay Band 2 level and the appointment will therefore reflect the changes made to SCS terms and conditions introduced on 1 July 2013. The information offered in this document is supplied in good faith but does not in itself form any part of the contract of employment.

Salary

For external appointments, remuneration for this role is advertised at £100K - £125K pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for SCSPB2 – Director. Please also note that, if successful, any existing specialist allowances you currently receive will not automatically transfer or be retained upon moving to this role.

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

Eligibility

This post is advertised on level transfer or promotion to existing civil servants, and externally.

Contract

This is a permanent appointment. This role is full-time and is suitable for a job share. MHCLG encourages flexible working.

Nationality, internal fraud database and security clearance

Further information on nationality rules, the internal fraud database and security clearance for working in MHCLG follow on the next slides. Please read carefully before applying.

Security Clearance - All MHCLG roles require candidates to meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) to confirm identity and employment history. Senior Civil Service (SCS) appointments must also hold Security Check (SC) clearance, which can take up to eight weeks. All offers are conditional on successful completion of the required checks, and candidates should not resign from their current role until clearance is confirmed. Further information is available in the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Hybrid working

At present, a minimum of 60% of your working time will be spent in your contractual office location. Requirements to attend other office locations or off-site meetings will count towards this. There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly, including some home working, depending on business need and individual circumstances. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis, if you are successful for the role.

Near Miss Offers

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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

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 : SCS Recruitment
• Email : scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Attachments

Director, Finance - Candidate Pack Template - PDF Opens in new window (pdf, 607kB)