Head of Strategic Finance – £75,585 p.a. + benefits

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Head of Strategic Finance to join our Finance & Corporate Business Planning function within the Corporategroup.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 12 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Who are we?

The Finance team is part of the Corporate Group within the MHRA and is a professional, forward-looking team which aims to put finance at the heart of decision-making. Colleagues in the team are part of the cross-government finance community, with access to Civil Service learning, professional qualifications and a strong focus on continuous improvement and collaboration.

The Finance team plays a central role in enabling the MHRA to deliver its mission to protect and improve public health. As part of the wider Government Finance Function, we make sure that public money is spent wisely, that the MHRA’s activities are affordable and sustainable, and that decisions are grounded in robust financial insight.

We support the Accounting Officer and Executive Committee in meeting their responsibilities to Parliament and the public, including through high-quality financial planning, reporting and stewardship. We work closely with colleagues across key business area to ensure plans are affordable, risks are understood and managed, and that we meet HM Treasury and accounting requirements.

The function is structured in line with the Government Finance profession model, covering strategic finance, finance business partnering, planning and performance, financial operations and financial control. Across these areas we are responsible for activities such as budgeting, forecasting, agency fee setting, management information, financial analysis, financial accounting, and the billing and collection of income due to the Agency.

Job description

What’s the role?

The Head of Strategic Finance role will work closely with the Board, Chief Executive and Executive Team to provide finance insight and support to key operational decisions through the delivery of rigorous financial analysis and modelling.

Key responsibilities:

• Performance Reporting– responsible for the delivery of financial information to the Board, Executive team, Directors and other senior managers, including tracking progress against KPIs, key projects and programmes.
• Budgeting– lead on setting the framework, development and delivery plan for the departmental and consolidated budgets for the Agency. Proactively contributing to cost base reviews, efficiency targets and scenario planning.
• Forecasting- lead on the preparation of quarterly and full year financial forecasts for the Agency, giving advice to Directors on financial management to achieve agreed budgets, responding to emerging pressures and solving complex financial problems.
• Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)– lead on setting the framework and delivery plan for the Agency’s MTFS, Medium Term Financial Planning and Spending Review Activities. This will include leading on and agreeing key assumptions and data inputs to feed into financial models.
• Financial Modelling– lead on commissioning and delivery of Financial Models to support the Agency’s financial management needs.

Person specification

Who are we looking for?

Our successful candidates will have the following:

Leadership

• Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.
• Welcome and respond to views and challenges from others, despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to them.
• Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference and external experience.

Seeing the Big Picture

• Ensure plans and activities in your area of work reflect wider strategic priorities and communicate effectively with senior leaders to influence future strategies.
• Bring together views, perspectives and diverse needs of stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the issues surrounding policies and activities.

Making Effective Decisions

• Ensure decision making happens at the right level, not allowing unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery.
• Encourage both innovative suggestions and challenge from others, to inform decision making.
• Analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decisions.
• Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications.
• Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence.
• Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or if they prove to be unpopular

Communicating and influencing

• Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.
• Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required.
• Remain open-minded and impartial in discussions, whilst respecting the diverse interests and opinions of others.

Technical

• Qualification: Professional qualification (CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA, CFA)
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel – Intermediate level
• knowledge of Managing Public Money
• Knowledge of Value for Money
• Knowledge of HMT Green Book

Person Specification:

Method of assessment: A=Application, I=Interview

Behaviour Criteria:

• Leadership (A, I)
• Seeing the Big Picture (A, I)
• Making Effective Decisions (A, I)
• Communicating and Influencing (A, I)

Experience Criteria:

• Significant experience in previous Business Partnering, Financial Planning or Decision Support roles and able to demonstrate how they have driven operational engagement, budgeting and medium to long-term planning (A, I)
• Experience of designing, maintaining and amending as appropriate business processes and control systems to ensure the integrity, quality and timeliness of financial information (A, I)
• Extensive experience of collaborating with Financial Transactions teams with a demonstrable track record of managing change and improving performance through technical know-how and analytical skills (A, I)
• Extensive experience in supervising staff and supporting senior level management (A, I)
• Significant experience of engaging and challenging senior stakeholders in arriving at the right financial decisions (A, I)
• Strong decision-making skills and able to demonstrate when and how to change or alter procedures and processes to achieve greater efficiencies and effectiveness (A, I)
• Experience of leading senior stakeholders in strategy discussions in order to develop a financial strategy (A, I)

Technical Criteria:

• Qualification: Professional qualification (CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA, CFA) (A)
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel – Intermediate level (A)
• knowledge of Managing Public Money (A)
• Knowledge of Value for Money (A)
• Knowledge of HMT Green Book (A)

Strengths Criteria:

• Visionary (I)
• Influencer (I)
• Challenger (I)

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please click here for further details

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,585, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £21,896 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP's Pension Service Centre directly on 0300 123 6666
• Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan
• Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
• Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs
• On-going learning and development

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

The selection process:

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Application, which will include a CV and supporting statement, which should demonstrate how you meet the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profile criteria. Please submit your application to Archer Mac by visiting this link https://shorturl.at/emKZv
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

Closing date: 25 January 2026

Shortlisting date: 29 January 2026

Interview date: 04 or 05 February 2026

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA 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.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a 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 the MHRA Recruitment Team at careers@mhra.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

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 : Stephanie Robinson - 07513 221028
• Email : stephanie.robinson@archermac.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@mhra.gov.uk

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a 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, you should contact the Resourcing Team at Careers@mhra.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk - info@csc.gov.uk - Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ