Senior Strategic Finance Analyst

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

This vacancy is in our Strategic Finance Team. Strategic Finance sits at the heart of Defra's decision making offering a unique opportunity to influence and shape how resources are allocated to protect the environment and support rural communities.

We straddle the policy and finance communities. Our team advise the Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary on the department's financial position and the policy and operational choices open to them in order to manage it. We own the institutional relationship with His Majesty's Treasury (HMT), engaging frequently with our HMT spending team. We lead fiscal events including Spending Reviews and the Budget. We work across the department in all stages of policy and delivery, and oversee annual and medium term financial and policy planning.

We have a role in commercial assessment and investment approval and oversee mains and supplementary estimates. We have specific policy responsibilities alongside the finance role, and a role in the formal policy development and decision-making process at all levels. We produce and communicate, at senior levels, strategic level management information, supported by analysis functions.

Job description

This is a role for an analytical, proactive, and collaborative individual who thrives on complexity, enjoys problem-solving, and can confidently engage with senior stakeholders.

You’ll make a real difference by bringing fresh insight, improving strategic reporting, and strengthening Defra’s position with HM Treasury. The role offers significant autonomy within a supportive team environment, balancing responsibility with collaboration, and working at pace on high-profile issues. In return, you’ll receive tailored learning and development, mentoring, and support for professional qualifications, all within a culture that values inclusion, flexibility, and continuous growth.

Key responsibilities will include but not be limited to: -

• Developing a strategic understanding of the business, stakeholders, and deliverables.
• Leading the analysis of the monthly ringfenced budget position to inform ExCo and Defra Senior Leaders and to support strategic decision making.
• Ensuring input into key finance activities, such as Defra’s Annual Report and Accounts, is timely and accurate and that relevant interim and year end information is provided.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues from HMT Spending Team and Defra Finance teams to provide a joined-up service.
• Analysing large datasets to produce meaningful outputs for finance and non-finance colleagues and providing insight into financial data at a strategic level.
• Providing advice on compliance with financial policy and accountabilities as outlined in the Consolidated Budget Guidance to ensure Departmental spending remains within specified control totals.
• Working with all relevant stakeholders to develop enhanced and automated strategic reporting via Qlik and SOP solutions.
• Shared management of Team mailbox, triage of emails and taking ownership for responses to ad-hoc inquiries, including Parliamentary Questions (PQs)/Freedom of Information requests (FOIs).

Person specification

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong Financial background.
• Excellent analytical and data management skills and the capacity to get senior leaders to focus on critical issues.
• Proven ability to present to senior financial and non-financial colleagues.
• Independent, proactive, and confident in handling high-profile issues.
• Build positive relationships and personal credibility.
• Ability to influence key stakeholders through excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to present information clearly to senior audiences to support decision making.
• Comfortable working at pace to deliver quality outcomes within tight deadlines and prioritise effectively.

Qualifications:

An Accountancy qualification not required if qualified by experience i.e. skills and experience of working in a relevant financial environment. We will fully support any candidates wishing to complete/gain a formal accountancy qualification.

For applicants who are either qualified or part qualified accountants (CCAB/CIMA), the post is eligible to be considered for an accountancy allowance up to £3,107 National and up to £4,495 London. The allowance is determined for each level of qualification (part qualified 1, part qualified 2, accountancy qualified). Line managers must see certificates from the professional body to confirm the individual has passed the relevant examinations before awarding the various stages of the allowance.

To achieve fully qualified status, the individual must pass the final level examinations and complete the relevant portfolio or logbook which must be certified by the professional body.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £12,360 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, a Personal Statement and a statement of up to 250 words on the following Behaviour:

• Communicating and Influencing

Your Personal Statement should demonstrate your suitability for the role and should be based on the essential criteria detailed in the Person Specification section of the advert.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

If we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement and CV. Those who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.

Interview

If you are invited to interview, Experience, Behaviours and Strengths will be tested.

The following Behaviours will be assessed at interview.

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Your interview will be conducted virtually via MS Teams.

Further Information

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.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on 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.

Vetting

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

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 via defrarecruitment.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.

Accessibility

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.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.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 :

• Name : HR Resourcing Delivery Team
• Email : HRResourcingDelivery@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

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 Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

Defra 2022 Core Candidate Pack FINAL _ Opens in new window (pdf, 1518kB)