Strategic Finance Adviser, Nuclear

Job summary

The Strategic Finance and Investment Approvals Group sits at the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Group leads on financial management, strategic financial planning and control, and approval of a multi-billion pound programme. The group is friendly and supportive, operating a flat structure, by fully empowering our people. We’re a diverse team bringing a mix of policy, finance, strategy and project skillsets, and experience both within national security and a range of other departments.

We are the strategic finance function for the department, bringing financial insight and scrutiny to all areas of the Department’s work. The Group plays a vital role developing strategic financial policy, securing and managing funding to achieve the department’s strategic objectives, and advising MOD Ministers and the Executive Team on financial strategy and financial management.

The Defence Spending team leads on the Department’s financial strategy, advising the Permanent Secretary, the wider executive team, and the Secretary of State on the departmental financial position. This includes advising on performance against the budget, and recommending any action necessary to ensure the MOD maximises delivery within its budget.

The team also leads on engagement with the Areas which make up the MOD under the Secretary of State’s reformed organisation structure. The team is broadly designed around this structure, with leads for the Military Strategic HQ, National Armaments Director Group, Department of State, and Defence Nuclear Enterprise. We play a pivotal role by building close relationships with these Areas, understanding the priorities of the Area Budget Holders, and working with the Area Finance Directors to effectively manage in-year strategic finance issues.

The team works in a fast-paced, high-performing and friendly environment, with a strong emphasis on corporate contributions alongside our core roles.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

We are seeking a high-performing individual to join the team to lead on the Defence Nuclear Enterprise portfolio within the Spending team. You will be responsible for building and maintaining a strong relationship with senior stakeholders in the DNE, developing a strategic understanding of the DNE financial position, and critically how this interacts with the wider Departmental financial position.

You will also be responsible for cross-cutting in-year financial strategy work, including regular consolidation of the entire Departmental position, providing Accounting Officer advice to the Permanent Secretary, and finding solutions to complex financial problems.

Key responsibilities include:

• Spending control and challenge – leading on monthly financial performance reviews for the DNE, and quarterly senior deep-dives. Providing robust scrutiny of forecasts, risks, efficiencies delivery, and other key measures. Drafting high quality advice and briefing for senior officials and Ministers as required.

• Stakeholder relationships – building strong stakeholder relationships across the DNE, using these to develop a deep understanding of programme forecasts, cost drivers, and key risks. Using these relationships and understanding to better connect financial performance and strategic objectives, and to guide the team’s approach to the wider Departmental position.

• Strategic financial advice – bringing insight from the DNE portfolio into the overall Departmental position, and regularly leading on advising senior officials and Ministers on the overarching financial position.

• Cross-cutting projects – leading as required on emergent, high priority strategic finance projects. These are typically to meet direct Ministerial or ExCo direction, and require fast-paced and collaborative work across teams. Identifying opportunities to improve our processes and capability to advise on the in-year position.

Person specification

The successful candidate will:

• Operate confidently and proactively in a high-profile and fast-paced environment.

• Bring strong numerical and analytical skills, and be comfortable working with financial data and concepts.

• Demonstrate excellent stakeholder management skills, influencing senior colleagues and working effectively across teams and organisational boundaries.

• Communicate complex financial issues clearly to non‑finance specialists, including Ministers and senior military leaders.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 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%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

We'll assess you against Experience, Behaviours, and Strengths.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and the following:

• Making effective decisions (Lead Behaviour)

• Communicating and Influencing

• Delivering at pace

At interview, you will be assessed against the following behaviours and strength questions:

Behaviours

• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at pace

If we receive a large number of applications, a sift will be done on the lead behaviour (Making Effective Decisions).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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 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

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 : Matthew Allen
• Email : Matthew.Allen183@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

Candidate Information (2) Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Civil Service Offer (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)