
Deputy Director, Senior Finance Business Partner - Portfolio & Programme Finance
Job summary
Why this role matters
The Portfolio & Programme Finance Business Partner is a critical leadership role within Home Office with responsibility for the Programme Finance team which provides direct support to all major Programmes across the Home Office - all Transformation activity which carries significant budgetary delivery and wider Accounting Officer risks.
You will lead a team of finance professionals and work closely with policy, operational and analytical colleagues to support fiscal events and manage relationships with key stakeholders including HM Treasury and the National Audit Office. You will provide strategic financial advice and challenge to senior leaders, ensuring that funding decisions are evidence-based, value for money, and aligned with departmental priorities
Working as part of the overall Finance Directorate, you will be expected to contribute to the overall management and leadership of the Finance function and contribute to the Government Finance Profession.
Job description
Key responsibilities
(These may change depending on the skills and experience of the successful candidate and shifts in departmental requirements)
- Provide programme and project finance support and oversight of the HO portfolio, ensuring alignment with Home Office objectives and fiscal constraints
- Play an active role in shaping departmental financial strategy and preparations for the next Spending Review.
- Working in partnership, build and maintain strong relationships with Directors and Director Generals based on deep and nuanced understanding of needs, requirements, and expectations which support their business performance and delivery plans, aligning financial expertise with business knowledge
- Work closely with Senior Responsible Officers on major projects and programme to ensure decisions include appropriate financial considerations and sound business cases are developed
- Drive improvements to programme and project finance, including leading the implementation of a project ledger solution across the major programmes in the Home Office. Acting as SRO and providing strategic direction for the delivery.
- Create a financial culture that is supportive and empowering, where the business takes accountability for decisions and support them to get things right. Champion strong assurance, governance and compliance
- Provide inclusive and empowering leadership to teams, building capability, professional confidence and a culture that attracts and develops finance talent and ensures the team provides sound and expert financial advice to the business that promotes Value For Money (VFM) and strong financial discipline.
Responsibilities of Finance SCS:
- Be an important member of the finance leadership of the Home Office, promoting Civil Service reform and contributing to the Home Office and wider Civil Service efficiency agendas.
- Exercise leadership across a broad range of corporate responsibilities that connect to Finance within the department and there is the opportunity to modify/adapt some of these responsibilities to suit the specific career interests and strengths of the post holder.
- Contribute to the overall management and leadership of the Finance function and contribute to the Government Finance Profession.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
- Leadership - substantial experience of leading, motivating and developing a diverse team of finance professionals, developing a spirit of teamwork across functional and organisational boundaries to deliver an effective and efficient service, with specific experience of driving and improving performance
- Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and drive organizational change.
- Experience of delivering financial advice and investment appraisal capabilities
- Experience of leading change across a complex organisation, improving systems and processes to deliver efficiency improvements.
- Experience of working with a wide range of stakeholders, including Ministers or board-level executives within a highly complex and politically sensitive environment
- Experience of influencing management at board level with strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex positions clearly and compellingly within a complex, politically influenced environment.
- CCAB, CIMA or equivalent qualified accountant with a substantial track record of success in a senior finance leadership role in a fastmoving finance area in a highly complex organisation. This should include a highly effective track record of interpreting financial information to help shape and influence organisational strategy
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £86,000, Home Office contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).- 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
Online Application
Please follow the Job Advert instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply online by 23:55hrs on Monday 10th August2026.
You will be asked to provide:
- A CV – (3 pages max) setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability – (limited to 1250 words) providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria. This is your opportunity to give examples and show how your skills and experience fit the job requirements.
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 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
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 : Andrea Taylor
- Email : Andrea.Taylor4@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : SCSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Complaints should be sent in writing to:Civil Service Commission, Room G8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.
Attachments
DD Senior Finance Business Partner - Portfolio & Programme Finance - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 2080kB)Salary range
- £86,000 - £96,000 per year












