Finance Business Partner

Job Title/ Position Finance Business Partner - Public Sector Prisons - West Midlands

Grade SEO

Number of Vacancies 1

Business Group FBP Group

Directorate COO

Location West Midlands

Post location is flexible within the West Midlands region but there is the requirement to regularly visit prisons in person and attend scheduled meetings. Successful candidates will be allocated a base location within the region and the expectation is that candidates will fund travel costs to and from that base location.

You will provide support to the West Midlands geographical group, which contains the following prisons:

• HMP Birmingham B18 4AS
• HMP Brinsford WV10 7PY
• HMP Featherstone WV10 7PU

Hours 37

Post Type Permanent

Role Type/ Team Finance

Ministry of Justice an Inclusive Employer

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer of choice and ensuring equity of opportunity for all. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace please visit

Overview

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the provision of legal aid, administration of justice through courts and tribunals, and detention and rehabilitation of offenders. Within the MoJ you will provide Finance Business Partnering to senior business leaders responsible for delivery of prison services in England. Our business colleagues operating within His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (an Agency within the MoJ), are highly committed professionals who seek to protect the public and rehabilitate offenders.

More information can be found at:

There is 1 FTE SEO Prison, Finance Business Partnering role available within the Finance Business Partnering Group supporting Public Sector Prisons within the West Midlands region.

As a Finance Business Partner, you will be a key member of the finance team, working with other members of the team, wider MoJ Finance colleagues and key stakeholders from the Business Area we support. The finance team is geographically dispersed.

Post location is flexible within the West Midlands region but there is the requirement to regularly visit prisons in person and attend scheduled meetings. Successful candidates will be allocated a base location within the region and the expectation is that candidates will fund travel costs to and from that base location.

You will provide support to the West Midlands geographical group, which contains the following prisons:

HMP Birmingham B18 4AS

HMP Brinsford WV10 7PY

HMP Featherstone WV10 7PU

You will support the Governor and their team in specific prisons as well as working flexibly across the region to support the Strategic Finance Lead as required. Postcodes have been included for your reference and location will be discussed at interview.

Role Summary

Finance Business Partnering SEOs are responsible for building strong relationships with their directorate, understanding the business, and explaining financial information for budget holders in an understandable manner.

Typical Role Responsibilities

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities;

• Budget management – work with budget holders to develop robust budget plans and monitor delivery.
• Risks and issues – identify and monitor budget risks and opportunities, supporting stakeholders to develop mitigating actions.
• Reporting – to be able to translate financial information to non-finance stakeholders, providing the narrative behind the numbers, to influence decision making.
• Governance – understand and be able to advise on governance and compliance issues.

Entry Routes

Suitable for individuals with the required skills and / or experience from within or outside Finance.

If you are already working within a finance function this role may be suitable for you if you have the required influencing and interpersonal skills.

(If you are already working in the civil service this role may be suitable for Finance individuals at HEO or SEO grade).

If you are working outside of Finance this role may be suitable for you if you hold the required data analysis, influencing, stakeholder management and numeracy skills and are interested in joining the Finance function.

Progression Routes

Individuals in this role typically transfer within the civil service to other Senior Executive Office roles (SEO) such as Finance Business Partner roles, Management Reporting, Financial Accounting and Reporting or Business Support roles, or progress to the next level within the organisational structure (Grade 7) within these or similar functions.

Role Responsibilities/Tasks

Stakeholder engagement Develop and maintain strong partnerships with key stakeholders. Help improve their financial awareness and provide accurate and credible advice on financial management and wider governance issues. Actively contribute at business meetings and be proactive in looking for efficiency.

Financial management Co-ordinate your business area's annual financial planning activity and provide information and advice to support effective financial control in year. Present and explain financial information clearly and offer advice to inform decision making. Understand the cost drivers of the business and carry out analysis of information to improve efficiency and understanding.

Service Delivery Deliver high quality outcomes to meet stakeholder needs and give value for money. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently

Critical Friend to the business You will feel confident to challenge business colleagues on their spending plans and keep a focus on outcomes and business priorities. Give advice to support decision making, encouraging options analysis and appropriate governance. Use your insight to add value.

Behaviours Required

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application:

If we receive a large volume of applications, we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Communicating and Influencing

In addition to Civil Service Behaviours identified above, you will need to provide:

• A Statement of Suitability consisting of a maximum of 500 words
• Work History

Interpersonal Skills

• Possesses emotional intelligence and has the ability to think empathetically, considering the strategic goals of others.
• Fosters a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration between the business, finance and other corporate services.
• Can tailor their communication style to a range of audiences, including internal and external stakeholders.
• Uses facts and evidence to aid negotiation and influencing.
• Helps others to understand the interdependencies between business and finance.
• Proactive and passionate, inspiring others to continuously improve.
• Ability to "speak the language" of finance to business, and vice versa, acting as the critical translator between the two.

Professional Skills

Key for Levels of Professional Skills

• A = Awareness
• W = Working
• P = Practitioner
• E = Expert

Core Level

• Budgeting, forecasting and costing P
• The Budgeting Framework W
• Commercial acumen W
• Investment appraisal and evaluation W
• Strategic analysis and insight A
• Oral and written presentation skills E
• Performance and risks W
• Data and analytics interpretation P

Useful Level

• Taxation A
• Interpretation of accounts A
• Government financial reporting A
• Supporting the PAC agenda A
• Understanding the role of the NAO A
• Risk management and fraud A

Qualifications

Recommended:

• Qualified under one of the main five Consultative Committees of Accounting Bodies [CCAB] i.e. ACCA; CIPFA; ICAEW; ICAI or ICAS, or CIMA.
• We also welcome applications from individuals working towards qualification. Support to achieving full qualification may be provided through the Apprenticeship Scheme.

Travel

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone's circumstances.

Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

Regular travel to and from prison / probation sites will be required (typically 2 days per week). These sites are located in the West Midlands region (see postcodes above). It is therefore expected that the successful candidate lives within a reasonable distance of these sites.

A base location near or within the region will be allocated to the successful candidate. The post holder is expected to meet their own travel costs to and from their base location. If required to attend a location other than their base location, post-holders may be entitled to claim some or all of any extra expense (beyond the usual base location travel costs) in line with the T&S policy.

The successful candidate will be appointed to either one of the locations specified in the advert or, if nearer to their home, an alternative MoJ office location in the region which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed upon completion of pre-employment checks.

Application Process

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application. Should many applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, communicating and influencing.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to interview, where the behavioural elements and strengths will be tested further alongside other elements of the post. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees.

Interview dates: Expected WC 02/09/2024

For further information please feel free to contact the recruiting manager (Stephanie Moodie )

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Please explain your present CCAB qualification, or your present stage of study on working towards qualification or that you are prepared to study via apprenticeship for the qualification

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the "Apply" button below.