We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity
About the Department
MOJ is one of the largest government departments, employing around 70,000 people (including those in the Probation Service), with a budget of approximately £9 billion. Each year, millions of people use our services across the UK - including at 500 courts and tribunals, and 133 prisons in England and Wales.
What we do
We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. We are also responsible for the following parts of the justice system:
- courts
- prisons
- probation services
- attendance centres
We also work in partnership with other government departments and agencies to reform the criminal justice system, to serve the public and support the victims of crime. We are also responsible for making new laws, strengthening democracy, and safeguarding human rights.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Job Title / Group / Directorate
Financial Strategy and Planning Leads / Financial Strategy, Planning and Performance / Chief Financial Officers’ Group
Reports To
Head of Financial Strategy and Head of Financial Planning
Location & Terms of appointment
These are permanent posts based nationally.
Salary and Grade
These posts are Grade 7.
New entrants to the Civil Service will be expected to join on the minimum of the pay range.
Existing Civil Servants will have their salary calculated in accordance with the Department’s pay on transfer / pay on promotion rules.
Background
FSP is responsible for setting MoJ's financial strategy and delivering our medium-term financial plan. We work with colleagues in every area of the department at every level, to make sure that finance is at the heart of decision making, and that when developing our strategic plans, we understand and have gained buy-in from policy, operational and corporate colleagues. We also represent the department to HM Treasury, for whom we are the main link, including in negotiations over the department's financial settlement.
Our work is fast paced, high priority and strategic, regularly reporting directly to ExCo, the Permanent Secretary and the Secretary of State, and influencing all areas of departmental planning.
Key work includes planning for, negotiating and delivering fiscal events (potentially a Spending Review), assisting Ministers in forming their plans and priorities over the next Parliament, managing the annual budget allocations process and continuing to scrutinise and challenge how funding supports delivery of the Single Departmental Plan.
Role Purpose
FSP is a multi-disciplinary team, representing policy, finance and strategy experience from across the department and government.
This is a great opportunity for policy professionals to get finance and strategy experience – and for finance professionals to gain a more strategic overview of the Department. You will gain unrivalled insight into the interaction of financial planning with policy and operations. You will learn to quickly build relationships, communicate clearly and persuasively with a wide range of audiences, and develop a good understanding of the big picture as regards government priorities and finances, and the MoJ’s work.
Main Activities / Responsibilities
The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:
- Lead relevant aspects of any fiscal event such as the Spending Review, Budget, Estimates. This includes supporting the development of strategic policy and operational choices to manage the departments spend, and to support ExCo and Ministers to make tough choices.
- Testing the affordability and value for money rationale of new policy measures with policy colleagues and ensuring that ministerial decisions are informed by an understanding of the financial impacts.
- Delivering the annual budget allocations process and agreeing business group allocations working closely with Finance Business Partners. Regularly updating and engaging with the Finance Director, Chief Financial Officer and relevant governance committees on progress and outcomes of the allocations process and fiscal events.
- Working with the Strategy team and Performance team to ensure allocations are aligned to the departmental strategy and spend can be linked to outcomes.
- Support policy and operational colleagues to secure HM Treasury approval for business cases and novel, contentious or repercussive policies or spending commitments.
- Working with policy and operational colleagues to ensure that financial risks and opportunities are identified and to develop strategies to mitigate risks and exploit opportunities.
- Managing and developing the capability of the Financial Planning team cohort of Band B / SEO / fast stream staff to support delivery of team objectives.
- Building strategic, financial capability and understanding across the department, through outreach.
- Leading the MoJ’s strategic relationship with HM Treasury in support of the department’s strategic objectives. Specifically, working with HM Treasury to build credibility and to make sure they understand and are able to respond to financial risks affecting the department.
Behaviours:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
Essential Knowledge, Experience and Skills:
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain confidence of senior leaders and sponsors
- A track record in influencing and challenging others
Desirable Knowledge, Experience and Skills:
- Experience and knowledge of the Ministry of Justice’s services, stakeholder landscape, delivery partners
- Experience of working in the finance function in central government
- Working knowledge and understanding of financial control regimes
- Finance qualification or working towards a finance qualification
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