JOB DESCRIPTION

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

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Overview

The Ministry of Justice sits at the heart of public service, protecting and advancing the principles of justice that underpin our democracy. Like other public services, the Department continues to respond to a challenging fiscal environment, driving innovation across frontline services, improving productivity and ensuring that public resources are prioritised to deliver the greatest impact.

The Finance Business Partnering Directorate, supporting His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), provides strategic financial leadership and business partnering across one of the Ministry's largest and most complex operational organisations, with a budget of £8.3bn and a total workforce of c.65,000 FTE.

The Directorate supports operational delivery, headquarters functions, contracted out and commissioned services, major change programmes and projects within the Government Major Projects Portfolio, providing high-quality financial advice, challenge and insight to support decision-making, strengthen financial stewardship and drive value for money.

The role will act as the lead finance adviser to the Executive Director for Strategy, Standards and Performance, while also providing strategic financial leadership and business partnering to the HMPPS Chief Executive (Accounting Officer) and the Finance Director of Finance Business Partnering. The postholder will lead the development and coordination of financial planning across HMPPS, overseeing the medium-term financial planning, Spending Review planning, annual resource allocation and in-year financial management.

We are looking to recruit an experienced finance professional with the ability to analyse complex financial information, provide clear written and verbal advice, and influence decision-making at the most senior levels across HMPPS and the wider Ministry of Justice. With experience in financial planning, business partnering and strategic financial management.

The Head of Financial Planning will also play a key role in shaping and strengthening financial planning capability. Working closely with colleagues across the Finance Function, Strategy, Performance and Operational Directorates, the postholder will help ensure that financial planning is integrated with business planning, supports effective prioritisation of resources and enables delivery of departmental objectives within a challenging fiscal environment.

The role requires the ability to build strong relationships across organisational boundaries, respond flexibly to changing priorities and provide strategic financial leadership across a broad and complex portfolio.

Successful candidates may be seconded to other parts of the Ministry and its Agencies.

Responsibilities

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

• Leading the development and delivery of HMPPS' medium-term financial strategy, annual planning cycle and in-year financial planning processes, ensuring resources are aligned to organisational priorities and departmental objectives.

• Leading HMPPS' financial planning contribution to Spending Reviews (SR27), fiscal events and departmental planning exercises, working closely with the HMPPS FBP Directorate, MoJ / HMPPS Joint Strategy Unit and MoJ Finance Function.

• Acting as the senior finance business partner to the Executive Director of Strategy, Standards and Performance, providing strategic financial advice, challenge and insight to support executive decision-making, with a £30m budget allocation.

• Leading the annual allocation process across HMPPS, including both Resource and Capital DEL, ensuring robust governance, affordability and value-for-money decision- making.

• Providing strategic financial leadership and advice to the HMPPS Chief Executive, Executive Directors, Leadership Team, Agency Board and other senior governance forums on financial performance, risks, opportunities and investment decisions.

• Driving delivery of HMPPS' efficiency commitments arising from previous Spending Reviews, working with senior leaders to identify, monitor and realise efficiencies.

• Leading the development of HMPPS' future efficiency, productivity and affordability narrative, working collaboratively across the Agency to support Spending Review 2027 and future fiscal events through robust financial analysis, evidence and strategic planning.

• Building strong partnerships across the Ministry of Justice Finance Function, Strategy, Performance and Operational Directorates to ensure financial planning is integrated with business planning and operational delivery.

• Identifying, assessing and managing strategic financial risks and opportunities, ensuring timely escalation and supporting effective financial control and governance across HMPPS, feeding into the Finance Advisory Committee.

• Leading and developing the Financial Planning team, building professional capability, fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture, and ensuring colleagues have opportunities for continuous learning and development.

• Driving continuous improvement in financial planning processes, systems and governance, strengthening financial management capability and supporting the wider Finance Function agenda.

Management of Resources

The postholder will have direct line management responsibility, providing visible leadership, coaching and professional development to build a high-performing Financial Planning team. As a member of the HMPPS Financial Planning and Prison Supply senior leadership team, the postholder will also contribute to the strategic leadership, capability and continuous development of a wider function, promoting collaboration, professional excellence and an inclusive culture.

The postholder will provide strategic financial leadership and business partnering to the HMPPS Chief Executive, Executive Directors and other senior stakeholders, supporting budget holders responsible for a combined portfolio of approximately £8.3bn across both Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (RDEL) and Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL).

The postholder will play a critical role in ensuring that HMPPS' financial resources are planned, prioritised and deployed effectively, providing strategic financial leadership to support sustainable operational delivery, robust financial stewardship and informed executive decision-making.

Key skills and knowledge

• Be an inspiring and inclusive leader, with the ability to build high-performing teams and develop finance capability.

• Be a strategic thinker, able to translate complex financial information into clear insight that supports executive decision-making.

• Be an influential business partner, capable of building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.

• Demonstrate resilience, sound judgement and the confidence to provide constructive challenge and make evidence-based decisions in a fast-paced and complex environment.

• Be an effective communicator, able to present complex financial issues clearly to both finance and non-finance audiences.

• Be innovative in developing financial planning, forecasting and resource management approaches that improve decision-making, value for money and organisational performance.

• Demonstrate a strong focus on continuous improvement, helping shape HMPPS' approach to financial sustainability, efficiency and productivity.

• Have a proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes within demanding timescales.

You will have:

• Experience of providing strategic financial advice and business partnering to senior leaders, with the ability to build trusted relationships, influence decision-making, and work effectively across organisational boundaries. (Interview experience question)

• Excellent team leadership skills (assessed via behaviour, Leadership)

• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven record of building strong working relationships with stakeholders; and (assessed via behaviour, Communicating and Influencing)

Professional Competencies / Requirements

CCAB qualified accountant (i.e. ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or a recognised equivalent.

Application process

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Success
Profiles framework.

Sift

CV - Please provide an anonymised copy of your CV.

The following Grade 6 Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be assessed via 250-word examples.

• Leadership (Lead Behaviour)

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Delivering at pace

• Communicating and Influencing

Please refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details, including by grade:

Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Leadership.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Candidates invited to interview

Interview will be held in person - further details will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Candidates invited to interview will be required to deliver a short presentation. Further details and the presentation topic will be provided in advance of the interview.

During the interview, we will be assessing you on the Behaviours listed above and Strengths from the Success Profiles framework.

You will also be asked an experience question relating to financial planning.