Ministry of Justice

Job Title/ Position:  Financial Governance Lead

Band/Grade:  Grade 7

Number of Vacancies:  1

Business Group:  Financial Reporting, Transactions and Governance

Directorate:  Financial Management, Control, Risk and Governance

Location:  National

‘For nationally advertised campaigns, candidates will be appointed to their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) on the completion of pre-employment checks.’

Hours:  37

Working Pattern:  Permanent

Role Type/ Team:  Financial Governance Centre of Expertise

Overview

Corporate Finance is structured to ensure it is streamlined and focussed on supporting the frontline. Our objective is to deliver:

• A streamlined Finance structure based upon a strong, effective Centre of Excellence with appropriate local retained functions where necessary and robust business partner model.
• An efficient and flexible model that support its customers as well as delivers on it commitments to internal and external stakeholders.
• Realise savings through rationalising our function.
• A structure that ensures there is the right mix of skills (including greater professionalism) to deliver the finance functional responsibilities.
• A robust service to Business Groups and other parts of the corporate centre.

MoJ is a continually changing organisation, so resilience and strong leadership are critical elements in the team being successful. As a leader and manager within MoJ the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus to visibly champion the MoJ values and the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money. 

The Financial Management and Control Senior Management Team expects all leaders to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to the development of ourselves and our colleagues through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results. 

The Financial Governance Centre of Expertise (CoE) has a pivotal role in providing support, advice and guidance to all staff including senior stakeholders, such as the Permanent Secretary, the Department’s Chief Operating Officer and all Directors General, CEOs and Accounting Officers. 

The team also provide front-line staff with the right balance of control to allow the department to function effectively while protecting the public purse from misuse. This is achieved via clear guidance, targeted education and the willingness to find sustainable solutions to real time challenges.  

Role Purpose

This role sits within the MoJ Financial Governance Centre of Expertise (CoE). The financial governance team has a broad role within the corporate finance function and requires the post holder to work on a unique range of governance, propriety and regularity issues. MoJ is a complex organisation with five Agencies, over 25 Public Bodies plus a corporate centre. The central team has a pivotal role as a ‘centre of expertise’, and as the conduit between the MoJ and the National Audit Office and HM Treasury on governance issues.  

The team leads on:

• Providing advice and assurance to the Principal Accounting Officer on all matters relating to regularity and propriety, including the interpretation and application of Managing Public Money to the work of the department.
• Clearance of and strategic advice and updates in respect of National Audit Office value for money reports and the Government’s response to Public Accounts Committee reports, including Treasury Minutes.
• Providing advice on a wide range of varied issues to the Principal Accounting Officer and other Accounting Officers across the Ministry of Justice.
• Operation of and compliance with the Ministry’s Spending Control Framework.
• Meeting the department’s transparency publication in respect of third-party financial payments, including those made by government procurement cards.
• The administration of the department’s e-payment system, ensuring compliance with the department’s government procurement card policy.
• Various other activities relating to financial governance.

Responsibilities

The role will be the pivotal to ensuring the Permanent Secretary, as Principal Accounting Officer for the department, has clear, succinct and accurate information to support their decision making. This will require the postholder to build strong working relationships with the private offices of both the Permanent Secretary and of the MoJ Chief Operating Officer. Ensuring that both offices are regularly apprised of ongoing and upcoming activity, clearance timetables and any emerging issues. In addition, as joint lead for all aspects of briefing and correspondence within the Financial Governance CoE, the postholder will be responsible for drafting and clearing high quality submissions to all senior leaders across the department: this will include, in addition to the Permanent Secretary, Directors General, MoJ Chief Operating Officer and Ministers. 

Public and parliamentary accountability are cornerstones of effective delivery and the postholder will play a lead role in meeting the Department’s obligations under the Government’s transparency agenda. The postholder will lead on the collation, review, clearance and publication of all finance related data in line with the Government’s transparency commitment: this currently includes all spend via Government Procurement Cards of £500 and above, all payments of £25,000 and above, approvals against the Cabinet Office controls and, the publication of senior officials travel expenses (including liaising with Private Office to coordinate the publication of data for Ministers and Special Advisors). The postholder will also oversee the department’s responses to finance related parliamentary questions and requests made under the freedom of information act. 

The postholder will be pivotal to providing assurance to the Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer over the effective operation of our controls and the quality of the data to be published. Ensuring all data and information has been quality assured and cleared at the appropriate level within the various disciplines across the department, including within the Executive Agencies. A key aspect of the role is the ability to plan ahead, think strategically and ensure that the department is able to meet the challenging timetable for publications. 

Oversee the process for the department’s requests for approvals from HM Treasury (HMT) in respect of special payments. Challenging budget holders to ensure that any such payments provide value for money to the taxpayer and that all appropriate action has been taken prior to seeking HMT approval. 

The postholder will also be required to work with the other Grade 7s in the team to provide support and build resilience within and across the team. As such, they will need to gain an understanding of work of their colleagues to be able to support the wider team as required: especially in relation to the team’s work as the liaison point for National Audit Office Value for Money studies and how the department interacts with the Public Accounts Committee. 

For all aspects of their work, the postholder will ensure that guidance is clear, concise and readily available to all staff. Influencing and challenging colleagues across the finance function to deliver targeted support to address weaknesses and increase the knowledge of all staff. 

The post holder will be required to develop a good understanding of the organisation together with a sound working knowledge of the external business environment. You would be adept at anticipating the priorities of senior leaders and be able to anticipate the impact of your work, especially when drawing up proposals for change. 

You will be part of a high performing, flexible financial governance CoE with an exciting and high-profile programme of work planned for the coming years.

Key responsibilities

The post holder will be required to work flexibly with the other Grade 7s within the team to ensure continuity of service in support of the business. This will entail:  

• Lead on the department’s responses to finance related parliamentary questions and requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act.
• Responsible for the continuous improvement of business and financial control processes and helping build and develop financial capability and professionalism both inside the function and across the business. Promoting compliance across the department and challenging senior leaders where non-compliance is identified.
• Be a visible leader and responsible for embedding organisational vision, values and culture. Managing and coaching staff within the Financial Governance Centre of Expertise, and ensuring that all professional training and development requirements are met.
• Engaging with a range of diverse business areas, developing a knowledge of their needs and priorities, looking at the bigger picture to ensure that the business understands the regularity and propriety implications alongside value for money in the work they undertake.
• Provide significant input in managing the relationship with the National Audit Office (NAO) in respect of their value for money work, developing an understanding of their work and how it impacts the MoJ. This work will also extend to how the department liaises with the clerk of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and how the team manages the department’s responses to PAC reports via the Treasury Minute process, providing advice and assurance to the Chief Operating Officer and the Permanent Secretary in respect of the department’s responses to the NAO and PAC as and when required.

Building, maintaining and influencing strong relationships with key stakeholders and budget holders. Be proactive in anticipating issues and understanding underlying causes before providing solutions. Required to consult and negotiate with other grades, some more senior, or with other organisations. 

Working with colleagues across finance on the strategy to build solid financial and commercial awareness of non-finance staff within the business. 

Providing advice to the business to ensure delivery plans are progressed within the confines of managing public money.  

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post  

Key skills and knowledge

• CCAB qualified or equivalent or considerable financial/governance/briefing experience.
• Experience of working in, or closely with, Private Offices (those offices supporting the Permanent Secretary and Ministers) is desirable.
• A good understanding of managing public money as well as principles of effective governance. 

Application process
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework
Assessment process at application
Civil Service Behaviour Statements (sift on lead behaviour if large number of applications received)  

• Delivering at pace (Lead Behaviour) 
• Leadership 
• Communicating and Influencing

A Statement of Suitability which should outline your experience and skill, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should address the following three areas, using a separate paragraph for each:

• CCAB qualified or equivalent or considerable financial/governance/briefing experience.
• Experience of working in, or closely with, Private Offices (those offices supporting the Permanent Secretary and Ministers) is desirable.
• A good understanding of managing public money as well as principles of effective governance.

Your CV

Assessment process at interview

In person interviews will be held at MoJ HQ, 102 Petty France, London week commencing 28 July and/or week commencing 4 August 2025.

A presentation of no more than 6 minutes. (Topic to be provided to successful candidates) 

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. 

Candidates who pass the sift will be progressed straight to interview. 

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

For further information please feel free to contact Alex Anderson alex.anderson@justice.gov.uk