Strategic Finance Advisor

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you experienced in reviewing business cases and submissions?
Do you have a natural flair for communicating complex financial issues with others in simple terms to maximise impact and promote understanding to various stakeholders?
Would you like the opportunity to test your experience in a high-profile and challenging role?
If so, we would love to hear from you!, We have an exciting opportunity for two individuals to join Strategic Finance & Planning in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Group Finance Directorate.
You will work in the Finance Centre of Excellence & Clearance team, playing a critical role in providing leadership and financial advice to the business, working closely with stakeholders at all levels, including with senior budget holders and HM Treasury.
The posts will cover a broad range of transport policy areas, with a focus on future year budgets. This will involve developing and reviewing investment appraisals, so prior experience of Managing Public Money would be helpful.
This interesting and rewarding role provides the opportunity to work on a variety of high-profile policy issues to gain experience and exposure to policy development and engagement with stakeholders across the organisation., + Evaluate investment and spending proposals, assessing value for money and affordability.
+ Develop an understanding of transport policies to identify financial risks and provide advice on options and actions that can be taken to control costs.
+ Guide senior leaders with the preparation of Accounting Office Assessments (AOAs) and ensure decisions taken in line with the Accounting Officer’s delegated authority.
+ Work with the Permanent Secretary’s office to improve the effectiveness of the AOA process.
+ Work closely with colleagues in the Group Finance directorate, devoting time to coach, mentor and develop individuals and to improve the level of financial understanding in the business.
The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to respond to other emerging key priorities.
For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile., A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Making Effective Decisions, As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and 1000 word Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
In your Personal Statement please provide evidence of the following:
+ Developing relationships to understand stakeholders’ needs and priorities.
+ Reviewing business cases / investment proposals.
+ Communicating complex financial issues simply to enable individuals with limited financial knowledge to understand the key messages.
+ Challenging financial forecasts and identifying financial risks.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to an assessment/interview.
The sift is due to take place from 13th January 2025.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 27th January 2025.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
+ An interview.
This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 the Civil 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.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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These are high profile, challenging and rewarding posts that will require you to work and make decisions at high pace. You will need to be self-motivated, highly organised, and comfortable working with staff at all levels throughout the organisation and internal and external stakeholders in a fast-moving environment.
The roles are suitable for people who are qualified under one of the main five Consultative Committees of Accounting Bodies [CCAB] i.e. ACCA; CIPFA; ICAEW; ICAI or ICAS, or CIMA, or who is actively studying toward these qualifications or has equivalent experience which would provide them with the technical knowledge required to perform this role and can clearly evidence this.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.