Air Strategic Finance - In-Year Management Assistant Head

Are you a motivated, organised, and pro-active individual looking for an exciting opportunity within a fast-moving Finance function? Can you lead effectively with confidence and influence? Do you have a passion for leading, mentoring, and supporting teams and driving continuous improvement? If so, then there is an opportunity to join our large, diverse and inclusive Air Finance team supporting the Royal Air Force and wider defence at HQ Air Command, RAF High Wycombe.

We are seeking a Grade 7 in the In-Year Management team as part of our Strategic Finance function. The role is both challenging and high-profile, enabling the individual to engage with and influence the highest levels of strategic thinking and financial decision making in Air Command and the wider Ministry of Defence. This role will be responsible for managing the In-Year

Reporting team overseeing spend of around £8bn. The position entails regular engagement with key Air stakeholders, including Director Resources, Head of Air Finance, and Air Command’s military Resources and Plans team. There is additional engagement with key external stakeholders including the Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ) and Strategic Finance in the Department of State.

Ideally, applicants should hold a full professional accountancy qualification (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW or equivalent at Level 7) to complement substantial finance experience. We will also consider applications from experienced part-qualified Level 7 accountants on condition they can commit to completing their qualification within 18 months of appointment.

This role will likely include occasional travel to MoD Main Building in Central London as well other MoD establishments nationally.

In line with the Civil Service Hybrid Working policy, all Air Finance team members are expected to attend their main duty office (in this case RAF High Wycombe) regularly. Candidates are advised to research transport options and journey times before applying for the role.

This role is suitable for hybrid working. Job holders may work from home or another MOD site, with regular attendance at High Wycombe as required based on individual, team and business needs

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Due to the nature of the role, part time and job share arrangements may be considered, subject to the requirement that full-time hours are fully covered (or business needs are met).

This position reports to the Grade 6 Head of In-Year Management, Financial Management and Reporting and MI. The position offers the individual the opportunity to interact with and impact top-tier strategic planning and key decision making within Air Command. You will regularly advise senior management including at the 2-star/Director level, both military and civilians. The role will include engagement across the Ministry of Defence including the Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters and the National Armaments Directorate.

Please be aware that the role may be subject to change as the implementation of Defence Reform continues.

Key responsibilities for this post include but not limited to:

• Leading and directing in-year financial management across Air Command, working in partnership with Air Resources and Plans, Finance Business Partners and other stakeholders to deliver this objective;
• Leading and developing the In-Year Reporting team;
• Support reporting and decision-making on the in-year management financial position through advice to the Grade 6, Head of Air Finance and Director of Resources;
• Drive the continuous improvement of Air finance processes, particularly better coordination and join-up between the in-year management team, the wider Financial Management and Reporting and MI teams and Finance Business Partners. Encourage the sharing of knowledge and best practice while driving efficiency and effectiveness;
• Build strong relationships across a broad stakeholder base, including across Air Finance, Air Senior Leadership, Air Resources and Plans and beyond into other front-line commands, MSHQ and the Department of State;
• Provision of SME technical knowledge, financial insight and expertise to all stakeholders regarding MSHQ and MOD centre 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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Please present your evidence using the S.T.A.R. format (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that their submission uses the STAR format and demonstrates the behaviours detailed at G7 level in the Civil Service Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours booklet. Comprehensive coverage on Success Profiles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability (750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provides evidence of your suitability for the role.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, Statement of suitability and the following:

Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

In the event of a large number of applications, we will only use the CV and Statement of Suitability to assess your application during the sift stage.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Working Together

You will also be assessed against Strengths mapped from the Civil Service Success Profiles behaviours; Communicating and Influencing, and Changing and Improving: Success Profiles: Strengths - GOV.UK

• Candidates will be asked to prepare a short 5 minute presentation – the topic will be advised closer to the interview date.

Further information:

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.