Finance Manager

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is pleased to announce the opportunity to apply for the position of Finance Manager for the Digital Information Directorate (DID).

As a Finance Manager, you play a key part in DID’s assurance and control framework working with HQ Finance colleagues to provide assurance to the Head of Governance and Culture (G&C) that the Directorate’s financial management complies with departmental and civil service standards. You are responsible for providing support, guidance, and assurance to the Head of G&C in relation to DID’s Operating Costs relating to Salaries/FTE and General Admin Expenses, including budget data, providing cost analysis and financial data. You work collaboratively with peers across partner Areas; sharing good practice and lessons learnt to deliver the business and to ensure resilience.

The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.

You must be aged 16 or over at the point of starting in this role. The expected start date is approximately 8–12 weeks after the application closing date. You are expected to commence employment as soon as possible following the expiry of your notice period. Requests for significantly later start dates may not be accommodated.

As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

This role is being offered on a temporary basis with the possibility of extension or permanency. This is not guaranteed and would be subject to organisational needs and made at the discretion of the CPS.

Your roles and responsibilities:

• You prepare timely, accurate and complete financial reports in accordance with CFOD and the Directorate’s timetable for monthly finance reporting and flags any significant compliance issues for action by senior managers.
• You maintain the systems and processes in place to enable the accurate recording/future profiling of salary. Leads on General Administrative Expenditure (GAE) using mandated workbooks where available. You dynamically forecast budgets using workforce planning and other financial information, providing assurance to the Head of G&C.
• You ensure that finance routines across the Directorate including processing accruals and invoices, forecasting and workforce capacity planning are completed within the timelines set by CFOD.
• You oversee management of the GAE budget and will advise and guide senior managers on forecasting the costing of plans and budget reduction plans.
• You contribute to workforce capacity planning, to the forecast of changes and fluctuations in staffing levels, coordinating the deployment and redeployment of staff where necessary.

A copy of the full job description is attached.

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 and Experience.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process consists of an online application and interview.

Personal statement

We ask you to complete a personal statement of no more than 1,250 words. You need to address the core behaviours for this role, which are:

• Making Effective Decisions (Lead Behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

You also need to demonstrate the following experience/technical skills required for this role:

• previous experience of working in a finance role
• to have had supervisory experience of staff
• experience in forecasting, financial management reports, data analysis, compiling budgets, providing financial information for business cases
• significant experience with MS Excel
• a good understanding and practical experience in compiling budgets
• experience in providing financial expertise to PM/colleagues on how to manage their forecasts and budgets
• practical experience in preparation and presentation of the monthly financial management reports including analysis, interpretation, and recommendations
• applied knowledge of accruals accounting and invoice management

In addition, you need to demonstrate the Crown Prosecution Service or Civil Service values.

The panel has the right to assess the lead behaviour ‘Making Effective Decisions’ first. If the standard on this behaviour isn’t met, the other behaviours won’t be considered and your application won’t progress. The panel also has the right to raise the minimum standard pass mark. The panel may also refer to the lead behaviour at the interview stage to determine merit order.

CV

You’re not required to upload your CV. However, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section’. You are required to provide information about your employment and/or academic history for the past three years, skills, and qualification details. The CV section will be assessed.

It’s your responsibility to provide the specified information in the requested format to ensure that you're considered for the post.

If you're unable to cover three years through employment or academic history, you must provide a character reference for clearance purposes.

Interview

The interviews are expected to take place on 5 November 2026.

Your interview takes place online through Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with guidance. If you have any queries about this, contact benjamin.ross-russell@cps.gov.uk

You should keep this date free or notify us if you're not available. We'll make every effort to accommodate your date preferences but we can't guarantee it.

We use behaviours to help us understand your experience, to see if you're a good fit for the role. You are assessed against HEO in the Civil Service success profiles behaviours framework. We are assessing 3 behaviours at interview stage:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Other

This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.

Please note that the CPS is unable to offer visa sponsorship. If you require visa sponsorship to work in the UK, you will not meet the eligibility criteria for this role.

Clearance

If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check for which you must have a current valid UK address.

If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form, and nationality and immigration questionnaire.

If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.

The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.

Reserve list

If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another Finance Manager post in the CPS if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.

Civil Service Commission

If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/

Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

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