Location
Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Swindon
Job Summary
The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55 % of the government’s office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. We are looking for innovative, solutions‑focused people to join our team.
Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading significant transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme. We are also delivering cost‑effective property services such as asset management, lifecycle replacement and workplace services.
Innovation and progress underpin our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self‑improvement are encouraged. Our four core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:
* Striving for excellence – We always aim to deliver great results
* Empowering through respect – We insist on fair treatment for all, always
* Acting with integrity – We consistently do the right thing
* Succeeding together – We rely on each other to achieve success
We are committed to representing the communities we serve by making Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) part of everything we do. Our strong emphasis on EDI is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces.
To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.
We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.
Job Description
Financial Leadership and Strategic Influence
* With 2 direct reports and responsibility for a team of c30 finance professionals, you will take primary ownership of all financial reporting to the GPA’s Executive Committee, Board, ARC, Cabinet Office, and other key stakeholders, including HM Treasury, and department clients, regarding the GPA's financial performance and position.
* Provide financial advice and guidance on accounting treatments for major projects and guidance on how projects might be flexed to deliver alternative accounting outcomes.
* Provide visible, dynamic and inspiring leadership to the Corporate Finance function, setting direction and championing high standards of financial stewardship whilst supporting a coaching culture, to instil a growth and personal development mindset throughout the teams.
* Play an active role in management of GPA’s Finance directorate, collaborating effectively with colleagues across the Finance directorate including Finance, Commercial and Legal & Governance colleagues and with members of GPA’s executive team and SLG.
* Build and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with GPA’s Executive Committee, Board, ARC, Cabinet office Finance, HM Treasury and other senior stakeholders, providing advice on the financial implications of strategic decisions and policy proposals, whilst breaking down silos and encouraging cross team collaboration.
* Lead the development of a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and capability-building across finance teams to drive improvements to financial systems and reporting capability across GPA.
* Represent the organisation in cross‑government finance forums and actively build cross government networks.
* Delivery of consistent, accurate and pragmatic advice across GPA, including to senior officials and ministers on finance, accounting, treasury management, governance and taxation policy.
Corporate Accounting (Reporting, Operations, Systems and Spending Control)
* Own the preparation and integrity of statutory financial statements in compliance with relevant frameworks (e.g., IFRS, FReM, Managing Public Money).
* Maintain effective spending controls, ensuring all expenditure complies with delegation frameworks and budgetary limits, recommending and implementing actions where additional cost control is required.
* Strategically responsible in ensuring the transactional processes and systems underpinning financial reporting, purchase-to-pay and payroll are robust and continuously improving through leadership of the financial operations and management accounting teams and adoption of new technology.
* Provide robust financial analysis to support preparation and in‑year management of budgets, forecasts, and reporting; support GPA’s work on spending reviews.
* Continue to evolve management reporting and provide insightful advice to support effective decision making by the Accounting Officer, Board and Exco.
* Ensure that GPA meets its financial targets by managing its income and costs with effective finance processes and delegations.
* Ensure effective reconciliation and reporting of transactions.
* Build effective relationships and processes with the HR team to report and manage the financial implications of workforce planning activity.
* Provide the centre of excellence for GPA in implementing IFRS16 for financial reporting and in support of development of business cases.
Audit and Financial Risk
* Act as the definitive lead for control and assurance, fully owning these responsibilities to free up the CFO.
* Oversee audit processes, delivering an unqualified audit opinion to timetable and ensuring timely responses to audit recommendations.
* Maintain the financial risk management framework and ensure effective mitigation of financial risks.
* Take responsibility for ensuring GPA’s compliance with applicable tax law and other applicable law and regulation.
* Maintain the system of internal control over the organisation’s financial controls, processes, governance, and compliance and report on their effectiveness to the Audit and Risk Committee.
* Support the CFO in their role as board member responsible for counter fraud.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Corporate Finance function, advising the CFO, Accounting Officer and other members of GPA’s Executive Committee, Board, ARC, Cabinet Office, and other key stakeholders on financial performance and position as well as financial implications of strategy, investment decisions, and resource allocation.
* Oversee statutory financial reporting and control/compliance such that accurate and timely accounts and forecasts are available to inform and influence strategic decision making.
* Maintain high standards of accuracy, probity, and adherence to public sector finance frameworks.
* Embed strong financial risk management, audit, and assurance arrangements, maintaining effective controls and providing clear reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee.
* Lead teams across financial operations, core management accounting and financial systems to ensure the transactional processes and systems underpinning the financial reporting are robust, with a focus on continuous improvement.
* Ensure that GPA meets its financial targets by managing its income and costs with effective finance processes and delegations.
Person Specification
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well‑being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. 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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
* Comprehensive knowledge of the model for managing finances within government and experience of reporting into a departmental finance function.
* Excellent leadership skills with a proven track record at a senior level in a complex, high‑pace finance and accounting environment with a commitment to continuing professional development.
* Strong people leadership, creating a Finance team that is seen as exemplary in delivery of financial management, reporting and control as well as an environment where talented Finance professionals want to be.
* Experience of a senior financial role within an organisation going through a significant period of change.
* Experience of working in an organisation with a similar size of financial activity in terms of complexity and scale.
* Sound experience of financial management, reporting and control with the ability to manage systems, deliver at pace and drive best value for money.
* An authentic and credible leader, with the ability to engage and motivate those around you, lead an inclusive culture, network effectively, negotiate well within and outside the organisation.
* Strong track record of confidently engaging, influencing and working with senior stakeholders including strong oral and written presentational skills, and ability to explain complex financial issues to non‑specialist audiences.
* Ability to see change as a chance to drive efficiency and innovation; acting as an agent for change wherever you identify the opportunity to protect, drive and add value.
Essential Criteria
Experience & Technical Skills
* Deep technical accounting expertise, including preparation of complex statutory accounts, interpretation of accounting standards, and assurance over technical accounting treatments in line with relevant frameworks (e.g. IFRS)
* Understanding of public sector finance frameworks (FReM, Green Book, MPM, etc.)
* Extensive experience in senior finance leadership roles in complex organisations.
* Expertise in budgeting, management accounts and statutory reporting.
* Strong track record in presenting high‑quality financial information to board equivalent level
* Proven experience overseeing the design and implementation of finance systems including the use of AI, RPA and Power BI, ensuring systems support robust financial management, enable effective reporting and drive continuous improvement in processes and controls across a complex organisation.
* Ability to balance competing priorities effectively ensuring delivery of critical objectives.
* Exceptional communication, influencing and technical written reporting skills with the ability to deliver clear advice.
* Demonstrable experience of building, leading and inspiring diverse teams, creating an environment of trust, accountability, and confidently managing teams and performance.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience of financial management related to property
* Experience applying project management disciplines to deliver complex financial initiatives or organisational change.
* Demonstrable ability to develop and utilise collaborative IT platforms such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Office/SharePoint.
Qualifications and Accreditations
Essential criteria
* Accounting qualification – ICAEW, ACCA or CIPFA with significant post‑qualification experience.
Desirable Criteria
* Private Sector Experience
Behaviours
* Changing and Improving
* Communicating and Influencing
* Leadership
Technical Skills
* Customer Perspective
* Commercial Acumen
* Property Market Knowledge
* Innovation
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