Location
High Wycombe, with regular travel to MOD Main Building in Whitehall, RAF Stations and MOD sites across the country.
About the job
Job summary
The Head of Finance supports the Director of Resources and Chief of the Air Staff in their budget holding responsibilities. With their team they support the wider organisation to meet Air Commands strategic objectives while ensuring it meets its financial management and governance obligations. They lead a team of c.120 personnel spread across finance operations, strategic finance, corporate governance, approvals and business partnering. A key member of the Directorate Senior Leadership team, alongside commercial, productivity and Policy Secretariat provide leadership to c.250 civilian and military personnel.
The Head of Finance leads the Air Command Finance function, responsible for supporting financial transformation with the Command and wider department. Act as the deputy for the Director of Resources.
With the Director Resources, the Head of Finance manages Air Command’s £7.5 billion annual budget, leading efforts with military colleagues to develop and present options for the Executive Team, wider Defence, and Ministers. As a senior finance leader within Defence, the Head of Finance represents Air Command on the departmental Finance Management Executive and works collaboratively with other Deputy Finance Directors to drive cross-functional change.
Job description
The current responsibilities of the role include:
* Leadership of c.120 civilian and military personnel with 5 direct reports. Further indirect leadership of finance staff across the RAF estate, supporting Air Bases and Air Wings.
* Managing the Commands finance function, including a continuous improvement plan to ensure the best possible support to the wider organisation. This includes working with the wider Resources Directorate senior team to ensure that it is an enabler of the Command, including proportionate control and delegation, automation of processes and best in class business partnering.
* Managing the Air Command Budget to deliver the RAF’s Command Plan, in accordance with Defence priorities and standing military tasks, within funding and approvals delegations.
* Allocating resources, setting budgets and delivering the Command’s In-Year financial outturn within Control Total limits.
* Working with Military teams to set out capability and policy choices to deliver an affordable Air Command plan as part of the wider Defence plan, while maximising the amount of capability delivered.
* Ensuring the Command meets its financial obligations to Parliament including investment scrutiny and approvals as chair of the Investment Approval Committee; internal audit; and risk, assurance and counter-fraud. Support the Commands Audit and Risk Committee to meet its objectives.
* As a senior MOD finance leader take an active role in the function including as the member of the x-dept Financial Management Executive, supporting wider change programmes and working with other Finance deputy directors to identify and adopt best practice.
* Leading the Air Finance improvement Plan, a group of incremental changes and improvements to processes and ways of working with contributions from many across the Air Finance team.
* Acting as a role model in leadership across the Ministry of Defence where we expect all our senior leaders to be Inspiring about our work and its future, Confident in our engagement, and empowering our teams to deliver.
Person specification
* Highly developed inclusive senior leadership skills with the ability to inspire and engage high performing and geographically dispersed teams, together with a strong track record of successfully leading people through periods of change.
* The ability to command the confidence and trust of senior stakeholders on sensitive issues or where opinions are divided.
* Evidence of strategic thinking, excellent analytical skills with the ability to translate current challenges in a global defence and security context.
* Significant experience in policy implementation and navigating diverse perspectives in strategic decision-making.
* Hold a CCAB or equivalent professional finance qualification.
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:
* Experience of delivering financial management improvement and change
* Experience of working within or in collaboration with government, coupled with a strong understanding of its financial processes.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £81,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* An environment with flexible working options
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
* A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.
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