Eastbury, East of England, HA6 3HP
Job Summary
Strategic Command’s Finance Transactional Services G7 Senior Manager is responsible for a combined team including for the Enhanced Shared Services Team and the Operational Energy Authority / Fuels Team.
Enhanced Shared Services G7 Senior Manager role. This role is responsible for oversight of various outputs of the Enhanced Shared Services team as a centralised service offering to HLBs covering an expanding range of services including finance systems onboarding and administration, a virtual ePC hub and invoicing. The role requires working within Strategic Command’s Financial Operations group within our central Service Delivery Model, to support the principal service users – HLB budget holders and other relevant stakeholders – in the execution of their activities through the delivery of transactional and enabling services. The role also requires building and maintaining an extended network of finance contacts within the wider MOD including Main Building and other Commands to leverage best practice to the benefit of Strategic Command finance. This role is key in establishing this new service offering from the centralised Finance Function and streamlining the provision of shared services to HLBs and also looking for opportunities to improve, change and streamline processes for more efficient execution of the services offered and centralisation of others for synergy and resilience.
Operational Energy Authority / Fuels G7 Senior Manager role. This role is responsible for leading the Operational Energy Authority (OEA) Finance Team, as Subject Matter Experts, to deliver ‘whole life’ financial management services, including all technical financial accounting requirements to ensure accurate and evidence based financial reporting, payment services and administration of all OEA and fuels related activity. The role requires working collaboratively with MOD wider stakeholders, including Delivery Agents, project leads, technical accounting SMEs and the OEA Finance Business Partner. Responsibilities include forecasting and accounting for fuel, third party revenue, fuel exchange agreements and lease accounting. The role is also responsible for ensuring programme/project costs are rigorously controlled and monitored against approvals alongside providing robust in year forecasts and 10 year forward plans through the Annual Budgetary Cycle (ABC).
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job Description
The Transactional Services Manager is responsible for:
Leadership
* Undertake line management, mentoring and countersigning tasks as required by the role. This role has 2 direct reports and 4 countersigning roles, (total team of 9).
* Maximise resources, including people, by encouraging innovation, championing diversity & inclusion flexibility & continuous improvements for HLB/Defence.
* Identify & tackle improvements through development & prompt management action.
* Ensure team members' objectives and goals include commitment to Mid-Year Reviews/End of Year Reviews are undertaken in line with Defence Business Services (DBS).
* Ensure L&D plans match business needs & personal aspirations
* Champion improvements in employee engagement underpinned by a clear & communicated action plan.
* Direct business training approach to ensure all training needs are managed, using the best mechanisms to deliver learning, have robust learning needs analysis (to support individual development), provides value for money, exploits learning from experience and knowledge transfer.
Personal Development
* Undertake your own learning and development and upskilling as required.
Enhanced Shared Services Routine Requirements
* Development of stakeholder network and including financial operations, finance business partners, DBS and commercial to support procurement and system use, to identify best practice and streamline transactional services supporting business areas.
* Development of knowledge of different payment processes, including ePC, Digital Workplace and CP&F.
* Identification of new ways to centralise and automate shared services seeking continuous improvement opportunities.
* Management of the Enhanced Shared Services team, providing an expanding list of transactional services to HLBs including but not limited to: ePC Virtual Hub and ePC administration; ePC Holder including use of card for procurement, monthly reconciliations and administration and completion of assurance checks; ensuring JSP332 alignment; providing advice to other card holders; scrutinising/Actioning delegated limit increase requests; LoD updates; maintaining the ePC Card Holder register and audit trails
* Payment Solutions: Pilots across MOD including Tailspend administration; Non-Contract Procurement reporting; Variant 3 SME and oversee applications; HR1108s approvals and administration.
* CP&F Management: System user, including completing requisitions and administration towards procurement when necessary; Supporting Line Manager and obtaining correct approvals and complete Government agreed contract agreement administration on CP&F Onboarding; Queries.
* Management of Finance systems access controls; Invoice raising (for income generating activities); Finance systems access controls; Invoice raising (for income generating activities); Oversight of the various streams of the ESS team with a robust understanding of all areas of responsibility; Responding to ad-hoc enquiries from service users; Other ad-hoc tasks aiding financial, system and procurement processes; Taking ownership for service quality, including the timely response to service requests and ad-hoc enquiries.
Continuous improvement
* Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures.
* Foster a culture of best practice and seeking opportunities for improvement within the team and across all UKStratCom stakeholders.
* Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously striving to improve the service provision. Promptly address any key issues that arise ensuring that processes or ways of working are adapted accordingly, and customers are informed where there is an impact.
* Managing issues highlighted during internal or external audit, engaging relevant stakeholders to enable corrective action. Promptly addressing any misinterpretation of guidance, sharing with team members to promote embedding the lesson(s) learnt.
OEA/Fuels Routine Requirements
* Leadership and management of all Operational Energy Authority Financial processes which include forecasting and accounting for fuel, third party revenue, fuel exchange agreements and leases alongside the usual forecasting and reporting requirements of a busy finance function. Responsible for ensuring programme/project costs are rigorously controlled and monitored against approvals alongside providing robust in year forecasts and 10 year forward plans through the Annual Budgetary Cycle (ABC).
* Ensure accuracy of all technical financial reporting including but not limited to: General Ledger activities ensuring the correct balances, accruals entries, lease accounting, inventory accounting utilising the Inventory Accounting Tools, adherence to foreign exchange rate agreements and other extant settlements in place.
* Work with non-finance colleagues to deliver OEA financial forecasts with insightful commentaries to enable the business to understand month on month variances and the level of financial risk exposure.
* Manage the Financial input to the Annual Budget Cycle process in conjunction with OEA colleagues and customers from other Commands. This includes the production of the Programme Cost Review (PCR) submissions in the form of screening packs and ensuring resulting actions are recorded and reflected accurately in the financial systems. Clear explanations of variances and risks are essential.
* Challenge and interpret complex supply chain cost data to assure Fuel Weighted Average Cost (WAC) calculations by the OEA finance team, confirming they are robust, correctly accounted, and charged out to Front Line Commands. Ensure third party charging is timely, and invoices are correctly stated on the system. Ensure VAT and duty is correctly applied and accounted for across all areas.
* Manage the team to actively support audit and internal compliance, ensuring accruals, journals, invoices and option proposals have robust supporting evidence. Ensure efficiencies captured are promptly and adequately supported by auditable evidence
* Work with OEA colleagues to develop cost models and assist in the production of Investment Appraisals and support to business cases. Monitor project expenditure against approval and ensure the appropriate VAT and duty is applied to all cost. Noting these could relate to the wider ambitions of the OEA in terms of sustainability and innovation.
* Lead your team to ensure adherence to the financial timetable, with the right return, the right information at the right time. Noting the formation of the OEA will drive change across these processes. This role is key in understanding this and working with both OEA colleagues and the wider UKSC finance teams to embed these changes.
Delivering your area of responsibility
* Management of team members, empowering, motivating and coaching to enable effective delivery.
* Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers.
* Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment.
* Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt.
* Developing and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers.
* Exercising sound judgement and interpretative ability, and application of innovative thought to derive novel solutions.
* Seeking advice, referring upwards as required, where problems are particularly complex or have wider.
OEA/Fuels Routine Requirements
* Leadership and management of all Operational Energy Authority Financial processes which include forecasting and accounting for fuel, third party revenue, fuel exchange agreements and leases alongside the usual forecasting and reporting requirements of a busy finance function. Responsible for ensuring programme/project costs are rigorously controlled and monitored against approvals alongside providing robust in year forecasts and 10 year forward plans through the Annual Budgetary Cycle (ABC).
* Ensure accuracy of all technical financial reporting including but not limited to: General Ledger activities ensuring the correct balances, accruals entries, lease accounting, inventory accounting utilising the Inventory Accounting Tools, adherence to foreign exchange rate agreements and other extant settlements in place.
* Work with non-finance colleagues to deliver OEA financial forecasts with insightful commentaries to enable the business to understand month on month variances and the level of financial risk exposure.
* Manage the Financial input to the Annual Budget Cycle process in conjunction with OEA colleagues and customers from other Commands. This includes the production of the Programme Cost Review (PCR) submissions in the form of screening packs and ensuring resulting actions are recorded and reflected accurately in the financial systems. Clear explanations of variances and risks are essential.
* Challenge and interpret complex supply chain cost data to assure Fuel Weighted Average Cost (WAC) calculations by the OEA finance team, confirming they are robust, correctly accounted, and charged out to Front Line Commands. Ensure third party charging is timely, and invoices are correctly stated on the system. Ensure VAT and duty is correctly applied and accounted for across all areas.
* Manage the team to actively support audit and internal compliance, ensuring accruals, journals, invoices and option proposals have robust supporting evidence. Ensure efficiencies captured are promptly and adequately supported by auditable evidence
* Work with OEA colleagues to develop cost models and assist in the production of Investment Appraisals and support to business cases. Monitor project expenditure against approval and ensure the appropriate VAT and duty is applied to all cost. Noting these could relate to the wider ambitions of the OEA in terms of sustainability and innovation.
* Lead your team to ensure adherence to the financial timetable, with the right return, the right information at the right time. Noting the formation of the OEA will drive change across these processes. This role is key in understanding this and working with both OEA colleagues and the wider UKSC finance teams to embed these changes.
Delivering your area of responsibility
* Management of team members, empowering, motivating and coaching to enable effective delivery.
* Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers.
* Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment.
* Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt.
* Developing and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers.
* Exercising sound judgement and interpretative ability, and application of innovative thought to derive novel solutions.
* Seeking advice, referring upwards as required, where problems are particularly complex or have wider.
Person specification
Essential criteria: Mandatory Training, Finance Skills Foundation, FCF1 Understanding the Principles of Government Finance, FCF4 In Year Management
Desirable criteria: Level 4 AAT, CCAB or CIMA Qualified Accountant or equivalent or working towards, Experience in a Finance environment, FCF2 Financial Governance, FCF3 Financial Planning, FCF6 Investment Appraisal Stakeholder Management.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Leadership
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
* Changing and Improving
* Managing a Quality Service
* Communicating and Influencing
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Leadership
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 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%
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
A CV setting out your career history, qualification details, experience with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.
The CV and Personal Statement will be assessed at sift and are weighted equally in their scoring, so it's important to consider this when uploading your application. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
Behaviours:
At sift you will be assessed against the following:
* Leadership
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
CV and Personal Statement: Evidence of Experience in a Finance Environment, Experience of Leading Teams
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
If Your Application Is Successful, You Will Be Invited To An In Person To An Interview, Where You Will Be Assessed Against The Following Behaviours:
* Leadership
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Managing a Quality Service
* Making Effective Decisions
* Changing and Improving
Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to 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
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
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.
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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
* Name : Debbie Ames
* Email : Debbie.Ames883@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk. #J-18808-Ljbffr