Senior Finance Business Partner at Department for Work and Pensions in United Kingdom

About the job

• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Sheffield

Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, Blackpool, Sheffield & London, these locations will be changing:

• Newcastle Benton Park View will move to Newcastle Pilgrim Place in Autumn 2027
• Sheffield Hartshead Square will start to move to Sheffield 1 West Bar by early 2028
• Blackpool, Peel Park will move to Blackpool, Fylde View by April 2028
• London Caxton House will move to London Sanctuary Buildings in Summer 2027

Please note London vacancies are only open to DWP staff currently working in either Caxton House or Buildings.

About the job

Job summary

Working towards sustainable futures. Championing diversity in the workplace. At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), it’s all in a day’s work. From HR to Finance, Policy to Communications, this is work that sustains and supports, where everyone’s voice is heard, and our customers are at the heart of everything we do. For a career packed with possibility, a comprehensive benefits package, where we live by our values and have the opportunity to improve the lives of people across the country, look no further.

Supporting people who need it most. That’s our purpose. Start your own career today.

Places for Growth and Social Mobility

As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers.

As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location.

The Financial Management & Partnering Directorate support the business to develop credible multi-year plans that deliver business objectives, supported by robust financial forecasts. We also work with the business to ensure that financial matters are considered in long-term policy and service delivery decisions.

Financial Management & Partnering are organised into teams supporting each of the DWP Director Generals. These vacancies are roles on the teams supporting the Digital and Transformation Group Director General, the Jobs and Careers Service Director General and the Policy Group Director.

This is a fantastic opportunity for fully qualified accountants to join the Financial Management and Partnering Directorate with a proven track record in finance, a passion for delivering high-quality professional services with the needs of our customers and stakeholders at its heart and a passion for making a significant impact to the lives of millions of people across Great Britain .

The Department is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. As an employer we are also committed to equality and valuing diversity within our workforce.

Job description

Job description

As a key member of the senior finance team, the Senior Finance Business Partner will provide leadership as well as professional, evidence-based decision-making support, challenge, and professional advice.

As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you will need to:

• Build and maintain key relationships, in particular developing trust and rapport. This includes managing the expectation of senior managers and stakeholders.
• Developing a good understanding of the business, seeking out opportunities to better understand the commercial and operational drivers
• Provide strategic advice and analysis on financial impact, performance and risk to senior stakeholders and through this contribute to the strategic direction of the wider business area. This includes supporting accurate current and multi-year financial forecasts and plans.
• Responsibility for providing timely, accurate and clearly communicated financial management information and analysis, making full use of available data and analytics tools, to support recommendations to drive efficiency and effectiveness through value added insight and advice.
• Working closely with leads on major projects, policies and programmes to ensure sound business cases are developed and monitored with strong commercial focus, options appraisal risk management, internal control and that governance procedures are followed.
• Lead a Business Partner team effectively to ensure effective support and advice to the business, effective engagement with other Finance teams, and opportunities for continual improvement are identified and pursued.
• Establish a positive and collegiate working environment, supporting and motivating team members to achieve their full potential.
• Become the Lead and/or SME for new Financial ERP system implementation for the team, covering workforce planning, project accounting, process/system design, testing and driving business change activities.
• Act as Senior Finance Lead for strategic workforce planning activities, providing financial insight and challenge to support departmental decision -making.
• Oversee refresh of demand forecasting biannually, ensuring accurate outputs are presented with financial assumptions for sign off.

Hybrid working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

These roles can only be worked in the UK.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Working Pattern

DWP are committed to flexible working patterns, and keen to support alternative working patterns where business needs allow. The working hours we can support will depend on which role you are offered (if there is more than one role now or in the future) and if there is capacity to operate the role part-time or job share.

Visas

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Locations

You will be asked for your preferences for up to 3 locations, these will tell us where you would prefer to work if you are successful. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role in that location.

Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, Blackpool, Sheffield & London, these locations will be changing:

• Newcastle Benton Park View will move to Newcastle Pilgrim Place in Autumn 2027
• Sheffield Hartshead Square will start to move to Sheffield 1 West Bar by early 2028
• Blackpool, Peel Park will move to Blackpool, Fylde View by April 2028
• London Caxton House will move to London Sanctuary Buildings in Summer 2027

Please note London vacancies are only open to DWP staff currently working in either Caxton House or Buildings.

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles here .

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences, where appropriate, and the geographical requirements of the business. Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer DWP may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held.

Some travel may be required, but individuals’ circumstances will be taken into account.

Person specification

The candidate will meet the following essential criteria:

• Lead Criteria - Excellent inter-personal, communication, relationship-building and influencing skills. The professional and personal credibility to operate as a senior financial leader and adviser, generating confidence in senior stakeholders.
• Highly effective analytical and reasoning skills. Sound working knowledge of the key principles of financial management. The ability to procure, assemble, interpret, test and evaluate financial and business information to inform and enhance business decisions with a clear view of the financial implications.
• Proven ability to communicate complex financial information to a non-financial audience, including through the production of high-quality financial reports and briefings.
• A strong track record of delivering challenging projects at pace, prioritising longer-term work alongside shorter-term asks. The ability to deliver through others and maintain professional standards in the face of pressure.

Qualifications

You must hold a full chartered level professional qualification awarded by a UK-recognised accountancy body: CIMA, ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS and Chartered Accountants Ireland. In addition, we accept applications from candidates with a chartered level international qualification where a reciprocal agreement exists with the ICAEW or where the criteria of the ICAEW Pathways programme are met. More information on ICAEW membership agreements can be found via the ICAEW website.

Memberships

Your membership of one of CIMA, ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS or Chartered Accountants Ireland must be up to date and active at the time of application. Please note that membership of AAT or other technician level qualifications does not satisfy the qualification criteria. If you are unsure whether you meet the qualification criteria you should confirm with our recruitment team before proceeding with your application.

If you are invited to interview, you will be asked to provide evidence of both your qualification status and live membership.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Lead Criteria - Excellent inter-personal, communication, relationship-building and influencing skills. The professional and personal credibility to operate as a senior financial leader and adviser, generating confidence in senior stakeholders’.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £79,722, Department for Work and Pensions contributes

£23,095 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Fund