Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Deputy Director, Finance and Value: Regeneration, Housing and Planning
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Bristol, Darlington, London, Manchester, Wolverhampton
Job Summary
The Finance Directorate aims to ensure that MHCLG makes the best possible use of resources to deliver for the public.
The directorate is friendly and welcoming, with a mix of finance, delivery, reporting, systems, and other professionals, and a strong emphasis on collaboration and inclusion. We have five main offices: Darlington, London, Manchester, Bristol and Wolverhampton; offices in Nottingham, Leeds, Cambridge and Plymouth to ensure we are based in all the English regions; offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast; and a specialist finance operations office in Hemel Hempstead.
There are four divisions in Finance Directorate. You would lead the Regeneration, Housing and Planning Finance and Value division. This team provides expert advice, challenge and support to these areas in the department, playing a key role in these Government priorities – helping to maximise value for money and the chances of successful delivery and to ensure the protection of the Accounting Officer.
The Other Divisions Are:
- Another Finance and Value (business partnering) division covering Communities, Resilience, Growth and Corporate teams
- The Strategic Finance division is responsible for aligning the Departmental Group’s financial resources and strategy, including negotiating with HMT, allocating and controlling overall budgets, and co-ordinating the Estimates processes. Fiscal events (Budgets etc) are co-led by this division and Strategy division. As Finance and Performance DD you will lead on the elements within this which your business partnering team supports along with acting as the finance interface with Homes England and the National Housing Bank.
- The Finance Operations, Reporting and Transformation division is responsible for finance data, processes and systems, our finance operations shared service, and the Annual Report and Accounts. It sits at the heart of how we operate as a finance function and leads our cross-cutting work on continuous improvements.
Job Description
This is a high-profile Deputy Director role at the heart of the Department, working closely with senior colleagues across the Regeneration, Housing and Planning DG Group, Homes England, the Planning Inspectorate and a number of smaller Arms Length Bodies, as well as HM Treasury, to ensure the Department is making the best use of its resources to enable successful delivery for citizens.
You will cover a wide and varied agenda, ranging from long-term strategic questions to urgent matters. The role covers: the Social and Affordable Housing Programme, national and place-based housing and regeneration activity including the New Towns programme, Homes England and the National Housing Bank; planning reform and the Planning Inspectorate; Homelessness and Rough Sleeping; Resettlement; Private Rented Sector and Leasehold including supporting the government’s ambitious legislative programme for leasehold and renters’ reform.
Finance is at the heart of all these agendas, with appetite for innovation, and a strong focus on ensuring delivery. You will lead your team to act as a constructive partner in the design and delivery of policy, providing expert advice, challenge and support to secure successful delivery and value for money.
MHCLG has one of the largest financial transactions portfolios in central Government. You will provide strategic leadership for the department’s Financial Transactions Centre of Excellence including working with HM Treasury on updates to relevant accounting and governance frameworks.
You will lead a division of around 25 people, with three direct reports, developing and motivating them all to deliver at their full potential.
You will also play a full part in the senior leadership team of the finance directorate.
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You Will Be Responsible For:
- Providing strategic advice and analysis on finance, performance and risk to senior stakeholders, supporting the Department to achieve its strategic objectives and deliver successful programmes.
- Providing advice to SROs, the Director General and the Accounting Officer (Permanent Secretary) to ensure sound policy is developed which is well-planned and governed, deliverable, value for money, affordable and correctly accounted for, meeting the standards Parliament expects.
- Providing strategic leadership for the FT Centre of Excellence.
- Ensuring key finance and accounting issues are identified, understood, escalated if necessary, and resolved, including liaising and negotiating with HM Treasury
- Shaping a consistent financial strategy for your areas of responsibility, including at fiscal events (Autumn Statements, Budgets and Spending Reviews)
- Ensuring your diverse and geographically dispersed team is engaged, motivated and delivering at its best, with a commitment to continuous improvement
- Playing a full part in running the Finance directorate, in particular developing a first class business partnering function, building capability across the department, supporting our own continuous improvement and contributing to the wider government finance function
Person specification
This role requires an ability to think strategically and analytically, to engage in complex problem solving, and to work with stakeholders at all levels.
You will be comfortable working with numbers and budgets and be able to advise with confidence on Managing Public Money. You will be able to work with others to enable successful programme delivery, as well as demonstrating integrity in all you do.
You will have a strong focus on leading and developing your team to perform at its best, providing excellent customer service, giving constructive advice and challenge, and acting as trusted adviser and gateway into other professions (e.g. digital, analytical, commercial, legal) where needed.
You will be a strong collaborator, working closely with and influencing policy, finance and other professionals to deliver the best outcomes for taxpayers and citizens.
You will understand and be able to apply core planning and delivery principles (for example, supporting teams to articulate what they are trying to do and the relationship to financial and other inputs, outputs and outcomes).
You will champion the use and value of data and analytics in decision-making and reporting, and make the best use of available data and tools. You will be comfortable with interpreting and assessing risks and opportunities arising from technical financial data related to delivery through use of financial transactions.
We particularly encourage applications from those of an ethnic minority background and those with disabilities, as well as those based in locations outside of London, who are underrepresented at this level in MHCLG.
As one of the Department’s senior leaders, you will also be a visible role model for the Civil Service leadership behaviours. These can be found in the Civil Service Leadership Statement which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-leadership-statement/civil-service-leadership-statement
Essential Criteria:
- A track record of providing excellent strategic advice to secure effective delivery, value for money and strong stewardship of public resources.
- Proven ability to operate as a trusted strategic partner to senior leaders, shaping policy and delivery decisions to achieve successful outcomes, including in complex environments.
- Experience developing and leading diverse, high-performing teams to deliver results at pace and adapt to changing circumstances, embedding continuous improvement.
- Ability to influence effectively at all levels – including senior levels – through excellent communication, judgment and relationship-building skills. This includes the ability to communicate financial issues to non-specialist audiences.
- Ability to oversee the design and implementation of governance and assurance frameworks to secure effective delivery through stakeholder bodies and through deployment of financial transactions.
- A relevant professional finance qualification (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent).
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Alongside your salary of £95,000, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £27,521 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).
At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
How to Apply
To apply you will need to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability via the Be Applied link. Your CV (up to two pages) should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your Statement of Suitability (up to two pages) should explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential and desirable criteria for the role.
Equal Opportunities
We encourage candidates to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data via Be Applied. The data will be treated in the strictest confidence and used for monitoring and statistical purposes only.
Interview Schemes
MHCLG is a Disability Confident employer and is committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health of all colleagues and applicants. We also operate the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Redeployment schemes. Applicants applying under these schemes who meet the essential criteria, will be invited to interview.
The Panel
Finance Director Alice Lakeman, Others TBC.
Additionally, the panel may be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.
Shortlist
Applications will be sifted after the closing date and shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next phase of assessment and interview. Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria, these will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s final interview questions. Desirable criteria will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly against the essential criteria.
Assessment
Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend a Staff Engagement Panel, designed to provide insight into how you engage and interact with your team. Feedback from the session is passed to the panel for consideration
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