Department for Education
Deputy Director Sector Reporting
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Deputy Director Sector Reporting
Coventry (CV1 2WT), Darlington (DL1 5QE), London (SW1P 3BT), Manchester (M1 2WD), Sheffield (S1 2FJ)
Job Summary
This is a rare chance to help shape the future of financial budgeting and reporting for over £40 billion of public expenditure.
The Sector Reporting division in the Department for Education is responsible for collecting, analysing and reporting financial information from over 10,000 academy schools and further education colleges to support insight, accountability and strategic financial management.
You will lead a division of c40 FTE, who design and run sophisticated financial data collections, carry out complex analysis to deliver insight that supports effective decision-making and value for money, set forecasts and monitor outturn to support the strategic financial management of the Department for Education. In addition, you will support the delivery of high-quality financial reporting to Parliament through the Academies Sector Report and Accounts and the DfE Group Accounts.
Job Description
As Deputy Director of Sector Reporting, you will be responsible for:
- Providing strategic advice, analysis and insight on sector finances to support strategic financial management in the Department and policy interventions that deliver value for money.
- The collection of forecast, outturn and audited financial data from academies and Further Education (FE) colleges.
- The calculation of budgets, forecasts and outturn to feed into the estimates cycle to ensure academies and FE colleges have the necessary approvals for their spending plans.
- Producing tailored financial reporting through consolidated accounts and other reporting to inform Parliamentary and government decision making, working with the National Audit Office and HM Treasury to ensure we provide the financial information needed without introducing disproportionate burden on academies and FE colleges.
- Working with DfE teams to ensure the financial reporting frameworks in place for sectors we work with are robust and aligned with central government reporting requirements where appropriate.
- Developing and delivering strategies to both transform how we collect data from academies and FE colleges and strengthen the links between funding, spending and other data to enable stronger planning, oversight, value‑for‑money assessment, and assurance.
- Building and supporting happy, engaged and inclusive teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.
- Working with other finance leaders in the Department and across the Government Finance Function (GFF) to deliver our finance vision and strategy.
Person Specification
Applicants will be assessed against the following essential criteria.
- A leader with exceptional interpersonal, communication and influencing skills and the professional credibility to shape strategic decision‑making through high‑quality financial insight.
- 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 under pressure.
- The ability to analyse complex multi-faceted problems and then identify and deliver credible solutions.
- Passion for improvement and innovation to enhance performance and outcomes, both internally and for the sectors we work with, with an ability to inspire confidence and motivate their teams through change and uncertainty.
- Fully qualified chartered accountant (CCAB or CIMA).
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Desirable Criteria
- Experience in delivering high quality analysis and consolidation of financial information from a large number of business units or organisations for budgeting and reporting purposes, with strong knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards, FRS 102, Consolidated Budgeting Guidance and Supply Estimates (or confidence to develop this knowledge in role based on other relevant experience).
- Experience of digital/data lifecycle transformation.
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview in the event of a tie break situation to make an informed decision.
Qualifications
Fully qualified chartered accountant (CCAB or CIMA).
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £81,000, Department for Education 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 (opens in a new window).
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
You will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances, but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.
Application Process
If you would like to apply for this position, please complete the Civil Service Jobs application form by clicking the "apply now" button at the top or bottom of this advert. Applications will be accepted until 23:55 29th July 2026.
Please be advised there are three stages to the recruitment process for this role, these are outlined below.
Stage 1 – Application
At sift stage, you will be assessed on your Experience in line with the essential skills listed in the person specification section of the job advert.
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To Apply For This Role, Please Provide
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability up to 500 words detailing why we should consider you for this role (up to 400 words) with focus on the first essential criteria (around leadership) and why you have chosen the Department for Education (up to 100 words).
The CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the advert. Failure to submit both CV and Personal Statement will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
Should there be a high volume of applicants, candidates may be sifted on the first essential criteria.
Please note, CV details must be contained within the template on the application form. Any CV or Statement of Suitability that has been emailed to our team will not be considered.
If you are unable to apply online, please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk in the first instance. Please visit our career site for further information on the Civil Service application process.
Stage 2 - Staff Engagement Exercise
Take part in a virtual Staff Engagement Panel (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held w/c 31 August 2026.
Stage 3 - Interview
The Formal Interview Will Be a 2-part Process
Part 1: Presentation
Prepare and deliver a presentation to the panel. Please be prepared to answer follow up questions on the presentation. Presentation details will be provided to shortlisted candidates closer to the time of the interview.
Part 2: Interview
- The interview will last approximately 60 minutes. You will be asked questions on the essential criteria listed above to determine your level of experience in these areas. Questions will typically ask for a brief and broad overview of your experience relevant to a criteria (e.g. tell us your experience in leading a financial work programme) and/or a specific example (e.g. tell us about a time when you…. We may also ask you some follow-up questions. We will also use Strengths using the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
Interviews are scheduled to take place on 7th and 8th of September 2026. Please note these dates are subject to change.
As part of the recruitment process, we may request references.
Please note that references and open-source due diligence checks (including into social media accounts) may be undertaken for all short-listed candidates.
Please note that, at the interview stage, we may ask whether you have any conflicts of interest to declare. The Department for Education does not cover the cost of travel to your interview or assessment unless otherwise stated.
All communications will be electronic therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder.
We receive many applications, and unfortunately we’re not able to provide feedback for candidates who aren’t shortlisted. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
For an accessible version of the candidate pack, please contact scs.recruitment@education.gov.uk
Important Information
Please Note The Following
- We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date.
- Applications will be assessed solely on the documentation provided
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