Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Finance Improvement Manager
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Job Summary
Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Warrington, York
This is a high-impact role for experienced finance improvement and change leaders who can combine technical credibility, structured delivery and practical implementation support. Sitting within Defra group Finance, postholders will help shape change plans and work directly with Finance teams to implement improvement initiatives, adopt new ways of working and prepare for the Synergy Shared Service Programme and wider operating model changes across Defra and its organisations.
The Synergy programme is one of government’s largest transformation initiatives, replacing core HR, finance, procurement and payroll processes and improving the digital experience for users across Defra and its organisations. These roles will help Finance leaders and teams prepare for adoption of the Synergy solution from 2028, while supporting a more modern, efficient and future-ready finance service.
We are looking to recruit four Finance Improvement Managers to work with dedicated Finance teams aligned to individual Arms’ Length Bodies and Business Units. You will support Senior Finance Leaders and the central Finance Change and Transformation Team to develop credible implementation plans, provide finance expertise, remove barriers to adoption and help teams put new processes, systems and ways of working into practice.
This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of a major finance transformation, shaping how finance services are delivered across the Defra group. The roles will suit people with a track record of leading improvement, implementing end-to-end process change, working in complex environments and bringing stakeholders together around a common way of working.
Aligned to the GFF Career Framework, these roles involve leadership across Finance Operations and Finance Data and Systems. The experience gained will provide a strong platform for progression, developing capability in finance operations, business change, stakeholder engagement, service improvement and implementation leadership.
Job Description
As a Finance Improvement Manager, you will combine planning, delivery and hands-on finance improvement support. Working closely with process owners, subject matter experts, Finance leaders and programme colleagues, you will help turn Synergy process designs and operating model changes into practical activity across areas such as Source to Pay, Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting, Project Accounting, reporting, controls and data.
You will work alongside Finance teams to implement improvement initiatives, test and embed new processes, resolve practical issues and support adoption. You will also produce guidance, engagement and communication materials that help Finance leaders explain the change clearly and build confidence with users.
You will operate in a collaborative, matrixed environment, balancing structured planning with practical delivery, coaching and hands-on engagement to maintain momentum, resolve issues and support a smooth transition to the future finance operating model.
- Lead the development and delivery of robust implementation plans for Finance teams across Defra group organisations, aligned to Synergy programme milestones and wider operating model changes.
- Provide finance expertise and practical support to help teams implement improvement initiatives, adopt standardised processes and embed new systems, controls and ways of working.
- Work with process owners and subject matter experts to translate future finance process designs into clear business requirements, guidance, transition activity and user-focused implementation support.
- Lead impact, readiness and adoption assessments, using data, stakeholder insight and a consistent methodology to identify impacts, barriers and support needs, define success measures, and recommend targeted interventions that build confidence and improve delivery outcomes.
- Build strong relationships across Finance, Defra group organisations, programme teams and Whitehall partners, using clear engagement, guidance and reporting to align stakeholders around the future finance operating model, support adoption and escalate key risks, decisions and trade-offs.
- Attend and provide input to subject-related workshops as needed
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Person specification
Essential Experience
- A track record of leading finance improvement, transformation or implementation activity in a large or complex organisation, including providing finance expertise and practical support to implement process, system or operating model change.
- Experience of turning process, system or operating model designs into practical change plans, readiness activity and user-focused implementation support, using evidence, data and professional judgement to assess impacts, identify risks, remove barriers and improve delivery outcomes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex finance change into clear, engaging messages, influence senior stakeholders and build confidence in new processes, systems and ways of working.
- Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills, with the ability to build alignment and momentum across Senior Finance Leaders, Arms’ Length Bodies, Business Units, programme teams and wider partners.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Salary and Benefits
- Alongside your salary of £56,375, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
- 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%
Application Process
As Part Of The Application Process You Will Be Asked To Complete a CV, a Personal Statement (no More Than 250 Words) And 250-word Behaviour Statements For The Following Behaviours
- Changing and improving (Lead Behaviour)
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Further details around what this will entail are detailed on the application form.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Sift
Should there be a large number of successful applications, there will be an initial sift assessing the Personal Statement. Those who pass the initial sift will either be progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and Experience.
If selected to attend an interview you will be required to make a short, informal presentation to the panel. Those invited to interview will be provided with further information as part of the interview invitation process.
Your interview will be conducted virtually via MS Teams.
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
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Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Further Information
- Visa Sponsorship Statement: Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
- Merit Lists: Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
- Criminal Record Check: If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
- Security: All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location.
- Feedback: Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
- Name: Synergy Resourcing Team
- Email: Synergyresourcing@defra.gov.uk
- Telephone: 07792798713
Recruitment team
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: [
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