UK Ministry of Defence
Senior Finance Manager
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This role can be based at Andover, Lichfield or Wyton.
Job Summary
Do you want to work on one or the most exciting transformation projects in the public sector?
The Defence Housing Service (DHS) is being created through the Armed Forces Bill to deliver a step-change in housing for the UK’s Armed Forces and their families following the publication of the Defence Housing Strategy on 3 November 2025, which marked the most significant change to Armed Forces housing in over 50 years. DHS will bring a dedicated focus to improving the homes, communities and lived experience of Service personnel, placing families firmly at the heart of everything it does.
This is one of the most ambitious housing transformation programmes in the UK today. Backed by a £9.2 billion investment, DHS will modernise tens of thousands of homes, introduce a more proactive and customer-focused approach to maintenance, and unlock new opportunities to develop housing on Defence land. DHS will have the focus and agility to deliver change at pace, combining public service values with greater flexibility to build the skills, systems and partnerships needed for the future.
This is a rare opportunity to be part of shaping its culture, influencing how it works, and helping deliver lasting improvements for Service families across the UK.
The Defence Housing team is currently part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), who respond to the evolving needs of our military personnel, and the ways in which they live, work, train and deploy. We are proud to be the expert partner Defence needs for all their infrastructure requirements. From large scale infrastructure projects such as runways for the F35 fighter jets to net carbon-zero accommodation for our Service families, our activities focus relentlessly on our customers, and our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe!
DIO, What we deliver every day.
The future delivery model for this team is currently under review and may change as part of potential organisational developments. This could include the team or function transferring to a different employer or organisational structure in the future. Should activities transfer out of the Ministry of Defence existing employees transferring with those activities will maintain the same, or substantially the same, terms and conditions of employment.
Job Description
As Senior Finance Manager, you’ll be responsible for communicating financial data and other information clearly to internal and external stakeholders, providing valuable financial advice, challenge and support. You’ll ensure that financial reporting is accurately completed, both within corporate reporting systems and for input of accounting entries, to support decision making.
You’ll build strong relationships and an understanding of your business area, providing support at appropriate levels.
Key Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To:
- Provide clear and robust strategic financial advice to all relevant stakeholders.
- Reviewing, analysing and interpreting financial data, providing insight for senior managers and decision makers.
- Line management responsibility, undertaking mentoring, performance management, recruitment and countersigning tasks as required.
- Leading the input of financial information and provision of support to the 10-year Strategic Planning Cycle (SPC) process.
- Responsible for applying In-Year Management (IYM) activities, including monitoring spend against budget and analysis of actuals.
- Providing support to governance meetings and report production; including ad-hoc analysis for senior managers / customers.
- Oversee the team’s contribution to the production of Financial Statements, in accordance with timetables and instructions and respond promptly to queries.
- Manage the timely capitalisation or disposal of assets, to ensure assets are correctly recorded within the accounts.
- Provide leadership to, and management of, your Business Area’s finance team, to deliver DIO outputs and departmental goals.
- Promote strong working relationships, both within the team and with other teams across DIO and MOD.
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Person Specification
Essential Criteria
- Highly numerate with an ability to review, analyse and interpret financial data, providing insight for senior managers and decision makers. (personal statement)
- Experience of delivering In-Year Management (IYM) activities, including monitoring spend against budget and analysis of actuals. (personal statement)
- Experience of providing clear and robust financial advice to relevant stakeholders.
- Ability to work flexible and adapt to changing priorities.
- Ability to develop collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders.
- Highly developed planning and organisational skills in a financial environment and experience of delivery and meeting tight deadlines.
We would expect to see applicants who are AAT, CCAB or CIMA qualified or actively working towards qualifications with CCAB, CIMA, or equivalent or who have experience in a similar role.
This role can be based at Andover, Lichfield or Wyton. Work location will be agreed once the successful candidate has been selected.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station, which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Dependent on the business need, there will be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK (or potentially occasional overseas visits).
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Finance Functional Framework: In Year Financial Management
- Finance Functional Framework: Finance Governance
Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 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).
- Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
- 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
- Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
- In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
- A Civil Service pension
- Parental and Adoption Leave
- Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
- In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Find out more here - Discovermybenefits
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Our people are at the heart of everything we do. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.
Defence operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.
Defence is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way it conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts 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 transformation programme, Defence 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 personnel and Trade Unions.
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 Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
At application, candidates Will Be Required To Provide:
- A CV detailing your job history and previous skills and experience. Review the essential criteria above and evidence how you meet them with clear and relevant examples.
- A personal statement (no more than 500 words). Applicants should use their personal statement to demonstrate how their skills, knowledge and experience align with essential criteria 1 & 2, as detailed in the Person Specification.
The sift will be conducted on your CV and personal statement.
Interviews
We’ll assess you against these behaviours, technical skills & experience during the interview process:
Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Communicating & Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Technical Skills:
- Finance Functional Framework: In Year Financial Management
- Finance Functional Framework: Finance Governance
The professional framework used in this vacancy can be found at: [Finance Competence Framework](Finance Competence Framework)
In the event of a tied score at interview, the order of merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed Behaviours in the
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