At a Glance
- Tasks: Support military operations by managing financial data and providing insightful advice.
- Company: Join the Ministry of Defence, a key player in UK national security.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, a generous pension scheme, and 25+ days of annual leave.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while developing your finance skills in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Finance qualification (AAT or equivalent) and recent finance experience required.
- Other info: Regular office presence needed; embrace a culture of continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 29224 - 40836 ÂŁ per year.
About the jobJob summary
The Finance Military Operations (FinMilOps) team delivers a TLB finance service that is responsible for providing financial advice, business intelligence, support, and assurance for all aspects of the UKStratCom military operational spend against budgets. This includes the provision of advice on financial matters across PJHQ and MAB Operations, reaching into Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Business Management functions, and working as part of the UKStratCom Unified Finance Function.
The business-facing Ops HEO role supports UKStratCom’s military operations spend for a defined subset of CJO or DMAB-owned operations. Working as part of the wider operations team, the post holder will develop a strong understanding of the business, its stakeholders and its deliverables. The post holder will provide advice to operational desks and/or report upwards to ensure financial activity is undertaken in a manner cognisant of available resource, in line with the principles of value for money and sound financial judgement, and with consideration for speed of relevance and operational security (Op Sec).
The role involves gathering and communicating financial data and other information clearly and providing financial advice, challenge and support to the operations team. This includes monitoring activity against budget, flagging variance or issues, reporting financial information upwards and to stakeholders, undertaking robust financial scrutiny of requests and ensuring all transactions are covered by extant approval. The role will contribute to in-year management (IYM) and forecasting, ensuring all assumptions and dependencies are recorded, providing a robust audit trail.
The post holder is expected to contribute to the continuous improvement of the team and the wider finance function.
The role is accountable to the SEO Hostile State Threat post, with line management for one EO grade.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job description
Provide support to Operations
- Gather business information from relevant Operations, liaising with deployed finance teams, ensuring reporting mechanisms are followed to informfinancial planning and in-year management and escalating any concerns.
- Contribute to the monthly IYM forecast; ensuring input into PB&F meets with the monthly timetable; is robust and that variances over 5% are explained.
- Review and advise on risks identified as part of the forecast process ensuring that they are relevant and are adjusted to reflect changes as appropriate.
- Provide routine reports on the state of financial healthfor operations.
- Scrutinise and ensure the accounts and forecastprovides a true & fairreflection of activity conducted within the period.
- Keep underreview resource-relatedrisk at eachlocation/unit to ensure that sustainment/remediation requirements are identified early and can beaddressed as soon as possible to ensure value for money.
- Assess spend proposals against expenditure plans to ensure that unplanned spend can be accommodated within allocated limits of liability.
- Undertakerobust financial scrutiny to all requests.
- Identify and escalate potential gaps in enabling processes (EPC,invoice payments,cashmanagementetc.), to ensure appropriate mitigations are put in place.
Continuous improvement
- Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures.
- Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously striving to improve the service provision. Promptly address any key issues that arise ensuring that processes or ways of working are adapted accordingly, and customers are informed where there is an impact.
- Identifying any misinterpretation of guidance and escalating in a timely and constructive manner with team members to promote embedding any lesson(s) learnt.
- Supporting input to change programmes and embracing change.
Delivering your area of responsibility
- Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment.
- Developing and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers.
- Exercising sound judgement and interpretative ability, and application of innovative thought to derive novel solutions.
- Seeking advice, referring upwards as required, where problems are particularly complex or have wider implications.
Person specification
Essential
- Finance qualification e.g. AAT or Certificate Level CCAB/CIMA – either working towards or qualified
- Recent finance experience
- Demonstration of excellent interpersonal skills and experience of dealing withpeople at all ranks and grades
- Strong IT skills
- DV Holder or subject to successful DV process
- Successful applicants will be expected to be in West Brompton on a regular basis. Given the nature of operational requirements, access to classified IT systems and attendance at in person meetings will necessitate time in the office of at least 60% of the week and potentially more as required by business needs.
Desirable
- Working knowledge of PB&F and CP&F finance systems.
- Experience of dealing with military personnel of all ranks and their pay and claims systems.
QualificationsFinance qualification e.g. AAT or Certificate Level CCAB/CIMA – either working towards or qualifiedBehaviours
We\’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
BenefitsAlongside your salary of ÂŁ36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes ÂŁ10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Benefits for MOD civil servants include, but are not limited to:
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service
- In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 5 days a year
- Eligibility for employee discount services
- Free gym access
- Café and shop on site
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 14th August 2025For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below. #J-18808-Ljbffr
Hostile State Threat employer: Ministry of Defence
Contact Detail:
Ministry of Defence Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Hostile State Threat
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific financial systems mentioned in the job description, such as PB&F and CP&F. Understanding these systems will not only help you during the interview but also demonstrate your proactive approach to the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of the Finance Military Operations team. Engaging with them can provide valuable insights into the team's culture and expectations, which can be beneficial for tailoring your approach during the application process.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your experience with financial scrutiny and reporting. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully managed budgets or identified variances in previous roles, as this aligns closely with the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your interpersonal skills by preparing to discuss how you've effectively communicated financial information to various stakeholders. This is crucial for the role, so think of instances where your communication made a significant impact on decision-making.
We think you need these skills to ace Hostile State Threat
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before you start writing your application, make sure you fully understand the responsibilities and requirements of the Hostile State Threat position. Tailor your application to highlight how your skills and experiences align with the job description.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Focus on showcasing your finance qualifications and recent finance experience. Provide specific examples of how you've dealt with financial scrutiny, reporting, and operational support in previous roles, especially in a military or similar environment.
Demonstrate Interpersonal Skills: Since the role involves liaising with various stakeholders, emphasise your excellent interpersonal skills. Share instances where you've successfully communicated complex financial information to diverse audiences, particularly in high-pressure situations.
Showcase Continuous Improvement Mindset: Mention any experiences where you've contributed to process improvements or shared best practices. This will demonstrate your commitment to enhancing service provision and adapting to change, which is crucial for this role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ministry of Defence
✨Understand the Role Thoroughly
Before the interview, make sure you have a solid grasp of the job description. Familiarise yourself with the responsibilities and expectations outlined, especially around financial scrutiny and operational support. This will help you articulate how your skills align with the role.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Given that the selection process will assess behaviours like 'Changing and Improving' and 'Working Together', think of specific examples from your past experiences that demonstrate these qualities. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
Be ready to discuss your finance qualifications and recent experience in detail. Highlight any relevant projects or roles where you provided financial advice or managed budgets, as this will be crucial for the position.
✨Demonstrate Interpersonal Skills
Since the role involves liaising with various stakeholders, prepare to discuss how you've effectively communicated and influenced others in previous roles. Share examples that showcase your ability to work collaboratively and build relationships across different levels.