Senior Commercial Finance Manager in Central

The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in delivering the government’s manifesto commitments and objectives. The Cabinet Office is both a “corporate centre” for government and a policy department in its own right that challenges, supports, leads and provides services to other Ministerial Departments. The Cabinet Office currently employs staff who are in a variety of roles across the UK.

Cabinet Office Finance is responsible for all aspects of the Cabinet Office’s finances, including business and financial planning, performance reporting, in-year financial management, financial accounting, management of Parliamentary Supply, and production of the Cabinet Office’s annual accounts. Cabinet Office Finance is within CFO Directorate, a multidisciplinary team that brings together finance and other corporate functions under the leadership of the Cabinet Office Chief Financial Officer.

Within Finance, the Business Partner teams lead engagement with business units across the department. We need to be resourceful, exercise good judgement and have quick reflexes to make sure that senior leaders have the right financial advice at the right time to deliver important and urgent parts of the Government’s agenda. The role will provide lots of opportunity for both personal and professional development in an innovative organisation at the heart of Government.

These roles are central to the relationship between an individual business area and the finance function. You will use your strong technical and influencing skills and sound understanding of the business unit to provide advice, challenge and scrutiny to senior colleagues. You will ensure that budgets are well constructed, managed and monitored and support senior managers in the production of business cases and plans to deliver improved performance, reduced risk and better value for money.

Whilst the majority of these posts focus on specific business areas, there is also an inclusion of a corporate centre role, focused on analysing the overall Cabinet Office financial position, managing central department-wide forecasting, and translating system data into strategic reporting for senior board members and HM Treasury.

Your technical knowledge and ability to work constructively with senior teams will make you a valued contributor to the decision-making process and a champion for change within your business, its external relationships and in wider government projects. This post holder will need to establish and develop effective working relationships with a number of stakeholders, including the Directors, Deputy Directors, Internal and External Audit.

Developing a deep knowledge of diverse business areas, their needs and priorities and providing support and advice on financial matters. Providing analysis to support decision making and using benchmarking to highlight opportunities and add value. Providing analysis and challenge to forecast assumptions, helping to distil department wide financial data into a compelling narrative for senior management and board reports. Assessing accounting implications and providing accounting advice in accordance with international financial reporting standards and central government accounting rules.

Building financial and commercial awareness of non-finance staff within the business, for example working with business units to ensure correct financial processes are understood and followed. Overseeing the month end reporting process to ensure accurate submission of journals and other adjustments to maintain accuracy of the general ledger and reporting of the monthly forecast. Producing ad hoc analysis to support business units through fiscal events and annual business planning rounds. Working with business units to ensure evidence is available to support the National Audit Office’s interim and full year audits main and supplementary Estimates, and ensure the integrity of structural data and reporting systems.

Acting as a key liaison point between Finance and the business, building in depth understanding of different business areas and performance & delivery priorities. A high level of competence in budget management, planning, forecasting and risk identification combined with excellent problem solving skills. Excellent technical accounting skills across a wide range of financial disciplines and a proven ability to apply them effectively. Strong Excel and data analysis skills combined with a clear understanding of how this should be applied for the benefit of the organisation. Some knowledge of how government finance works.

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace.

Alongside your salary of £43,760, Cabinet Office contributes £12,677 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. An environment with flexible working options. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity. A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%. A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.