Deputy Director, Finance Business Partner

Working Pattern: Full Time, Job Share, Flexible Working

Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero. Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries.

Job Description:

Finance Business Partner Deputy Director, Major Infrastructure and Nuclear Finance

You will be responsible for all financial advice and oversight for over £90 billion of expenditure over the Spending Review period for our Nuclear, CCUS & Hydrogen, Net Zero Innovation and International portfolios. This includes mega projects Sizewell C and the Carbon Capture and Storage networks, Small Modular Reactors, developing a hydrogen store and power station, fusion including the new demonstrator facility (“STEP”), the work of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and our international development finance (ODA). Our major projects blend public and private finance and you will use your financial expertise to ensure that the department takes the optimum path, with an appropriate balance between consumer and taxpayer funding. You will have a good grip on financial strategy development (e.g. what is the best approach to funding new nuclear power) as well as on contemporary detail and challenges (e.g. how to design, fund and account for our hydrogen business models).

Finance Business Partner Deputy Director, Markets and Consumer Finance

You will be responsible for financial advice and oversight for DESNZ’s work with households, including the £13.2bn manifesto commitment to the Warm Homes Plan funded at the 2025 Spending Review, and work to reduce household energy bills. You also cover DESNZ work on gas and refined products markets and security, our historical liabilities in fossil fuel extraction, and partnering work on parts of the electricity system. As the energy system is highly integrated, you will work closely not only with the policy and delivery areas you partner, but also with other finance deputy directors, strategy, commercial, and other professionals to ensure the department makes the best possible use of financial levers in the round. The team’s work extends well beyond traditional government finance and includes advising on loans and other investment approaches, regulatory finance and helping identify where non-financial levers would reduce costs or improve outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure SROs for policies and programmes receive excellent financial advice such that DESNZ programmes are likely to succeed: meet strategic objectives, well-planned and governed, deliverable, value for money, affordable and correctly accounted for.
• Provide the Accounting Officer with clear, balanced and pragmatic advice where action or inaction by the department presents a significant risk to his duties.
• Ensure key financial / HMT issues are brought out, understood, escalated if necessary, and resolved, including liaising and negotiating with HMT.
• Improve the business’ ability to plan and forecast accurately, with clarity of the connection between finance and delivery of outputs and outcomes.
• Work with other professions, notably analysis and delivery, to provide the best, integrated expert advice.
• Ensure your diverse team is engaged, motivated and delivering at its best, with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Play a full role in the Finance Directorate’s Senior Leadership Team and wider Government Finance Function. This will include providing duty cover for emergencies as part of a rota.

Person Specification:

Within your CV and Statement of Suitability, it is important that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:

• A track record of providing excellent advice at pace to secure effective delivery and value for money for the public.
• Building strong collaborative relationships at senior levels which deliver good outcomes even when objectives may be in conflict (e.g. when negotiating over cuts).
• Outstanding ability to communicate (orally and written) a complex financial picture with clarity and accuracy to the most senior decision-makers, and building this capability in the department.
• Ability to be on top of the financial detail, e.g. that the numbers are always right, ensure that complex budgeting / financial rules imposed by HMT are complied with.
• Ability to develop and lead a diverse and high-performing team, building professional capability to deliver results both in the short and long term.
• High level of resilience, managing ambiguity and challenge whilst working at pace and under pressure.
• A full accountancy qualification (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) is desirable, though part-qualified applicants and/or those with substantial experience in public spending control (e.g. in HMT) will also be considered if committed to qualification.