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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Engage with stakeholders, provide financial insights, and support strategic decision-making.
- Company: Join the Ministry of Defence, a diverse team at the heart of national security.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, a generous pension scheme, and tailored learning opportunities.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a collaborative environment while developing your finance and strategy skills.
- Qualifications: No formal accountancy qualification needed; comfort with financial data is essential.
- Other info: Applications welcome from policy, strategy, or finance backgrounds; strong stakeholder management skills are key.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location
London (Main Building) or any other MOD UK location. There will be a requirement to travel between sites on a regular basis.
About the job
Job summary
The Strategic Finance and Investment Approvals Group sits at the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Group leads on financial management, strategic financial planning and control, and approval of a multi-billion pound programme. The group is friendly and supportive, operating a flat structure, by fully empowering our people. We’re a diverse team bringing a mix of policy, finance, strategy and project skillsets, and experience both within national security and a range of other departments.
We are the strategic finance function for the department, bringing financial insight and scrutiny to all areas of the Department’s work. The Group plays a vital role developing strategic financial policy, securing and managing funding to achieve the department’s strategic objectives, and advising MOD Ministers and the Executive Team on financial strategy and financial management.
About the team:
The Defence Spending team leads on engagement with key business areas of Defence – Top Level Budgets (TLBs). These TLBs include RAF, Army, Navy and others. We play a pivotal role in providing strategic financial advice to senior stakeholders, including the Accounting Officer, Executive Team and Ministers and developing strategic financial policy on securing and managing funding for Defence. The team operates in a friendly and collaborative environment, working closely with both civilian and military advisers.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job description
About the roles:
We are seeking a Strategic Finance Advisor to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders within your TLB. This role involves gaining a strategic understanding of financial drivers, providing insightful financial guidance, and coordinating with various teams within the Strategic Finance Investment Approvals Group. You will play a pivotal role in the decision making processes for both in-year and long-term financial planning via the spending review.
These roles are key within the team, leading interesting and challenging work with a lot of opportunity to develop and engage with senior stakeholders. We are an expanding team and would welcome applications from those coming from a policy or strategy background as well as those in finance. It is not essential to have a formal accountancy qualification, but you would need to be comfortable working with financial data.
These posts are responsible for:
- Stakeholder engagement : Building an in-depth understanding of your TLB through regular engagement, linking their financial performance to strategic objectives and delivery outcomes. Maintaining a strong understanding of TLB programmes, approvals, efficiencies and deliverables to enable insight that drives decision making.
- Spending control and challenge : Lead and support reviews of TLB finances, including monthly performance reviews and quarterly deep dives, using insight to provide scrutiny to forecasts and writing briefing for seniors when required. Use your knowledge of your TLBs to provide a strategic review of business case submissions and Accounting Officer Assessments.
- Strategic financial advice : Contribute insight on your TLB into the overall departmental position for both in-year financial management and long-term planning via the Spending Review, ensuring that a well-rounded, evidenced view is represented.
- Risk Management : Monitoring and supporting the management of financial or delivery risks within your TLB, escalating significant risks to wider teams.
- Cross Cutting Projects : Lead and support a range of cross cutting strategic finance projects tackling departmental and cross government issues, ensuring alignment with Defence’s vision.
Person specification
The successful candidates will:
- Work independently, proactively, passionately and confidently on a high-profile area across Defence.
- Exhibit strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions, teams and Departmental boundaries to influence senior stakeholders and Ministers and providing innovative solutions.
- A strategic thinker, with the ability to understand and enable delivery of Departmental priorities, while ensuring affordability and adherence to Managing Public Money principles.
- Effective communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to deliver often difficult messages to senior audiences.
- An understanding of Government Finances is desirable.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £44,590, the Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- 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%
- It is desirable, but not essential to hold or be studying towards a Level 7 CCAB or CIMA accountancy qualification. We are happy to support those already studying towards an accountancy qualification or thinking of studying towards achieving one.
Apply before : 11:55 pm on Monday 6th January 2025
For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.
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Strategic Finance Advisor employer: Ministry of Defence
Contact Detail:
Ministry of Defence Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategic Finance Advisor
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the key stakeholders within the Top Level Budgets (TLBs) of the Defence sector. Understanding their financial performance and strategic objectives will help you build strong relationships and provide insightful financial guidance.
✨Tip Number 2
Stay updated on current trends and policies in government finance, especially those related to the Ministry of Defence. This knowledge will enable you to contribute effectively to strategic financial advice and decision-making processes.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your communication skills, particularly in delivering complex financial information to senior stakeholders. Being able to convey difficult messages clearly and confidently is crucial for success in this role.
✨Tip Number 4
Engage with cross-cutting projects and initiatives within the department. Demonstrating your ability to work collaboratively across functions will highlight your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, making you a strong candidate.
We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Finance Advisor
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 Strategic Finance Advisor position. Pay attention to the key skills mentioned in the job description, such as stakeholder engagement and strategic financial advice.
Tailor Your CV: Customize your CV to highlight relevant experience and skills that align with the job description. Emphasize your ability to work independently, manage stakeholders, and provide innovative solutions in financial contexts.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, clearly articulate why you are interested in the role and how your background makes you a suitable candidate. Use specific examples from your past experiences to demonstrate your communication skills and strategic thinking.
Highlight Relevant Behaviors: Since the selection process will assess you against specific behaviors, ensure you provide evidence of your abilities in 'Communicating and Influencing' and 'Leadership' within your application. Use concrete examples to illustrate these behaviors in action.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ministry of Defence
✨Understand the Role and Responsibilities
Make sure you have a clear understanding of the Strategic Finance Advisor role. Familiarize yourself with the key responsibilities such as stakeholder engagement, spending control, and providing strategic financial advice. This will help you articulate how your skills align with the job during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to manage and influence stakeholders effectively. Highlight experiences where you successfully navigated complex relationships or provided innovative solutions to senior audiences, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Demonstrate Strategic Thinking
Be ready to discuss how you approach strategic financial planning and decision-making. Share specific instances where you contributed to long-term financial strategies or managed risks, showcasing your ability to think critically and strategically.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Effective communication is key in this role. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently, especially when discussing complex financial concepts. Prepare to deliver difficult messages in a constructive manner, as this will be assessed during the interview.
