Finance Chief of Staff Full Time

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities. The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.

As Finance Chief of Staff (CoS), the post holder will lead the Private Office and Business Support team to help deliver the Finance Directors’ (FDs) and COO’s priorities for the Home Office (HO).

This is an exciting opportunity to provide direct support to the FDs who head up a unit of over 300 people. The FD’s office is a small and friendly team who support the FDs in their day-to-day role as well as assisting them in delivering the organisation’s priorities.

The CoS role provides a unique opportunity to work at the heart of the HO, working closely with Senior HO Leadership, Permanent Secretaries and the wider Private Office team, and to gain an insight into the senior workings of a central function within one of the great Departments of State.

This is a challenging and fast-paced role which involves regular engagement with the offices of the Chief Operating Officer, Permanent Secretary, Home Secretary and Ministers.

The CoS will provide direct support to the FDs as part of their immediate support team to ensure there is a strategic approach to its work with the wider Department and wider stakeholders.

The Finance Directorate is increasing in size, as we build a stronger Finance centre. The FDs are responsible for overseeing:

• The Department’s finance business partnering, financial strategic finance services, financial planning, productivity and efficiency, as well as the fees and income planning team.
• The Finance change and shared services agenda, management accounts, financial accounts, transactional functions, portfolio finance.
• The running of the department finances. focusing more upon the ‘finance machine’ that produces the statutory reporting, management information and set the financial controls control environment for the HO. We also have a team leading the change, learning and development and continuous improvement within the finance space.

The post holder will provide accurate and clear advice to the FDs and Deputy Directors on a wide range of HO and COO group business, particularly focusing on areas where it is important to ensure Departmental join-up. They will credibly represent the views of the FDs, building strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the HO to help unblock issues as and before they arise.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide line management and oversight of the Private Office and Business Support team, with a focus on delivering strong results while providing support and encouraging development. Direct line management of 4 staff members.
• Act as a critical friend and reviewer to Deputy Directors (SCS PB1s) prior to Director engagement on submissions and key finance processes such as supporting fiscal events, and Report and Accounts.
• Ensure Finance speaks with one voice in all submissions and published documents.
• Working closely with senior officials and other Private Offices, the Finance CoS will ensure that any key issues or risks to Finance strategies are mitigated before they impact on delivery.
• Provide challenge in a way that improves business outcomes.
• Oversee the operations of the Finance Directorate including recruitment exercises and manage the day-to-day Managed Services contract for Finance Professionals.
• Work closely with the FDs, the Change lead and the Senior Management Team to determine, communicate and drive key priorities across the Finance Directorate.
• Using good communication skills, build and maintain effective stakeholder networks in a short period of time, with colleagues across Finance, the Chief Operating Group and the wider HO.
• Using subject matter expertise to analyse advice provided by officials and ensuring FDs attention is drawn to key points and appropriate advice is given which supports and enables decision making.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. There is an expectation that the CoS would match their office working days with the FDs, which is likely to be higher than the minimum 60% requirement.

Please note: Out of hours working may be required to assist the Business in completing critical or short-notice tasking resulting from major events or Ministerial requests.

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working as a chief of staff, head of office or equivalent.
• To see the bigger picture and understand the wider context (including political), acting as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the FDs.
• Understand complex and broad areas quickly, process and distil information rapidly, work well under pressure, adapt at pace and provide clear advice to senior leadership to advise strategic decision making.
• Use good judgement to identify issues and appropriate solutions and make effective decisions, with a strong attention to detail.
• Work collaboratively with others, with a proven experience developing relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership, and working collaboratively to achieve positive results.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in finance.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office. Due to requirement to match office working days with the FDs, this is likely to be more than 60% per week.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.