Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Aldershot, Andover, Corsham, High Wycombe, Northwood About the job Job summary For All Candidates: These positions are offered on a fixed term contract basis for the duration of the apprenticeship. On successful completion of the apprenticeship and End Point Assessment (EPA) a permanent appointment and contract, will be offered. Job description Our apprenticeship recruitment scheme is open to anyone who can meet the listed essential qualifications and apprenticeship entry requirements, including those wanting a career change. Based on your location preference, you will be matched to a role in a Finance team within an area of Defence. This is an exciting opportunity to gain invaluable experience working in an area that delivers critical Defence Finance, whilst studying towards a Level 4 Accountancy qualification. Want to find out more about working as a Finance Apprentice in MOD? We will be holding an online event to enable prospective applicants to learn more about the roles in the campaign and the application process. Theres no requirement to attend this event in order to apply. Click on the links to learn more and register. Tuesday 28th January 2025 18:00-19:00 - Register here Thursday 30th January 2025 12:00-13:00 - Register here Apprenticeship Programme You will undertake a Level 4 Apprenticeship. This scheme will last approximately two years and you will be expected to maintain the commitment required to complete your apprenticeship, which is part of your employment contract. Non-completion of the apprenticeship may affect the terms of your employment with MOD. Successful candidates will join the September 2025 cohort. Due to course enrolment dates, we advise successful candidates to respond quickly to any job offers to ensure you do not miss out. The Apprentice role will involve an element of home study, in your own time, to fulfil the requirements of the qualification. You may also be required to use your own IT equipment due to existing IT security restrictions. Person specification We are looking for talented and motivated people with potential and a genuine interest in developing a career in finance. You will be matched to a role within one of our departmental Finance teams and will have a range of responsibilities to develop your finance skills and embed the learning from your apprenticeship. Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to: Main Responsibilities Supporting the production of reports and dashboards for monthly financial and budget reviews Supporting the resolution of issues identified during audits by engaging with relevant stakeholders. Providing accurate financial information to challenging deadlines Identifying inaccuracies and engaging with Project and Commercial staff to resolve issues Listening to customer feedback and improve the service provided to them Be open to challenge and new ideas, building a supportive team and encouraging sharing of knowledge and experience. Making decisions on day-to-day operation of your area(s) of responsibility, including allocation of work and methods used. Essential Criteria If youre already working or considering a career change, we still want to hear from you providing you meet the above essential criteria and the apprenticeship eligibility requirements below. To be eligible to apply for the apprenticeship, all applicants need to meet the following criteria: Must have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 years prior to apprenticeship start date and that their ordinary residence in the UK and Islands has not, during any part of that period, been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education. This apprenticeship scheme is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy and only applies to apprenticeships in England. Not be undertaking another apprenticeship at the same time. Candidates need to make sure they do not have pre-existing qualifications at the same or higher level in a similar subject as the apprenticeship. At the enrolment stage, a persons eligibility will be checked by our training provider. Essential Qualifications To apply, you need to have: ● 5 GCSE-level (level 2) or equivalent qualifications, including Maths and English Language, at grade 4 (C) or above ● And a minimum of 96 UCAS points under the 2017 tariff point system (e.g. CCC at A Level or equivalent qualifications, not including General Studies) UCAS Tariff calculator: https://www.ucas.com/applying/you-apply/what-and-where-study/entry-requirements/calculate-your-ucas-tariff-points Details of accepted equivalent qualifications: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made. Evidence of the above qualifications (and predicted UCAS points i.e. a letter from college/sixth form) will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made. If youre in your final year of school or college and are predicted to achieve these qualifications by August 2025, you can still apply. Qualifications Essential Qualifications To apply, you need to have: ● 5 GCSE-level (level 2) or equivalent qualifications, including Maths and English Language, at grade 4 (C) or above ● And a minimum of 96 UCAS points under the 2017 tariff point system (e.g. CCC at A Level or equivalent qualifications, not including General Studies) UCAS Tariff calculator: https://www.ucas.com/applying/you-apply/what-and-where-study/entry-requirements/calculate-your-ucas-tariff-points Details of accepted equivalent qualifications: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made. Evidence of the above qualifications (and predicted UCAS points i.e. a letter from college/sixth form) will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made. If youre in your final year of school or college and are predicted to achieve these qualifications by August 2025, you can still apply. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Communicating and Influencing Working Together Delivering at Pace Benefits Alongside your salary of £29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,569 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% 25 days (rising to 30 days after 5 years) annual leave plus 8 public holidays per year and leave for HM The Kings Birthday Gain an internationally recognised and respected qualification. Up to 20% off the job training; this is protected apprenticeship time. Skills coach to support you with your studies. Coaching and mentoring opportunities with experienced personnel. Hybrid-working (the ability to work in the office and from home, with an expected minimum of 60% of your working time in an office or out on official business ) Allowances This post does not offer any assistance with relocation allowances Location preference Please select your location preference. Roles are available in Aldershot, Andover, Corsham, High Wycombe, Northwood Employment Hours The post advertised is for 37 hours net, however the Ministry of Defence offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for employees. Flexible working patterns will be considered Discover My Benefits Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/ The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments. Hybrid Working 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, subject to local estates capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Things you need to know When applying, youll complete an initial registration and be required to undertake the Civil Service online numerical and verbal tests. If you pass the online tests, you will then be asked to provide a personal statement of no more than 1250 words, which should cover the following questions: Why do you want to be a Finance Apprentice in the MOD? What relevant skills can you bring to the role? How do you plan to balance working and studying to achieve the qualification? What have been your biggest challenges to date and how have you overcome them? Please ensure your personal statement demonstrates how you meet the Essential qualifications required in the first Paragraph. In the event of a large number of Applications we will sift on Question 2 Essential criteria The top scoring candidates will be invited to an online interview which will include a short presentation of 5 10 minutes At interview you will be assessed against the following Civil Service behaviours : Leadership (short presentation) Communicating and Influencing Working Together Delivering at Pace We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isnt always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months. Application sifting is scheduled to take place from February 2025. It is anticipated that interviews will take place February/March/April 2025. A minimum of 2 full working days notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs. When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected. Because of the classification of much of the role, all posts will be open to UK Nationals only. Further information on Nationality Requirements is attached below. Nationality Requirements - Further Information for Candidates 1. This post is classed as Reserved as per Civil Service Nationality Rules Section 3. In accordance with these rules, only UK nationals may be employed in reserved posts in the Civil Service1 (Paragraph. 3.1). UK National Definition 2. The definition of a UK National can be found at Paragraphs. 1.4-1.8 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Dual Nationals 3. As per Paragraph. 1.41 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules : 4. Candidates with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements in relation to one of their nationalities [i.e. UK National]. They may not be eligible, however, for employment in certain reserved posts where additional nationality requirements are imposed. Additional Restrictions for Reserved Posts 5. As per Paragraphs. 3.10-3.11 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules : 6. departments and agencies are entitled to impose additional requirements in reserved posts if this is considered necessary. This could include, for example, requirements as to the residency of the applicant or the nationality of one or both parents of the applicant. 7. If you are a Dual National who possesses UK Nationality and wish to check your eligibility for the post, please contact our recruiting team at the details below. Please be advised that we will not be able to provide a justification for our decision for security reasons. 8. Irish nationals and Commonwealth citizens are also eligible for employment in reserved posts if they were in the Civil Service at 31 May 1996 or before, or were appointed from a recruitment scheme with a closing date for receipt of applications before 1 June 1996. (Paragraph. 3.1) Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only). The level of security needed is Security Check (SC ) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted. You must have the right of abode in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA (including other countries determined within the EEA or those with bilateral agreements), for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer for up to a maximum of 23 months. At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information. If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. No application can be accepted after the closing date. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements Open to UK nationals only. Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Pauline Reid Email : operationalfin-recruitmentmod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DBSCivPers-AMOmod.gov.uk Further information Applicants should monitor their Civil Service Jobs application centre regularly for updates. Some of MoDs Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) changed from 3 February 2014. Those TACOS changes applied to Broader Banded and Skill Zone staff who were new recruits to MoD or who were appointed to a post on substantive promotion, progression or advancement. On the same basis, the TACOS for Departmental Retained Grades changed with effect from 01 September 2014. All employees joining MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date. Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. Complaints Please be aware that the selection and interviewing of applicants is the responsibility of the Recruiting Line Manager (RLM) and not the Defence Business Services (DBS) Resourcing team. DBS do not play any part in the selection and interview process. Therefore, if you wish to discuss your feedback, or you are dissatisfied with your markings, you should in the first instance raise this with the Recruiting Line Manager of the vacancy. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint. by writing to DBS at the following address: Complaints Management Team, Defence Business Services, Oak Building Mail Point 6109, MOD Abbey Wood North, Bristol, BS34 8QW If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: infocsc.gov.uk Cabinet Office Fraud Checks Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant whose details are found to be held on the IFD will be refused employment Civil Service Recruitment Principles Please see the link below for the civil service recruitment principles. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/ To find out a bit more about what its like working for MOD, visit the Civil Service Careers Website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-ministry-of-defence/ Please see the MOD Privacy Notice link below which describes how we will use your personal data, explains your rights and gives you information you are entitled to under Data Protection legislation. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-privacy-notice/mod-privacy-notice Attachments Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 333kB) L4 Finance Candidate Pack 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 581kB) Apprenticeship Funding Criteria Opens in new window (pdf, 134kB) MOD Privacy Policy Notice Opens in new window (docx, 34kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail