Are you a skilled communicator who thrives on influencing stakeholders, analysing risks, and delivering impactful reports? If so, then we want to hear from you!
DEFRA is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
The Risk Business Partner role sits within the Defra group Finance, Rural Payments Agency (RPA) facing Fraud & Risk Management Team. We are a small but highly performing geographically dispersed team, who support RPA Business Areas, and Defra Group Corporate Service providers, in the delivery of schemes administered by the Agency.
The RPA has undergone a significant transformation as scheme funding has moved from a landscape dominated by historic direct-aid grants to a more detailed offer of agri-environment schemes designed to delivery significant environmental benefits. This brings new challenges for the agency in ensuring fraud prevention and the management of risk is embedded and effective across all parts of the organisation.
The successful candidate will be networking across business areas at all levels of the RPA to gather and analyse fraud & risk management information and use this to support business managers and risk owners in the effective mitigation of risk & prevention of fraud and error.
The risk business partner will be a key part of the official reporting of fraud and risk information to the agency’s senior governance forums including the Executive Team and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. The person will play a leading role in delivering the RPA’s counter fraud & risk management strategies.
We are looking for a highly motivated self-starter to join our small and friendly team.
The Risk Business Partner will help develop and maintain a strong culture of effective risk management by engaging with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation and identifying opportunities to improve the management of risk and fraud risk, in line with the RPA’s Fraud & Risk Management Strategies.
You will need to have a flexible approach as we respond to new challenges and areas of work that may require adapting to new ways of working.
Key responsibilities may change as the role evolves and will include but not be limited to:
* Work collaboratively within the team of fraud and risk business partners who support RPA business areas, sharing and implementing best practice approaches to mature processes and increase assurance.
* Work across organisational boundaries to deliver a coordinated and consistent approach to fraud & risk management. Develop and share best practice, and lessons learnt within the team, wider business areas and wider departmental areas that are being supported.
* Provide a risk information link between Directorates and shared Corporate Services and working with Risk Contacts across the organisation to gain assurance that RPA Risk Management information is comprehensive, accurate and up to date.
* Provide advice and guidance on best practice for identifying and preventing fraud, & error, and managing risk.
* Ensure that fraud & risk are considered and managed in each business area in line with expectations that have been set and agreed with the Director, and the Agency’s fraud and risk management strategies.
* Build and maintain networks with other service providers to RPA, such as Finance Business Partners.
* Collaborate with Defra group colleagues to support the group wide approach to fraud & risk management, including benchmarking against Cabinet Office Counter Fraud Functional Standard GovS013.
* Engage with the Farming and Countryside Programme colleagues to deliver a collaborative approach to fraud risk in new scheme development.
* Provide stakeholder engagement in new projects, support with fraud risk assessment and risk identification workshops and provide guidance to build capability with the organisation to articulate fraud risks early in policy development.
In addition, the wider team are responsible for
* Working with stakeholders to prepare Management Information for governance committees, boards, and forums
* Acting as a point of contact for advice and guidance on Fraud and Risk Management and Financial Governance
* Meeting external MI reporting responsibilities such as providing fraud and error information to the Public Sector Fraud Authority
* Ensuring the Agency is compliant with the cross-Government Counter Fraud Functional Standard
* Overseeing the departmental Agency fraud risk register and working closely with business areas and senior leaders to gain assurance over mitigating controls
* Increasing the quality of fraud and error data used for reporting across the department
* Raising awareness of fraud, error and risk management by developing and delivering ad-hoc and targeted communications
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