Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Bridgwater, Bristol, Cambridge, Carlisle, Crewe, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Worcester, Workington, York About the job Job summary The Livestock Information Transformation Programme is a Defra programme underpinned by the RPA. The programme exists to capture timely, high-quality, livestock traceability information and other data, so that it can be ready for use in real time, within 24 hours of animal movements, by government and industry to manage risk, deliver benefits, including as a priority: disease control, including being a vehicle to record bTBvaccination status animal health and welfare food safety and consumer confidence domestic and international trade partner confidence (consumers and competent authorities) an opportunity to include wider industry and consumer insights to facilitate productivity and sustainability Who Are We Looking For? We are seeking a highly motivated individual who: will support and challenge budget holders/managers in a role similar to a Finance Business Partner will support development of strategic future financial plans, financial assessment of proposals to aid decision making and business cases for change and transformation has well-developed interpersonal skills, a confident communicator with proven experience of stakeholder management across diverse teams has excellent numerical and analytical skills and strong attention to detail with the ability to present complex information in a clear and engaging manner has experience in coaching and developing finance colleagues We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to creating a work environment where everyone feels respected and valued. We believe that a diverse workforce leads to better decision-making and innovation. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups. Job description As Finance Lead you will be responsible for forecasting and managing the LITP budget, ensuring robust financial control, and providing strategic financial advice to support decision-making. You will be working closely with the programmes Finance Business Partners, leading and supporting the development and implementation of robust financial processes. You will build upon existing arrangements to develop processes and tools for LITP and provide expertise and support to establish financial best practice across the programme. You will be a subject matter expert within LITP working closely with Delivery Leads and Project Managers to support effective monitoring and management processes. You will work closely with various stakeholders to ensure financial integrity. Your Responsibilities Reviewing forecasts and actual spend against budget and supporting monthly meetings with Finance Leads and Budget Holders. Preparing and reviewing financial information as well as undertaking financial and staffing reconciliations. Financial planning supporting the key business cases underpinning the programme. Supporting budget holders and senior managers through the annual planning and quarterly forecasting process, providing constructive challenge when appropriate. Reporting to the Director, Financial Management, Control, Risk & Governance and Directors. Reviewing ways of working, products, and processes to drive increased compliance with the Finance Functional Standard. Building an in-depth knowledge of LITP, understanding the financial and performance drivers, risks, opportunities and issues. Supporting the budget holder in discharging their responsibilities in terms of robust, timely forecasting and early identification of financial risks and opportunities. Collaborating with various stakeholders across the department to support financial planning and decision-making. Person specification Essential Skills and Experience Extensive experience in financial or business management roles, delivering to time and quality including budgets, audits and forecasting expenditure with meticulous attention to detail. Exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail with the ability to interpret data and communicate insights and ideas in a lay language to both inform and influence decision-making. Strong leadership, communication and collaboration skills that bring the best out of others. The ability to quickly build strong working relationships with people at all levels across boundaries, organisations, and business areas. Able to be creative and bring new ideas to developing new and robust processes in relation to financial management. Sound knowledge and understanding of various IT packages specifically MS Office 365. The ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple priorities and tight deadline. Professional finance qualification (e.g., ACCA, CIMA) or deep knowledge of financial processes and regulations. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Working Together Delivering at Pace Making Effective Decisions We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Leadership Benefits Alongside your salary of £54,470, Rural Payments Agency contributes £15,779 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% Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience. Application Process As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 13/02/2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 13/02/2025. While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible. It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet. Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits. Click https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reasonable-adjustments-for-online-tests-a-candidate-guide for test guidance Please note: Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on Sunday 2 February 2025. There will be up to 1 hour during this time where candidates will not be able to access tests. Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. They will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime. They can do this by accessing the test again from their application centre. Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime. Candidates reporting issues should be advised to return to take the test after 7:00pm on Sunday 2 February. Upon successful completion of the test, you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement and a Behaviour Statement. Your CV should include your previous Job History. Your Personal Statement should be no more than 750-words and detail evidence of how you meet the essential criteria as noted in the Person Specification section of the job advert. Your Behaviour Statement should be aligned to the Behaviour 'Leadership' and you will be given a score of 1-7. Sift Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Interview If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviour and Strength based questions. Your interview will be conducted via MS Teams. A presentation testing the Behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions' will be assessed at interview. The presentation topic will be sent out in advance. Reserve List A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Candidate Pack Please see the candidate pack attached to this advert. Merit Lists Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application. Near Miss Candidates Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match. Salary New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Location As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s) Where the location is National the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra Group location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD. Accessibility If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the Contact point for applicants section. Reasonable Adjustment If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible to discuss your needs. Please note that it may take up to 48hours for GRS to respond to your request, so please contact them more than 48 hours before the closing date. Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. Visa Sponsorship Statement Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Criminal Record Check If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Internal Fraud Database Check 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 applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Childcare Vouchers Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) 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 This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : Resourcing Delivery Team Email : HRResourcingSupportdefra.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DefraRecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact: Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/ to visit Civil Service Commission. Attachments Candidate Pack - G7 Finance Lead Opens in new window (pdf, 1139kB) Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn