We are seeking an exceptional individual for a key role in Defra's Group Finance leadership team, reporting to the group's Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The Finance Director is responsible for oversight of the Agency's budget of £2.1bn. This role will lead the Rural Payment Agency's (RPA) Finance team of 32 FTE, working collaboratively with colleagues across Defra Group to deliver collectively.
The Finance Director will sit on the Agency Management Board, Audit & Risk Assurance Committee, and Executive Team of the RPA.
The postholder will be a member of the Agency's Management Board, a member of the Audit & Risk Assurance Committee, a member of the Executive Team, a member of the Farming & Countryside Board, a member of the Defra Group Future Finance Board, along with chairing the RPA Executive Finance Committee.
The postholder will be operating in a changing environment where there is a significant element of novelty and financial complexity across all the areas that they will be leading on. This includes supporting a range of new grant schemes into delivery. They will need to make judgment based on evidence as well as their experience and expertise to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities.
The role will provide the individual with ample opportunity to develop skills in leadership, personal impact, problem-solving, and stakeholder relationship skills in particular.
Defra group has a unique operating model delivering corporate services centrally to the core department and four complex Arms Length Bodies - Environment Agency, Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, which means that we provide a Strategic Finance service to the core department and several of its largest ALBs, providing a great breadth of activity to get involved in.
The role holder will be an outstanding finance leader capable of leading, motivating, and developing a high-performing strategic finance team delivering exceptional service to all our partners. You'll also be capable of driving an ambitious portfolio of improvement initiatives that will take our operational services to a new level, supporting the CFO in delivering our three-year vision for Defra group Finance. This is a challenging but highly rewarding role that will require full commitment to our vision and a tenacity to overcome any obstacles.
The role will ensure that the end-to-end financial management required to enable the successful delivery of new Farming and Countryside Programme schemes by the RPA is in place.
The postholder will play an instrumental role in re-imagining the operating model of the Agency, working hand in glove with the CEO and peers to achieve the best outcome for Defra Group.
Responsibilities:
1. Provide professional advice and support to the Chief Executive Officer of RPA in fulfilling their delegated Accounting Officer (AO) responsibilities.
2. Provide leadership, challenge, influence, and be persuasive to support the RPA, Farming and Countryside Programme, and Core Department with expert financial advice to enhance corporate decision-making, increase performance, and ensure the optimal allocation of resources and funding; proactively identifying gaps and encouraging a culture where open questioning is welcomed.
3. Collaborate with RPA and FCP to support the agenda to mitigate the irregularity risk of grant schemes delivered by the RPA.
4. Collaborate with the Director of Strategy and Director of Planning & Capability, leading on the development of robust Spending Review 25 plans, ensuring alignment with Group Corporate Services, Farming & Countryside Programme, and Enabling Programmes.
5. Collaborate across Defra Group Finance to ensure a successful finance service is provided to the RPA and support the priorities of the Synergy programme.
6. Ensure robust financial control and risk management frameworks and counter-fraud strategies are in place across the RPA.
7. Be accountable for the accurate and timely preparation of the annual report and accounts.
8. Ensure the provision of scheme finance system support and integration with claim processing systems.
Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal, and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.
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