Optimise public R&D investment to support areas of relative UK strength and increase the level of private R&D to make our economy the most innovative in the world.
Promote a diverse research and innovation system that connects discovery to new companies, growth and jobs – including by delivering world-class physical and digital infrastructure (such as gigabit broadband), making the UK the best place to start and grow a technology business and developing and attracting top talent.
Put public services – including the NHS and schools – at the forefront of innovation, championing new ways of working and the development of in-house STEM capability to improve outcomes for people.
Strengthen international collaboration on science and technology in line with the Integrated Review, and ensure our researchers are able to continue to work with leading scientists in Europe and around the world.
Deliver legislative and regulatory reforms to drive competition and promote innovation, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and our pro-innovation approach to regulating AI.
Our Inclusive Environment
We have an inclusive culture which makes the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it helps us be more innovative.
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.
We welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion and fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforsciencetechnologyandinnovation ?
You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/
Job Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen to be Head of Finance in the Cyber Security and Digital Identity (CSDI) Directorate in DSIT. Is this a role for you?
Leading our Finance team within a Programme Management Office your expertise and knowledge will be essential in delivering the directorates day-to-day work. As a management accountant, you will provide leadership for the completion of a wide variety of financial matters.
This role sits at the heart of DSIT’s work on cyber security and digital identity. The Directorate helps deliver significant parts of the National Cyber Security Strategy and DSIT’s Digital Identity programme. Looking ahead, the Directorate will utilise the Integrated Security Fund to deliver cyber programming to tackle the highest priority threats to UK national security at home and overseas. Your role will help ensure we can utilise this fund successfully.
Your role oversees all the Directorate's financial operations, reporting into DSIT and the Cabinet Office. It will require the job holder to work in a busy department in a cross Whitehall fund, liaising with other Government departments who are delivering programmes in support of the DSIT owned pillars of the cyber strategy.
You will also provide analysis and challenge to policy and delivery teams on their spending and delivery. This finance function will be critical in ensuring the senior leadership team have concise, accurate and insightful information and analysis to drive effective decision-making.
If you are an individual working in a finance function and are looking for experience in leading a finance function in a high-profile, cross-departmental programme fund this could be the role for you.
Person specification
Lead the delivery of the CSDI finance function, managing a SEO manager and HEO officer.
Play a leading role to delivery key financial and business planning outputs to support the Directorate, for example annual business planning, spending review preparation and delivery, the year-end financial process.
Lead engagement with the CSDI programme and policy teams to understand their financial position, be able to report this both internally and externally in an accurate, timely and consistent manner.
Deliver a proactive and enabling environment that supports high quality programme delivery.
Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with the Directorate SLT, DSIT Strategic Finance and Business Partners and external Government stakeholders (e.g. Cabinet Office).
Drive improvements within the team to strengthen the quality of financial insight.
Skills And Experience
We would love to hear from you if you have these skills or experiences:
Demonstrate experience (or aptitude) of leading a team in a financial management role preferably within a project or programme environment.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills with ability to gain commitment, trust and support from colleagues and external stakeholders and provide insight about both the programme and customer demands.
Experience of delivering value for money and demonstrating commercial awareness.
Previous experience in finance working in a complex fast paced environment. Highly numerate, with excellent Excel skills and attention to detail.
Desirable:
Understanding of the wider government financial control and governance requirements and how best they can be addressed by a central Department.
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Leadership
Seeing the Big Picture
Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Leadership
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £52,320, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £14,126 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme , with an average employer contribution of 27%.
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
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 and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and one behavioural statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to show your alignment to the essential criteria as set out in the job advertisement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
Sift and Interview dates
Expected timeline - Subject to change:
Sift dates: w/c 15/07/2024
Interview dates: w/c 29/07/2024
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Further Information
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland 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 [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email [email protected]
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’s 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.
Feedback
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.
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance [email protected] . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Finance and Accounting/Auditing
Industries
Government Administration
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