Associate Director, Financial Partnering, Planning & Analysis

Page Executive; Lincoln; Hybrid; GBP 74,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Civil Service Pension

Employee Assistance Programme

Eyecare voucher scheme

Job summary

DBS is seeking an Associate Director, Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis to lead the FPP&A team and align finance with strategic priorities. You will partner with senior leaders across the organisation, embedding robust planning, forecasting and performance management.

The role requires CCAB/CIMA qualification, strong stakeholder engagement, and a track record in financial modelling and transformation.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified member of a CCAB accounting body or CIMA.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to resolve problems and present solutions.
• Experience leading a finance team in a changing, complex environment.
• Expert finance business partnering skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead FPP&A and Management Accounting functions with budgeting and forecasting.
• Provide authoritative financial insight to senior leaders.
• Drive strategic business partnering and align resource allocation to priorities.
• Report financial position with insight into risks and opportunities.
• Develop DBS Financial Strategy and mid-term plan.
• Lead Finance Transformation roadmap and drive efficiency.

Skills

CCAB accounting body

CIMA

Stakeholder management

Financial modelling

Financial planning

People management

Education

Qualified CCAB/CIMA

Job description

• Shape the financial future of a nationally important organisation


• Available on a remote, hybrid, or office basis (Liverpool or Darlington)

About Our Client

DBS was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 on 1 December 2012, working from two sites, which are Liverpool and Darlington. They operate on behalf of government delivering Disclosure functions in England, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and Barring functions for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They function within a framework of legal and regulatory requirements and that includes work with a range of external organisations including other government departments, regulators, and trade bodies.

DBS provide a service that enables organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to make better informed, safer recruitment and other decisions. They do this by providing information to enable them to determine whether individuals are unsuitable or unable to undertake certain work, particularly with occupations involving regular contact with vulnerable groups, including children.

DBS Strategy:

Their current Strategy sets out their purpose, vision, and the impacts we want to be achieved. The strategy was co-created with their staff and has been supported by insight from their various partners, and throughout, you will find their ambitions to be achieved. Everything that they do within DBS, from developing their strategic intent, to the day-to-day operational delivery of our services, is underpinned by constant considerations of safeguarding, quality, sustainability, value for money, and diversity and inclusion. Their strategic objectives aim to enhance our effectiveness, influence, and customer satisfaction while fostering a supportive environment for everyone.

Job Description

The post of Associate Director, Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis is primarily responsible for leading the FPP&A team, encompassing finance business partnering, management accounting, financial planning and strategy, efficiency, and financial transformation. As a key member of the Finance leadership team, you will work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure customer/stakeholder needs are met, along with public accountability expectations, legislation and professional standards.

As the DBS is a member of the Home Office family, you will work closely with other members of the Home Office Finance community. Building relationships with people in Home Office will be key to ensuring DBS and Home Office expectations, systems and processes are aligned.

You will play a key role in the implementation and embedding of the revised Finance structure, designed to enable the continued development of the function to become a true partner to the organisation, influencing and supporting strategic decision making, with the capacity and capability to support the delivery of their strategy.

Corporate Duties:

• Lead and integrate FPP&A and Management Accounting functions, establishing a single, robust framework for budgeting, forecasting and in-year performance management, ensuring senior leaders have a clear view of financial position, risks and opportunities.


• Provide authoritative financial insight and challenge at senior levels, owning the quality of management information and analysis, and ensuring it drives strategic decision‑making, prioritisation and effective use of public resources.


• Drive strategic business partnering and financial performance, leading engagement with Directors and budget holders to strengthen financial control, improve forecasting accuracy, and align resource allocation to organisational priorities and outcomes


• Responsible for reporting the financial position to provide insight and analysis of the key issues and risks and opportunities to senior management, providing the full picture.


• Lead the development of the DBS Financial Strategy, including a mid‑term financial plan which supports the organisation overarching strategy and captures impacts and benefits of investment proposals.


• Review fee levels, ensuring the development and adoption of an appropriate product costing methodology, and lead the process to propose and secure approval for changes as required (based on projections of demand and costs), including working with Home Office and HM Treasury to secure the legislative changes.


• Develop the FPP&A function to support and challenge budget holders and managers to ensure they effectively use resources to meet demand, performance targets and business plan priorities.


• Build capability in financial modelling, to enable the team to support the commercial team in building, analysing and validating commercial financial models.


• Provide commercial financial advice to support DBS and its Commercial function in managing commercial relationships and maximising value for money.


• Ensure credible budgets and forecasts are developed that withstand scrutiny by Executive Team, the Board and its committees, Directorate Management teams, and other governance forums as appropriate

Continuous Improvement / Efficiency / Transformation

• Co‑lead the development and delivery of a Finance Transformation roadmap that positions Finance as a strategic business partner, driving value creation across the organisation.


• Champion continuous improvement by identifying and implementing process efficiencies, new technologies and digital solutions that simplify operations, enhance self‑service capabilities and improve customer outcomes.


• Work collaboratively across functions to optimise end‑to‑end business processes, support transformation initiatives and build robust business cases for change, ensuring benefits are realised and measured.


• Foster a culture of efficiency and operational excellence through effective performance measurement, strong financial controls and the ongoing monitoring of organisational and financial performance.

The Successful Applicant

The successful applicant will need to be able to demonstrate the below ability and experience:

Ability

• Strategic thinking, planning and analysis skills, with the ability to develop creative solutions to support the management of change and mitigate associated risks


• Excellent relationship management, influencing, facilitation and presentation skills


• An expert people manager with the ability to build, lead, coach and retain a cohesive and high performing team.


• Presence and credibility to work with the Executive Team and senior colleagues across the organisation


• Highly organised and able to plan and manage a broad portfolio of activities


• Resilience in challenging circumstances: ability to work under pressure, remaining calm but decisive.


• Highly effective communicator in person, in writing and in electronic media.

Essential

• A fully qualified member of a CCAB accounting body or CIMA


• Strong stakeholder management


• Ability to resolve problems and present appropriate business solutions and recommendations


• Leading and developing a finance team with broad responsibilities in a changing environment of comparable scale or complexity


• Expert finance business partnering skills


• Financial planning and modelling skills, with experience developing/analysing commercial models and providing commercial finance advice

Desirable

• Experienced operating in a regulatory agency or non-departmental public body (NDPB)

The Civil Service has defined a set of behaviours that, when demonstrated, are associated with job success. For this role you should demonstrate the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Communicating & Influencing


• Changing & Improving


• Leadership


• Developing Self & Others


• Managing a Quality Service


• Delivering at Pace

What's On Offer

• Salary - £74,061 - £79,037


• Generous annual leave entitlement


• Excellent maternity, paternity and adoption schemes (after a qualifying period)


• Commitment to the health and wellbeing of our employees


• Employee Assistance Programme


• Flexible working opportunities


• Eyecare voucher scheme


• Occupational Health Service including referrals for counselling and physiotherapy


• 24/7 Counselling and Wellbeing Service


• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

This role is available on a remote, hybrid, or office basis.

Initially, all DBS employees' contracts are office‑based at one of their two sites (Liverpool and Darlington). Employees can apply for remote or hybrid work from day one. If approved, the arrangement will start after six months for transfers from Home Office or after completing probation for new joiners. Requests will be considered based on business needs and role requirements. Informal hybrid working arrangements are also available from day one, subject to business needs and role requirements and will be discussed further following any job offer.

Recruitment Timeline

Closing date: 08/11/2026 at 23:59

The initial candidate sift is due to take place week commencing 09/11/2026

First interviews will take place on the 18th and 20th of November

Second interviews will take place on the 23rd November

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at DBS

DBS is committed to fostering an environment that values individual differences and ensures fair treatment to unlock the full potential of staff and better support customers. Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to driving organisational success and they have developed specific equality objectives for DBS.

Every decision and activity will be considered through an EDI lens, aiming to build an inclusive culture, improve policies and practices, gain external assurances, and become a leading voice of good practice in EDI.

Quote job ref: JN-092026-7114840