Finance Business Partner

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to promoting national interests and addressing global challenges. As part of the Finance Business Partnering team, you will play a crucial role in supporting strategic decision-making and ensuring value for money for the UK taxpayer. This position offers the opportunity to engage with high-profile international issues and contribute to significant financial management initiatives. With a commitment to professional development, you will be part of a supportive team that values transparency and efficiency. If you are a qualified accountant with a proactive approach and a passion for financial excellence, this role is perfect for you.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension

25 days Annual Leave

9 days Public and Privilege holidays

Tailored Learning and Development

Qualifications

• Proven experience in financial management and analysis.
• Ability to present complex financial information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Support Directors and SLT in delivering business plans.
• Provide quality financial performance analysis and reporting.
• Conduct challenge meetings to promote accountability.

Skills

Financial Analysis

Budgeting Techniques

Management Accounting

Cost Analysis

Investment Finance

Treasury Management

Reporting

Communication

Education

Qualified Accountant (CCAB, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA)

Part Qualified Accountant

Tools

Management Information Systems

Job description

London/Milton Keynes/East Kilbride – You will be required to work from this location in line with FCDO policies on Hybrid Working (minimum 60% in the office)

Job Summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office pursues our national interests and projects the UK’s role in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens, safeguard the UK’s security, defend our values, reduce poverty and tackle global challenges with our international partners. We employ more than 17,000 staff in 179 countries and territories, across our diplomatic and development offices worldwide, which consists of 282 officially designated Posts. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street, London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.

Finance Directorate is at the heart of the FCDO, enabling the FCDO to operate and deliver its five core priorities. We implement policy and deliver public-facing services, internal operations, projects and programmes and statutory commitments, whilst protecting value for money, ensuring transparency, and managing risks.

The Finance Business Partnering team is a key area within the Directorate, supporting Director General (DG) areas to strengthen financial management, providing strategic decision-making support (e.g. workforce planning, programming and policy) and ensuring value for money for the UK taxpayer. We provide day-to-day support to FCDO senior management and play a key role in in-year financial decisions, providing timely, accurate financial management information and advice. We are a bridge to the business and other areas of finance, such as Strategic Finance and Official Development Assistance (ODA) Management and HM Treasury.

The team is made up of roughly 80 Finance Business Partners (FBPs), including Country Based Staff in the six overseas FBP Hubs. We are a mix of finance specialists and those studying towards accountancy qualifications. We are a welcoming and supportive team and making our team a great place to work is at the heart of what we do.

Job Description

Working for FCDO means you may be involved in high profile international issues. Recent examples of issues that required significant input include Ukraine and Sudan. You may also have the opportunity for international travel to meet FCDO colleagues based around the world delivering our overseas work. This would be occasional, once or twice a year, if required.

Roles And Responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for:

• Supporting your Director(s), Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and key stakeholders to effectively deliver their business plans by providing a high quality finance business partnering service alongside others in your team.
• Using system Management Information (MI) to provide quality, timely and accurate performance analysis, reporting and recommendations to facilitate your Director’s effective decision making and improving standards of financial management in the FCDO.
• Conducting challenge meetings with Directors to promote accountability, ensuring Value for Money (VFM) and supporting the business to enable them to contribute to the production of better financial information, including forecasting.
• Supporting the Senior Finance Business Partner to ensure that the business completes all finance returns and other corporate initiatives and policies.
• Supporting strategic finance exercises including business planning, resource allocation and strategic workforce planning.
• Contributing to the maintenance and strengthening of the internal control environment to mitigate risks and providing support to internal and external audits.
  
  

You will also be expected to take on a corporate goal which is a great learning and development opportunity.

We are committed to developing all staff to their full potential – both through on the job experience, formal Learning & Development and bespoke training, where appropriate.

Working for FCDO means you may be involved in high profile international issues. Recent examples of issues that required significant input include Ukraine and Sudan. You may also have the opportunity for international travel to meet FCDO colleagues based around the world delivering our overseas work. This would be occasional, once or twice a year, if required.

In This Role You Will Be Responsible For

• Supporting your Director(s), Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and key stakeholders to effectively deliver their business plans by providing a high quality finance business partnering service alongside others in your team.
• Using system Management Information (MI) to provide quality, timely and accurate performance analysis, reporting and recommendations to facilitate your Director’s effective decision making and improving standards of financial management in the FCDO.
• Conducting challenge meetings with Directors to promote accountability, ensuring Value for Money (VFM) and supporting the business to enable them to contribute to the production of better financial information, including forecasting.
• Supporting the Senior Finance Business Partner to ensure that the business completes all finance returns and other corporate initiatives and policies.
• Supporting strategic finance exercises including business planning, resource allocation and strategic workforce planning.
• Contributing to the maintenance and strengthening of the internal control environment to mitigate risks and providing support to internal and external audits.
  
  

You will also be expected to take on a corporate goal which is a great learning and development opportunity.

We are committed to developing all staff to their full potential – both through on the job experience, formal Learning & Development and bespoke training, where appropriate.

Person specification

It is essential in your application that you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following Minimum Criteria and Behaviours as far as you are able to do so. These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview.

You must be a British Citizen at the time of application and, if invited to interview, you will need to bring proof of identity (British Passport/Driving Licence etc.) with you.

This role requires you to attain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.

For more information about this process, click here. Attaining DV will require you to have been resident in the UK for five of the last ten years. At least one year of this must have been a consecutive twelve-month period. Serving overseas with HM Forces, in some other official capacity as a representative of His Majesty’s Government or having lived overseas as a result of your parents’ or partner’s Government employment counts as UK residency for the purposes of security clearances.

Minimum Criteria

• Qualified Accountant with CCAB, CIMA CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA (or equivalent), or Part Qualified, with significant financial experience.
• Ability to analyse, manage and present complex financial information clearly, both verbally and in writing, to support organisational decision-making.
• Ability to understand different financial planning and budgeting techniques and their application in different contexts.
• Advanced practical skills in one or more area of management accounting and cost analysis, investment finance, treasury management, planning and budgeting and financial accounting.
• Ability to set and interpret financial policy in the above areas, combined with sound business knowledge, providing advice, guidance and leadership to others.
• Proactive and solutions-based approach and a focus on continuous improvement of self and service, with an appetite to work with others to simplify processes and improve efficiency.
  
  

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant with CCAB, CIMA CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA (or equivalent), or Part Qualified, with significant financial experience.
  
  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
  
  

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Motivation Question at Interview
• Presentation at interview
  
  

Alongside your salary of £55,500, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £16,078 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A Civil Service Pension.
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum.
• 9 days Public and Privilege holidays per annum.
• Learning and Development tailored to your role.
  
  

See the attached candidate pack.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Please see the attached candidate pack for the selection process details.

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 [e-mail] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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 you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to FCDO 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If there is any evidence of plagiarism, including presenting the ideas and experience of others as your own, your application will be withdrawn.

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 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 [e-mail] 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 [e-mail]

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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.

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).

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 : FCDO Recruitment Team
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

The FCDO’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should, in the first instance, contact [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.