Head of Government Finance Function Strategy, Performance & Governance

HM TREASURY; Darlington; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic individual to join their Strategy, Performance & Improvement Team. This role involves championing new strategies across government, developing performance frameworks, and leading governance forums to enhance finance standards. You will engage with senior stakeholders, driving data analysis projects and fostering an inclusive team culture. With opportunities for flexible working and generous benefits, this position is ideal for someone passionate about making a difference in public finance and improving service quality across the board.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Flexible working patterns

Generous parental leave

Defined Benefit pension scheme

Cycle-to-work scheme

Active staff networks

Qualifications

• Experience in developing performance frameworks and metrics.
• Strong leadership skills with a focus on team culture.

Responsibilities

• Champion new strategies across government to boost finance team alignment.
• Develop and implement performance frameworks with clear metrics.

Skills

Data Analysis

Performance Metrics Development

Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Governance Frameworks

Education

Degree in Finance or related field

Job description

About the Team

The Strategy, Performance & Improvement Team is one of the central Government Finance Function (GFF) teams, responsible for driving finance performance, standards and leading practice to achieve a vision of a modern, digital finance function that delivers quality services more effectively and efficiently.

We work across government, providing you with the opportunity to be part of creating positive and long-lasting change across the GFF. The role offers exposure across Whitehall, including the chance to work and influence at the highest levels of the Civil Service.

We pride ourselves on providing a supportive and inclusive working environment, which role models flexible working and offers opportunities to build networks across the function, HM Treasury and beyond!

About the Job

In this role, you will:

1. Champion our new strategy across government, boosting awareness and helping finance teams align with it.
2. Develop and implement a performance framework with clear metrics to track progress and achieve strategic goals.
3. Oversee governance forums, continuously improving their operation to support the GFF Strategy effectively.
4. Maintain the Government Functional Standard for Finance, setting and enhancing standards and assessment frameworks.
5. Lead the annual Departmental Finance End-of-Year assessment, coordinating key financial metrics for top officials.
6. Serve as the main GFF contact for Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, ensuring alignment in cross-cutting initiatives.
7. Drive data analysis and visualisation projects, like the annual workforce data commission, to reveal workforce insights.
8. Provide inspiring leadership and mentorship, fostering a supportive and inclusive team culture.

Through your work, you will have exposure to senior stakeholders across the GFF, HM Treasury, and beyond, establishing yourself as a trusted partner and building a strong network of finance and non-finance colleagues at all levels.

About You

We’re looking for someone who can see the bigger picture and align activities with government-wide goals. You’ll use performance data to boost transparency and guide decisions, engaging senior customers to consistently drive service quality. If you’re great at making complex finance issues easy to understand – we want to hear from you!

Some of the Benefits our people love!

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours).
• Generous parental and adoption leave packages.
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions of 28.97%.
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity.

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the recruitment team at [e-mail].