Defence Business Services - Dbs Finance Operations, Management Reporting

Location
Gosport - Centurion Building Centurion Building Grange Road Gosport Hampshire / Abbey Wood North, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, South West
About the job
Job summary

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

• Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
• Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Come and join the DBS community today!

Job description

The C1 Finance Operations, Management Reporting leads a team of up to 2 HEO’s and 1 EO to manage the internal planning, budgeting and forecasting / in-year financial management of the business Team under the recently implemented DBS Interim Operating Model*:

This Team will work with the DBS delivery partners to provide a range of trusted and efficient services to both service personnel and veterans' communities. This may include, among others:

• Personnel support processes,
• Pay, Pensions & Allowances,
• Casualty and Compassionate Care
• Nursing Home Services
• Defence Transition Services
• Veterans Welfare Service
• Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans
• Complex Shared Services Outsourced Supply Management / Review
• Projects and project management
• Change management projects.

*DBS is in transition to a new Target Operating Model which may impact business Team areas of responsibility and the supporting finance structures. However, the generic outputs expected from this post are not anticipated to change.

Each DBS business Team has an operating budget split into Workforce and non-Workforce built up through robust demand-based annual planning submissions which the role will play a key part in managing in accordance with HM Treasury’s managing public money policy. The role also has direct relationships with numerous delivery partners and a role in the financial management of the 7-year c£350m Service Delivery Contract, including financial reporting of Change projects in response to policy / legislation change and continuous improvement initiatives.

This position reports to the G7 Head of Finance Operations through to the G6 Finance Team Leader / DBS Finance Business Partner as part of an overall DBS Finance Function of 26 civilian personnel.

This position is being advertised using the Finance Functional Leadership Terms of Reference for the Management Reporting job family (see Post Responsibilities) within the Finance Operations Division, but adapted to reflect the 80:20 principle whereby the job holder will be expected to conduct up to 20% of their time conducting Finance Business Partnering and / or Specialist Services activities for their specific Teams and cross-teams where the business need arises.

As such, the role will additionally provide the opportunity to develop an understanding of each Team’s priorities, challenges, and opportunities over a varied portfolio from the Strategic to the Transactional space; provide constructive challenge, scrutiny, insight and analysis into expenditure proposals and forecasts – including support to business case production and approvals.

You can also expect contact with the SCS1 Team Leaders (and budget holders), as well as their senior leadership teams, to ensure all parties have the right data at the right time to inform key decision making, from developing DBS service offerings to identifying areas for savings and efficiencies.

Finally, the position works closely with the Human Resources Business Partners (HRBPs) to help maintain the data supporting the Department’s Strategy Workforce Planning and Organisational Design and Development initiatives.

Post Responsibilities

Management Reporting - producing the monthly financial reports to meet the business area(s) needs. Ensuring that financial reporting is accurately completed both within corporate reporting systems and for input of accounting entries to support decision making. Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Providing insight to the Business, Finance Leadership Team, and wider Finance teams

• Providing the consolidated financial position at various levels within the organisation. Utilising information obtained from Finance reviews to provide a draft of commentary, subject to the relevant endorsement.
• Producing standardised reports / dashboards for monthly financial reviews and ABC screenings along with supplementary information to the Finance Leadership Team as appropriate.

Optimising Performance

• Enabling self service capabilities where possible, allowing individuals direct access to information.
• Although team members may support specific Business area(s), all team members will be expected to be flexible and cover Business areas as required.

Routine Requirements

• Producing instructions for completion of both In Year Management (IYM) and Annual Budget Cycle (ABC), outlining agreed internal timelines for completion considering Strategic Head Office requirements.
• Delivering the required information ensuring outputs are accurate, timely and meet the expected standards for:

Financial approvals of low value items, such as working functions, training, and professional subscriptions, supporting your team as required. Ensuring compliance with the relevant processes and policies and that an appropriate procurement route is utilised.

• Engaging with the Business where evidence for manual accruals is insufficient and flagging issues, by exception, to the appropriate Finance Business Partner.
• Ensuring all mis-bookings are to be corrected at source, removing any need for future manual intervention. Engaging with Project and Commercial staff to resolve any issues and work towards a right first-time input.
• Establishing and ensuring effective controls are in place to maintain accuracy of data in financial systems and provide assurance on integrity of information on financial systems.
• Reviewing the Chart of Accounts, liaising with other parts of Finance to understand emerging requirements. Ensuring the structure remains current and consistent, verifying new requirements as legitimate.
• Managing your team to maintain corporate systems access for all Finance Staff.

Continuous improvement

• Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures.
• Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously striving to improve the service provision. Promptly address any key issues that arise ensuring that processes or ways of working are adapted accordingly, and customers are informed where there is an impact.
• Managing issues highlighted during internal or external audit, engaging relevant stakeholders to enable corrective action. Promptly addressing any misinterpretation of guidance, sharing with team members to promote embedding the lesson(s) learnt.

Internal Controls.

• The post holder will contribute to the overall internal control framework of DBS including areas regarding, Governance Propriety, Regularity and Value for Money issues.
• Where appropriate, control/review/management of relevant balance sheet components.

Delivering your area of responsibility

• Management of team members, empowering, motivating, and coaching to enable effective delivery.
• Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers.
• Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment.
• Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt.
• Developing and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers.
• Exercising sound judgement and interpretative ability, and application of innovative thought to derive novel solutions.

Seeking advice, referring upwards as required, where problems are particularly complex or have wider implications.

Location Options: Either Bristol (Abbey Wood North) or Gosport :both acceptable.

Person specification

Desirable:

• Level 4 qualification with AAT, CCABor CIMA, or working towards qualification CCAB,CIMAor equivalent and financial experience over an extended period.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,631 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• An environment with flexible working options Monday-Friday 
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service (pro rata). In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for the King's birthday 
• Hybrid working, where role permits 
• An opportunity to be considered for Reward & Recognition- £250-£5000 per year.  
• Family friendly policies including parental leave and adoption leave 
• Learning and development tailored to your role 
• Professional and personal development of skills 
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity 
• Minimum of 15 days special leave in a rolling 12 month period for volunteer reserve commitments  
• Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year  
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 29th April 2024

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.