Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer - Director of Finance, Commercial, Audit and Systems

Job description

The Director of Finance, Commercial, Audit and Systems reports to the Permanent Secretary who is the Accounting Officer for the UK Statistics Authority. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 80 staff, with two direct management reports, covering finance, commercial and internal audit. You will provide leadership to the organisation’s finance professionals, and play an active part in the wider Government Finance Function. The role will be responsible for providing high quality financial services to the UK Statistics Authority and ONS.

The postholder will be responsible for leading the UKSA’s financial planning, promoting effective financial management, supporting strategic business planning and providing sound advice to the Permanent Secretary in their role as Accounting Officer.

As a member of the Executive Committee, you will play an integral role in the organisation’s recovery and will provide significant corporate leadership to drive implementation of the ONS’s priorities. Across the wider organisation, the postholder will exercise financial, project management, commercial and risk leadership to influence business decisions and improve practice at an operational and strategic level.

Role Responsibilities:

• Lead financial management, financial planning and financial reporting for the UKSA/ONS, reporting to the UKSA Board and feeding into regular reporting cycles, including through the publication of the Annual Report and Accounts and providing papers to Authority Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
• Management of the relationship with HM Treasury from a funding, business case, reporting and controls perspective, providing expert advice to the Permanent Secretary and the rest of the Executive Committee, with overall responsibility for leading regular Spending Reviews.
• Drive transformation of the organisation’s commercial function, including commercial strategy, the relationship with the Cabinet Office and the Government Commercial Function and professional leadership for commercial.
• Lead the digital and technological transformation of UKSA/ONS’ financial environment, working closely with the Director-General for ONS Digital to drive implementation of AI and advances in technology to improve forecasting and financial reporting.
• Leadership of the internal audit team (delivery responsibilities flow through the Permanent Secretary), ensuring the internal audit function is provided with appropriate oversight and delivers a quality service to the organisation.

Further information on the role can be found in the candidate pack on Civil Service Jobs.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Expertise in strategic accounting and financial management gained at Deputy or Executive Director level within a sizeable and complex organisation, as well as the ability to negotiate effectively on complex financial matters.
• A sound understanding of the principles and requirements of public financial management, including central government budgeting and accounting policies, with evidence of experience of strategic financial management and planning in line with the requirements of Managing Public Money.
• Substantive and successful experience in performance managing a diverse and professional workforce, with a strong commitment to building skills and capabilities.
• Experience driving forward digital and technological transformation, innovating existing processes to improve financial management and reporting.
• Successful experience of leading a strong and progressive financial function with a dynamic change environment.
• Experience providing advice to senior officials on financial management in a complex environment, in consideration of the wider economic, social and political context.
• The ability to deliver value for money and generate income, developing the business to maximise public benefit.

Qualifications

Member of a recognised body of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Location

The locations for this role are Newport & Titchfield (Fareham).

Renumeration

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Office for National Statistics contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our valued colleagues across the organisation.