Senior Finance Grant Officer

We are looking for a Senior Grant Finance Officer to join our high-performing team, who is ready to hit the ground running and can work in a fast-paced environment, applying rigour and scrutiny to the administration of grant finances. Suitable candidates will demonstrate experience in building relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export creating jobs and opportunities across the country by promoting the UK as a great place for business through our global network of connections.
Our work matters and has a direct impact on businesses, consumers and citizens across the UK. We are connected and accessible across the world and work tirelessly to partner with businesses to help them flourish in the UK and abroad. Our outward facing, global perspective is distinctive and unique and drives our confident, collaborative ways of working.
The Grants Delivery Team delivers a range of grant programmes on behalf of the Department. These include business support for large scale investments for example, in the automotive industry, to small grants to individual businesses to participate in trade fairs. The team are also responsible for managing the reconciliation and assurance of the Covid 19 Business Support grants, including debt recovery. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Department and become part of the DBT team as we deliver our schemes. Our role in awarding and monitoring grant awards across a wide range of policy areas requires us to comply with the Government Grant Standards and HMT’s Managing Public Money to ensure best value for money, minimise the risk of fraud and protect the taxpayer.
We are a friendly and supportive team working in a fast paced and dynamic environment as our team remit expands to reflect the new Department’s needs. We are currently recruiting for people who thrive on a challenge, who have pride in their work and want to take ownership and responsibility for it. We need people who give attention to detail and understand how that contributes to our strategic delivery. We want people that can work proactively and collaboratively across our team and the wider environment we function in, and who can provide leadership and support, so the team successfully delivers its objectives., + Your work will form part of a wider oversight system for future scheme funding which provides confidence to Ministers and the Accounting Officer on eligibility and value for money in delivery that can withstand external audit and investigation. To deliver this, you will work with programme stakeholders across businesses and Local Authorities, the counter-fraud functions within Cabinet Office, the Government Internal Audit Agency and the National Audit Office.
+ You will demonstrate visible inclusive leadership in line with the Civil Service leadership statement, working collaboratively across boundaries and teams, you will demonstrate a collaborative approach throughout your work.
+ You will take responsibility for ensuring the relevant project management and financial system(s) information is kept up to date and accurate at all times with comprehensive, accurate SharePoint files maintained to evidence an appropriate audit trail.
+ Supporting the delivery activities of the Grant Delivery Finance Management Team. Proficiency in working with large volumes of financial information and applying a keen attention to detail, flagging queries with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
+ Review, reconciliation and payment of claims due, in an accurate and timely manner for Grants Delivery Directorate. Working within the Directorate and across the Department to ensuring clearances for payments are achieved within required timescales.
+ Supporting the development of the end-to-end plan for grant schemes including production and presentation of claims guidance and templates to Local Authorities/Businesses for government grants.
+ Assistance with the Directorate’s corporate tasks such as cash forecasting returns, monthly admin budget forecasts and financial performance reporting.
+ Any other duty commensurate with the grade of the post., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Seeing the Big Picture, Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
After the closing date It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
+ A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the Essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
+ A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the Essential criteria.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.
Further Information
+ A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
+ Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
+ The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
+ 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. Any applicant who has 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.
+ Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
+ Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role., + UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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).

Apply and further information
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).
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+ Experience of working on grant delivery, project and/or programme management or working in a similar complex and fast paced delivery role.
+ Experience of using financial processes and/or systems.
+ Strong attention to detail and able to challenge or question financial data when needed. An ability to spot discrepancies in information with the initiative to investigate further.
+ Discretion as you will have access to sensitive information and staff data.
+ Excellent written and verbal communication skills
+ Strong ability to collaborate and build effective relationships with a wide range of colleagues within the Department and externally.
Desirable criteria
+ Experience of using Oracle for the financial processes of buying and paying for goods and services and receiving income.
+ Experience of working with policy teams, finance colleagues and stakeholders in public and/or private sector.
Personal Attributes & Skills
+ Strong and effective interpersonal skills coupled with excellent relationship management.
+ Strong organisational skills and the ability to work simultaneously across different cases in your portfolio.
+ Able to think strategically and consider the bigger picture.
+ Enjoy working both on own initiative and as part of a team.
+ Able to deliver at pace, managing conflicting priorities and meet challenging deadlines.
+ Sound analytical skills and a strong attention to detail with the ability to spot discrepancies and the initiative to investigate further.
+ Able to meet the travel requirements of the role., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Alongside your salary of £39,384, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,633 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.