G6 Head of Core Finance (National)
Job summary
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!
The Insolvency Service is seeking to recruit a Grade 6, Head of Core Finance in our Finance, Commercial, Sustainability and Property (FCSP) Directorate. The Head of Core Finance will work to the FCSP Director and will be responsible for jointly leading the Agency’s finance function alongside the Head of Strategic Finance, representing the interests of the function and financial management in the agency strategic decision-making, and supporting and driving change across the organisation.
Job description
The Head of Core Finance role will have consistent exposure to the Executive Leadership Team and Senior External Stakeholders with the successful candidate playing a leading role in the development and roll out of the agency’s finance strategy and will be pivotal in the sustainable management of finances in a very challenging and rapidly evolving operational environment. It will involve the ability to work at pace to support operational requirements that may emerge around major insolvency cases as a result of the wider economic setting.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership, management and development of the Core Finance senior leadership team.
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities for the successful candidate for the role of Head of Core Finance will include:
Oversee and manage the external audit engagement with all key internal and external stakeholders and report to Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Insolvency Service Board to gain accounts endorsement and the ensure the safe laying of statutory accounts.
Oversee and manage the provision of information and assurances to HMRC and DBT regarding all aspects of the Agency involvement in the National Insurance Fund audit and NIF ‘White Paper Accounts’. The successful candidate will be required to represent the Agency at the National Insurance Fund Accounting Board.
Proactive engagement and clear advice and guidance to the Accounting Officer to ensure they are meeting their obligations under the four key Accounting Officer standards and to ensure compliance with HMT publications.
Ensuring the maintenance and driving the improvement of the Agency’s compliance with the Finance and Debt Functional Standards. Collaboration with internal and external teams to build and maintain excellent relationships and maximise opportunities to improve.
Oversee all aspects of Income Accounting and provide clear and accurate advice on income matters to decision makers, senior forums, our sponsor department and HMT.
Ensuring the Agency has a Working Capital policy that is fit for purpose, a liquidity position that ensures the Agency has enough resources to safely conduct business, that the Treasury Management function has appropriate engagement with Government Banking Service, and adheres to the HMT cash management scheme requirements.
Lead and support the Agency in all aspects of System Accounting including supporting the critical delivery of FCMC and the New Finance System Discovery Project
In order to assist you in making your decision in whether to apply, we will be holding 3 drop-in sessions on Microsoft Teams, where you will be able to hear more about what our finance teams do, who we are as a government agency and what it is like to work in the Insolvency Service. Please refer to the attached document (further down) for more information on these drop-in sessions.
Person specification
This role requires an individual who is an outstanding leader who can quickly grip and deliver their leadership responsibilities, build highly effective teams and influential relationships, working collaboratively to deliver across multiple locations.
Essential to success in this role is the ability to collaborate effectively and work with very broad collection of internal and external stakeholders.
Other essential skills:
Knowledge and experience across financial control, audit assurance and technical accounting.
An outstanding track record in leading a team of finance professionals in a fast-paced environment and managing competing priorities.
Experience of supporting the delivery of the strategic direction of a complex organisation. An ability to confidently, clearly and credibly influence stakeholders and decision makers.
An understanding of developing technologies and shared service provision.
Strong leadership skills, and the ability to motivate and develop themselves and staff whilst leading through periods of change.
Ability to bring Strategic analytical rigour coupled with pragmatic problem solving
Ability to bring business insight to address ambiguity in complex financial situations and a capacity to drive innovative approaches through to implementation.
Experience of successfully having built and maintained broad diverse networks and relationships, using communication and collaboration skills to challenge assumptions, negotiate and influence decisions.
This vacancy is advertised across 11 locations; however, Stratford and Croydon are only available to current Insolvency Service Staff. The advertised salary includes London weighting, which is only applicable to internal candidates.
Mandatory Qualifications
The successful candidate must be a Fully Qualified CCAB or CIMA Accountant and member
Qualifications
1. Fully qualified CCAB or CIMA qualified Accountant
2. CCAB or CIMA membership
Please make it clear in your application which qualification you hold.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Working Together
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £72,113, Insolvency Service contributes £20,891 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:
flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
5 days paid leave for learning and development
5 days paid for volunteering
a Cycle to work scheme
staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:
CV
Personal Statement
Behaviours (250 word statements)
Behaviour 1 – Making Effective Decisions
Behaviour 2 - Leadership
Behaviour 3 - Working Together
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
CV Guidance
Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, relevant qualifications, and the skills and experience you’ve gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.
Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.
Personal Statement Guidance
Your personal statement should be no more than 1250 words and must demonstrate how your personal skills, qualities, and experience align with the requirements of the role. Please ensure your statement references the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.
If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:
Experience
Behaviours - assessed through:
Behaviour 1 - Making Effective Decisions
Behaviour 2 - Leadership
Behaviour 3 - Working Together
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 11 August 2025
Interview – w/c 01 September 2025