Head of Cost Analysis and Assurance Service (CAAS)

Benefits
Pulled from the full job description
Company pension
 
Full job description
Details
Reference number
416248
Salary
£81,000
If London based, you will also receive a London Weighting Allowance of £3,300 per annum.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
SCS Pay Band 1
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
MOD - Head Office & Corporate Services
Type of role
Analytical
Finance
Senior leadership
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
Abbey Wood, Bristol or MOD Main Building, London
About the job
Job summary
Reporting to the Director Assurance, but with direct access to the Permanent Secretary and Ministers, you will be responsible for leading the provision of independent advice to a range of stakeholders that enables the Ministry of Defence to make effective investment and planning decisions that secure value for money.

You will need to be a trusted voice in Defence, across Government and Internationally whose purpose is to drive Cost, Risk and Schedule management through independent assurance. Collaboration is at the heart of the how the team operates so relationship building will be a key aspect of the role. You will lead a team of circa 250 technical experts across Accountancy, Estimating (risk, cost and schedule), Cost Engineering and Analytics, geographically dispersed around the UK, with 12 offices close to or within sites of key Defence industrial suppliers. They provide expert independent costing advice to enable the Ministry of Defence to make effective business decisions on procurement and support.

Job description
Working to the Director Assurance, you will have responsibility for:

Leading the Ministry of Defence’s independent Cost Assurance and Analysis Service, providing effective corporate and strategic leadership and management of some 250 geographically dispersed staff (with Abbey Wood, Bristol and MOD HQ in Whitehall the main centres).
Providing functional leadership across Defence on cost management and assurance.
Maintaining strategic relationships within the Department of State and all areas of Defence.
Delivering trusted and expert cost management, assurance and analysis services to customers.
Ensuring the quality of services provided to customers, including the most senior staff and Ministers, and developing innovative products.
Maintaining and developing the team’s professional skills.
Supporting Commercial customers in the Single Source environment with the provision of advice on Qualifying Defence Contracts and providing similar services to overseas governments.
Maintaining an independent view of the costs of major projects to inform Departmental budgeting, approvals processes and stakeholders like the National Audit Office and HM Treasury.
Person specification
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

Extensive knowledge and experience of providing cost management and advisory services to support high value change and transformational projects or programmes over £400m, in large, complex organisations.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to manage and interpret complex financial data and information to provide valuable business insight and innovative solutions.
An exceptional leader with a track record of building, motivating and empowering high performing teams, often under pressure. Acting as an inspirational role model who engages, develops and nurtures staff at all levels to build a confident, delivery focused team.
Proven experience of senior stakeholder management in a political, pressured environment with evidence of being able to build and maintain a strong network of Board level working relationships.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to influence and provide advice to very senior leaders.
Must be a qualified Accountant, with the relevant professional qualification, OR has deep experience in cost estimating or cost engineering.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £81,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.