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Deputy Head of Financial Operations

Scottish Government OGD RecruitmentEdinburgh🇬🇧United Kingdom

Quick overview

SeniorityLeader
Work modeHybrid
LocationEdinburgh, United Kingdom
RecruitingWorkforce PlanningOracleAccounts PayableContinuous ImprovementExternal AuditTreasury

Job description

Are you ready to lead critical government finance operations?

One of five divisions reporting to the Chief Financial Officer in Financial Management Directorate, FOD plays a key role in ensuring appropriate stewardship and use of Scottish Government funds. The division delivers a range of transactional services including payments, debt management and banking services, as well as specialist VAT and Construction Industry Scheme services and advice to directorates across the Scottish Government and a wide range of other agencies and bodies.

FOD is responsible for generating around £45bn of payments to the private, third and public sectors each year.  The division also manages the Scottish Consolidated Fund through which the Scottish Government funds the spending plans approved by the Scottish Parliament in the annual Budget Act.

Reporting to the Deputy Director for Financial Operations, the Deputy Head of Financial Operations has direct line management responsibility for three branch heads delivering the above functions (Accounts Payable and Vendor Maintenance, VAT and Construction Industry Scheme, and  Treasury and Banking), as well as the division’s Business Manager. The post plays a key role in ensuring the delivery of business as usual and transformation activities in relation to critical finance functions of government, as well as providing senior leadership to the division and developing relations with key stakeholders.

This includes ensuring the effective delivery and resilience of vital services, including Purchase to Pay, Order to Cash, Cash Management, Banking and VAT, and working with internal and external stakeholders to deliver continuous improvement to our operating model and processes.

Responsibilities
  • Support the Deputy Director with strategic and operational planning to deliver and improve critical financial services across the Scottish Government and 30 customer bodies. Empower teams across the division to deliver specialist financial operations in line with relevant policies and processes, facilitating internal and external audit processes, and managing contract and supplier relationships where appropriate.
  • Line manage the Division’s three Branch Heads, overseeing approximately 40 staff, and the divisional Business Manager.
  • Collaborate with key partners in Corporate Operations Directorate and other corporate directorates  to continuously improve and develop Oracle Cloud and related financial systems, managing divisional responsibilities and providing subject matter expertise in relation to the Scottish Government’s Purchase to Pay, Order to Cash, Cash Management and related finance processes, with a clear focus on adopting best practice, enhancing data, and streamlining processes.
  • Work with internal and external stakeholders to develop and enhance FOD’s business service offering, aligning with the Oracle Cloud operating model and establishing strong governance to support high standards of service delivery.
  • Act as a key liaison between FMD, Corporate Operations and other delivery partners and represent Finance interests on relevant Oracle and shared services governance bodies, championing and enabling high quality financial processes, controls and data across the finance operating model.
  • Embed and support a learning and continuous improvement culture throughout the division to ensure staff have the necessary skills and are developed and motivated to drive strong service delivery and adopt new ways of working.
  • Take a lead role in divisional communications and engagement across the directorate, DG families, and relevant agencies, maintaining and enhancing strong relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders and suppliers across core SG and 30 customer bodies.
  • Champion divisional resilience and robust delivery arrangements, including in relation to resourcing the divisional finance operating model, business continuity planning, workforce planning, performance data and insights, and security and anti-fraud measures, working proactively to manage and resolve issues and risks.
  • As a key member of the FOD Senior Management Team, contribute to strategic leadership of the division, providing clear direction to teams, managing resource and developing capability, and delivering a supportive culture focused on excellent customer service.
Qualifications
  • Professional accountant qualified with CCAB body (or equivalent) with up-to-date CPD. (Proof of qualifications will be checked at the assessment stage).

Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on. The Success Profile will include the Professional / Technical skills, Experience and Behaviours.
Technical / Professional Skills
  1. Government Finance - Expert
  2. Systems and Digital - Practitioner
  3. Risk - Practitioner
  4. Business and Organisation - Expert
You can find out more about the skills required here: Finance profession
Experience
  • Leadership of a financial operations function in a large organisation, delivering services based upon a multi-user Enterprise Resource Planning system.
  • Application of technical and business skills to manage changes, deliver improvement to financial processes and enhance services for customers.
Behaviours:
  1. Changing and improving (Level 4)   
  2. Communicating and influencing (Level 4)
  3. Leadership (Level 4) 
  4. Managing a quality service (Level 4)
Find out more about Success Profiles.
How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1500 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 23 November where possible, however this may be subject to change.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
About us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Working pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Skilled Worker Sponsorship not being offered

Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Security checks
Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, and read about the Government Vetting Charter, or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.
Equality statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. 
Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
Further information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
This post is open to Internal Scottish Government candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.
Apply before 11/10/26

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