Location
Bristol, Darlington, London, Manchester, Wolverhampton
About the job
Job summary
This is a senior leadership role within MHCLG’s Buildings, Fire and Resilience Group (BRF) as Deputy Director for Group Strategic Resources and Plans and Remediation Programme Finance. The role brings together Group-level finance, workforce planning, performance insight and efficiency, across a complex portfolio of building safety, fire remediation and resilience programmes.
You will be at the heart of how the Group plans, prioritises and delivers, working closely with the Director General and Directors to bring stronger strategic grip, clearer insight and better alignment between resources and outcomes. The work spans multi-billion-pound programmes delivered through Arm’s Length Bodies, regulators and delivery partners, where strong financial control and workforce planning are critical to both public value and public confidence.
This is a role for someone who enjoys operating in complexity, can join the dots across systems and is motivated by improving how government plans, spends and delivers at scale.
Job description
This role is about bringing coherence and control to how the BFR plans and uses its resources. It sits across finance, workforce, performance and efficiency, and is responsible for making sure these elements work together rather than in silos.
You will help shape BFR’s strategic direction through fiscal events, Spending Reviews and annual business planning, ensuring decisions are grounded in robust insight and a clear understanding of trade-offs, risks and opportunities. A key part of the role is developing and maintaining a credible, forward-looking financial strategy for BFR that improves value for money and supports better prioritisation.
Alongside this, you will strengthen how BFR understands its workforce and capability needs, ensuring people planning is fully aligned to financial and delivery priorities. You will also lead efforts to improve systems, data and insight so leaders can see clearly what is happening across the portfolio and act with confidence.
You will lead the Group’s relationship with the Corporate Centre and play a key role in driving efficiency, reform and continuous improvement across how the Group operates.
The role includes significant responsibility for the remediation portfolio, where you will oversee high-profile and high-risk programmes such as the Developer Debt Programme and Building Safety Fund. This includes assurance, counter fraud oversight, programme closure and engagement with HM Treasury, IPA, NAO and PAC on some of the most scrutinised areas of government delivery.
Key responsibilities
- Set the strategic direction, plan and manage financial, workforce and performance resources, ensuring a joined-up approach to resourcing and decision-making.
- Lead input to fiscal events, Spending Reviews and Estimates, working closely with HM Treasury and ensuring alignment between priorities, affordability and delivery.
- Develop and maintain a multi-year financial strategy that supports better prioritisation, clearer trade-offs and improved value for money.
- Commission and oversee a workforce plan that aligns capability and capacity with financial and delivery priorities.
- Lead efficiency and improvement agendas, driving better use of resources and strengthening financial, workforce and business processes.
- Improve data, systems and insight by integrating forecasting, performance, workforce and risk information to support better decisions.
- Act as Project Director for the £700m Developer Debt Programme and provide oversight of the wider remediation portfolio, including assurance, counter fraud, funding approvals, cost scrutiny and programme closure.
- The role also has important programme-level responsibilities for the financial aspects of the Building Safety Fund.
- Lead engagement with HM Treasury, IPA, PAC and NAO across remediation programmes, ensuring high-quality, transparent reporting and effective governance.
- Work closely with Finance, HR and Commercial colleagues in the Corporate Centre to ensure alignment and consistency across government frameworks.
- Lead, develop and support a team of around 30–35 colleagues, creating an inclusive, high-performing culture focused on impact, learning and improvement.
Person specification
This role suits a senior leader who is comfortable operating in complexity and who enjoys bringing structure, clarity and direction to large, fast-moving systems. You will have experience across finance, corporate planning, workforce strategy or resource management, ideally in a large organisation where delivery, scrutiny and accountability are closely linked.
You will be someone who can move easily between detail and strategy, turning complex information into clear insight that supports confident decision-making at senior levels. Strong judgement, political awareness and the ability to build trust with senior stakeholders will be essential.
This is also a role for someone who is motivated by improvement and who has experience of strengthening systems, building capability in teams and improving how organisations plan and deliver at scale.
Essential criteria
- Experience of leading strategic finance, corporate planning, workforce planning or resource management functions in a large and complex organisation, with responsibility for budgets, forecasting and financial governance.
- Strong experience of operating in high-risk, high-scrutiny or complex delivery environments, ideally involving multiple delivery partners, Arm’s Length Bodies or regulated systems.
- Proven experience of leading successful delivery or improvement of services, including within public sector or equivalent environments.
- Experience of leading through innovation and improvement, identifying opportunities to enhance systems, processes or performance and translating these into measurable outcomes.
- Experience of creating and leading multidisciplinary teams, enabling empowered teams to deliver effectively, innovate and continuously improve.
- Strong experience of influencing senior stakeholders, including HM Treasury or equivalent bodies, providing clear financial or strategic advice to support decision-making.
- Qualified CCAB/CIMA accountant (or equivalent) with relevant post-qualification experience, or currently working towards qualification with a clear commitment and timeframe for completion.
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