Budget Management Lead

Reporting to the Head of Budgets and Data this role will focus primarily on supporting the successful delivery of a major government programme, whilst also providing support to the wider Forestry division. The successful applicant will be part of a central, functional team and must be able to work collaboratively with analysts, policy professionals and delivery professionals. The Budget management role is critical to driving forecasts against budgets and reporting to senior stakeholders including the Programme Board on in year progress. This is a great opportunity for budget management professionals looking for a challenging role and those looking to gain project experience.

The role would suit a candidate who is keen to work on a high-profile area with significant political complexity and interest. The role will give you the chance to work at the heart of delivering a government priority and to use your analytical skills as part of a multidisciplinary team to directly shape environmental policy and delivery.

The successful candidate will need to be flexible in light of changing Ministerial priorities. In addition, the post holder may be asked to provide support on wider Departmental/Directorate priorities as needed.

Responsibilities

As the Budget Management Lead, your responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Confidently advising and guiding project professionals and policy leads on in-year affordability and forecasting best practice in the context of budget planning and resource allocation
• Advising on business context and the interconnected roles of planning, budgeting and forecasting
• Ensuring that the forecasting systems are accurate and up-to-date, reflecting the current budget position
• Communicating and managing the production and assurance of management information and reports aimed at a range of financial and non-financial stakeholders
• Interpreting complex information and making informed management decisions using benchmarking and other planning and forecasting methods
• Providing insightful commentary on the budget position arising from the analysis of the quarterly reporting figures, enabling appropriate decisions to be taken on programmes of work to identify, manage and mitigate financial risks.
• Challenging anomalies and assumptions in figures and instigating required corrective actions
• Supporting the development of the financial dimension for the Programme Business Case and multiple project business cases; working with economists and commercial leads to ensure that their sections accurately reflect costs and financial projections.

Essential Criteria

• Attention to detail and confident handling large amounts of data and information
• Strong communication, negotiation, influencing, and interpersonal skills to build strong relationships and partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to express complex information clearly and tailor content for the appropriate audience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong Excel skills
• Proven experience in financial management or related policy development / delivery, preferably within the government sector.
• Experience in working on large-scale projects and with cross-functional teams.
• Experience of working with senior leaders and providing effective finance support.
• Experience of supporting the development of business cases.