Deputy Director Strategic Finance & Management Accounts

Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UKs journey to net zero. Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries.

DESNZ Finance is at the forefront of the Departments work, as a key enabler of the Secretary of States policy objectives. As Deputy Director for Strategic Finance and Management Accounts, you will lead on securing the funding that the Department requires, and manage the overall Department budgets to enable strong delivery while living within the controls set.

This role has become vacant at an attractive time. The Departments financial position is strong having secured an excellent outcome at Spending Review 2025, and having since completed multi-year business planning to allocate budgets. Spending Review 2027 is now on the horizon, and expected to commence at Autumn Budget 2026. This presents a major opportunity in this role, to build on the trajectory already set, and lead on delivering great Spending Review outcomes for the Department. Your ability to negotiate effectively with HM Treasury, as well as manage senior relationships within the Department, will be vital to this.

You will also have the twin responsibility of managing the Departments in year financial position, including Departmental Expenditure Limits in excess of 10bn. You will ensure that the Departments funding is aligned to its objectives, by operating strategically, robustly and with agility. You will enable strong outcomes across the Department, whilst ensuring we live within our control totals.

As a member of my Senior Leadership Team, you will also play a broader role in the leadership of our Directorate. You will join us in championing a diverse and inclusive team that continually strives to improve.

Responsibilities

• Lead DESNZs strategic financial engagement with HMT, building constructive and effective relationships that support funding, approvals and decision making. This includes leading our contribution to spending reviews, budgets, and other fiscal events.
• Lead the DESNZs approach to business planning and financial planning, ensuring budgets are aligned to ministerial priorities and the wider fiscal context.
• Provide strategic advice to the leadership team and ministers on financial position, affordability, trade-offs and funding options.
• Ensure robust in-year budget management, estimates, cash forecasting and departmental-level reporting.
• Strengthen the departments use of financial systems, data and insight to support effective planning and decision-making.
• Ensure your diverse team is engaged, motivated and delivering at its best, with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Play a full role in the Finance Directorates Senior Leadership Team and wider Government Finance Function. This will include providing duty cover for emergencies as part of a rota.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

Essential

• Ability to set and implement a strategy for making optimum use of resources.
• Building strong collaborative relationships at senior levels which deliver good outcomes even when objectives may be in conflict (e.g. negotiating to secure funding or manage cuts).
• Outstanding ability to communicate (orally and written) a complex financial picture with clarity and accuracy to the most senior decision-makers, and building this capability in the department.
• Ability to be on top of the financial detail, e.g. that the numbers are always right, ensure that complex budgeting / financial rules imposed by HMT are complied with.
• Ability to develop and lead a diverse and high-performing team, building professional capability to deliver results both in the short and long term.
• High level of resilience, managing ambiguity and challenge whilst working at pace and under pressure.

Desirable

• A full accountancy qualification (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) is desirable, though part-qualified applicants and/or those with substantial experience in public spending control (e.g. in HMT) will also be considered if committed to qualification.