Finance Lead

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

About the programme

The Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (NCEA) sits in the Central Analysis and Insights Directorate, overseen by Defras Chief Scientific Advisor. The programme aims to deliver a world-class knowledge capability for our natural environment which enables us to enhance our landscapes, improve biodiversity and encourage innovation. It will; develop integrated, adaptive and collaborative methods to measure our land and freshwater environments; transform physical and digital infrastructure to underpin, facilitate and present our understanding to aid decision-making; and deliver data, evidence-based insight and understanding to inform ambitious, proactive and sustainable policy decisions. The Programme is scheduled to end in 2028/29. Key partners include; the Environment Agency, Forest Research, JNCC, Natural England, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Encouraging diverse applicants

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups.

We are looking for a highly driven individual who is an excellent team player and comfortable operating in a complex programme environment. They will play a critical role in supporting effective financial management across the NCEA programme, ensuring compliance with departmental standards, and promoting a value-for-money culture. This position focuses on delivering insightful financial reporting, managing the full financial lifecycle, and enhancing financial processes. The Finance Lead will collaborate with senior stakeholders to enable strategic decision-making, support budget adherence, and drive continuous improvement across financial functions. The role provides an excellent career opportunity for an experienced Finance Lead with strong organisational, analytical, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic financial reports to senior management, highlighting key financial issues, risks, and opportunities.
• Prepare clear, narrative-driven financial reports and insights for senior management, ensuring complex data is accessible and actionable.
• Lead NCEAs Spending Review bid process and business planning process to agree NCEA budgets.
• Lead centrally driven spending initiatives such as budget cuts/additional bids, overprogramming, etc.
• Lead the financial planning, budgeting, and monthly variance analysis for the NCEA Programme.
• Oversee budgeting, forecast accuracy, and monthly variance analysis, collaborating with project teams for up-to-date financial inputs.
• Engage with delivery partners to identify and realise opportunities to address both over and underspend within year to ensure delivery to budget each year.
• Lead on developing and communicating budget compliance initiatives.
• Maintain financial compliance by managing financial delegations and ensuring timely expenditure processing.
• Implement financial protocols for expenditure and delegation management, tracking compliance across all transactions.
• Commission NCEA partners to provide inputs to financial management processes and reporting.
• Embed value for money (VfM) principles within financial practices and support budget efficiency.
• Conduct regular financial reviews to identify opportunities to strengthen and improve finance-related processes, including implementation.
• Provide training to NCEA colleagues on finance and budget management processes.
• Attend finance and budget meetings on behalf of the NCEA programme, including the Budget Working Group.
• Work closely with the Finance Business Partner to ensure adherence to Defra policy and finance best practice.

Experience and skills

The successful candidate will have the following essential skills and experience:

• Financial Reporting: Extensive experience in preparing and delivering high-level financial reports within central government or public sector settings, with a focus on clarity and narrative presentation.
• Budget Management: Proven expertise in budget planning, financial analysis, and variance reporting, ensuring alignment with programme goals.
• Compliance and Delegations: Knowledge of public sector financial standards, with experience managing expenditure and delegation protocols.
• Value for Money: Demonstrated experience in promoting VfM principles, with a track record of driving cost-efficiency improvements.
• Continuous Improvement: Ability to identify and implement process improvements, enhancing financial governance and operational efficiency.
• Qualifications: Either hold or working towards a relevant financial management qualification (e.g. CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent) and experience within a public sector context.