Summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, we operate on a scale that is almost unmatched anywhere in Europe and most people in Britain come into contact with us at some point in their lives.

DWP Estates Directorate are accountable for the delivery of all aspects of real estate services and the work we do is critical in ensuring the vital work that the Department undertakes is enabled effectively. The DWP commercial estate is the largest within Government and our diverse national property portfolio reflects this scale. It is a unique mix ranging from modern corporate centres, multi-occupied Service Centres, to its frontline high street services.

We are responsible for the Department’s 900+ workplaces, that provide workplaces for 90,000 employees and a UK wide presence for all those that visit us. Ultimately, the Department relies on us to provide safe and secure buildings that are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the business.

The Department is also committed to delivering Sustainability and Net Zero Carbon improvements across its estate, demonstrating leadership in making the public estate smaller, better, greener. The work you will be undertaking is therefore crucial in us meeting the needs of all those who use our services

The Business Assurance Manager role will be based within the Cost and Supplier Performance Team of DWP’s Estates Directorate and provide support for financial and commercial assurance. This is a critical team that underpins the DWP Estates Business Plan, acting to support the Delegated Financial Authority of the Estates Director and their budget of c£900m+.

The role will be responsible for managing the governance and adherence to Purchase to Pay financial controls in support of the Estates budget.

Job description

Key accountabilities:

•Lead role in the governance of Estates requisitions and purchase orders, promoting a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure accuracy and compliance.

•Working in partnership with the buying team and with reference to the procurement pipeline, to review new contracts and contract variations to identify potential impact on category code requirements.

•Working in partnership with the Supply Chain Managers to impact contract changes to support financial governance and controls.

•Responsible for overseeing change control in relation to the Estates Devolved Financial Authority register and the Estates Integrator work order assurance and approval permissions.

•Support the Business Assurance Senior Manager to draft guidance for the whole of DWP on buying estates goods and services.

•Support the Business Assurance Senior Manager to draft and maintain purchase order compliance guidance in relation to the Estates goods and services for submission to DWP’s outsourced provider, in partnership with the DWP Purchase to Pay team.

•Support the Business Assurance Senior Manager by undertaking audit activities to deliver the audit plan.

•Preparation of reports in support of Business Assurance activities.

•Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to ensure the smooth resolution queries associated with Estates goods and services cost governance and financial controls.

•Manage issues using skill and judgement to ensure a smooth resolution and escalate to the Business Assurance Senior Manager.

•Encouraging joined up teamwork within own team and across other groups.

•Collaborate with stakeholders to establish professional relationships and to share information and provide support.

Responsibilities

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

•Demonstrable experience of supporting the management and control of large and complex budgets.

•Demonstrable experience of the end to end Purchase to Pay process.

•Strong previous experience and knowledge of impacting and implementing financial governance and compliance including finance processes, policies and procedures, preferably in Government.

•Demonstrable experience of managing and implementing change to procedures and processes.

•Demonstrable understanding and application of HMT VAT legislation.

•Capable of driving performance improvement through proactive management of processes and ensuring compliance with financial rules, policies, procedures.

•Demonstrable resilience in overcoming difficulties by taking ownership for resolving issues.

Desirable

• Understanding of Real Estate and related Statutory, Regulatory and Legislative requirements.

• Experience of VAT for public bodies.

Leadership attributes and behaviours:

•Reflect on own work, continuously seek and act on feedback to improve own and team’s performance. Ensure development objectives are set and achieved to address any gaps and improve delivery of current and future work.

•Have clear understanding of their role, responsibilities, and accountability within the team.

•Support continuous improvement of relevant standards, policies, processes, and governance relating to the role, identifying improvement opportunities and owning their implementation where applicable.

•Collaborate with team members and cross functional colleagues to identify and implement improvements in ways of working, policy, process and governance.

As a line manager:

•Ensure clear roles and responsibilities are identified for all team members with defined objectives and clear accountability.

•Establish development objectives for your team and ensure they can be addressed are set and achieved to address any gaps and enable delivery of current and future work.

•Take time to coach, mentor and develop other colleagues to support succession planning.

•Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities.

•Promote an innovative and high performing culture and ensure most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively.

•Ensure working practices of team adhere to department standards, policies, and processes and that appropriate governance is followed at all times.

•Encourage team to identify improvement opportunities to improve policies, processes and ways of working.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Desirable:

•AAT Foundation Certificate Level 2 or equivalent or working towards; and/or

•HNC Accounting or equivalent or working towards.

Behaviours

We\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

•Learning and development tailored to your role.

•An environment with flexible working options.

•A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

•A Civil Service pension.