Director of Finance, Performance, Risk and Assurance
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
- Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
- Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
- Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
- Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
- Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.
Job overview
The Director of Finance, Performance, Risk and Assurance will provide financial leadership to c.6000 people, with core organisational spend of over £0.5bn and expenditure on vaccines and countermeasures of over £1bn coupled with overall accountability and leadership at Executive Committee level.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will drive our newly established functions to better harness digitalisation opportunities and target operational excellence.
They will lead the finance team and be accountable for business planning, fiscal events, and corporate reporting on financial and operational performance.
They will ensure corporate guardianship of budgets and protection of the accounting officer, driving sustainable improvements in financial management, controls, and accounts.
They will be accountable for leading a clear financial strategy supported by optimal resource allocations, investment choices, and maintaining aggregated financial and operational performance reporting for informed decision-making and providing in depth analysis of trends and relevant insights to inform decision making.
They will provide strategic leadership for risk management, assurance, compliance, and audit, escalating risks to the Executive Committee as necessary.
They will need to demonstrate strategic engagement across the Agency, Department and wider government. Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, including DHSC Finance, HMT, Ministers, and other internal functions, will be key.
They should look to drive continuous improvement in financial management, ensuring value for money and alignment with UKHSA’s strategic vision.
They will collaborate with key stakeholders including technical experts in our Science and Commercial areas on growth and business
Working for our organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- Lead on all aspects of financial management and oversight for the UKHSA while maintaining strong control of the strategic financial position.
- Be a fully participative member of all relevant boards offering sound and robust advice and assurance
- Lead the management account production and reporting the financial position at strategic level to provide insight and highlight the key issues, risks and opportunities to senior budget holders and leadership teams in the context of both the business areas supported and the overall financial position of UKHSA.
- Lead the production of the interim, statutory and whole of government accounts, accurately, on time and in line with the requirements of HM Treasury and the NAO ensuring compliance with financial accounting updates.
- Lead on UKHSA’s financial planning at single year and multiyear Spending Reviews and Fiscal Events and be responsible for building and maintaining the relationship with HM Treasury.
- Be responsible for reporting and advice. You will have a good understanding of operations of UKHSA and be able to provide sound and robust insight on complex or high-risk issues as well as updating and the development of all financial policies and training staff to ensure full compliance with finance procedures and processes.
- Drive forward continuous improvements in analysis and insights and drawing forecasting improvements and enhancing the understanding of cost drivers.
- Lead the team to continuously improve UKHSA’s finance and governance activity’s engaging with Non-Executive Directors, Board members and colleagues to seek feedback as appropriate.
- Champion Diversity and Inclusion across the directorate and the wider organisation. As an organisation we are committed to creating, nurturing, and sustaining an inclusive and respectful culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of out workforce and wider communities.
- Identify the strategic risks facing the organisation and ensure that appropriate controls and mitigations are in place.
- Lead the delivery of an organisation-wide incident and risk reporting system, ensuring trends and themes are identified are acted on and lessons learnt disseminated to avoid future problems.
- Manage the relationship with UKHSA Internal Auditors and ensure delivery of an annual internal audit programme that provides the Chief Executive as Accounting Officer and the Audit and Risk Committee with an appropriate and balanced view of the adequacy of the system of internal control, for which the post holder is responsible.
- Lead cross-organisational regulatory compliance and assurance activities, ensuring that the requirements of regulators are met.
Location.
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London)
Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
It is important through your Application Form and Statement of Suitability that you provide evidence and examples of proven experience of these selection criteria.
Essential criteria:
- Outstanding finance leader who delivers results by building highly effective teams and working collaboratively to deliver results across the Health system and wider Government. Experience of successfully building and maintaining broad networks and relationships with organisation senior leaders, using communication and influencing skills to challenge assumptions and negotiate ways forward in complex, ambiguous and regulated environments.
- Board level or equivalent experience of developing and delivering the strategic direction of a complex organisation, with demonstrable experience operating as a Finance Director, Chief Financial Officer or equivalent. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to confidently, clearly and credibly influence strategic planning with experience of working at Board level with both Executive and Non-Executive Directors to shape the financial narrative.
- A proven track record in leading strong financial management and delivering value for money as well as managing the legal and technical aspects of complex projects. Knowledge and experience across all finance areas including financial control, reporting, risk, assurance, performance in a complex and / or regulated business; with a high level of relevant professional, technical skills.
- Strong leadership skills, and the ability to motivate and develop a variety of teams and professions, promoting operational excellence whilst leading teams through a period of organisational change. Committed to fostering an inclusive and values-driven workplace, ensuring that diverse perspectives are embraced and contribute to meaningful progress.
- A strategic problem-solver with a strong ability to leverage business insights and analysis to tackle complex financial and operational challenges. Experienced in driving innovative solutions to enhance efficiency while ensuring organisational compliance in highly regulated environments through effective monitoring, audit, and assurance frameworks. Adept at utilising audit and assurance principles to identify risks, strengthen internal controls, and promote corporate transparency and accountability
Requirements of the role (e.g. qualifications, licenses and registrations)
Essential:
- A strong understanding of business management functions and/or corporate governance / risk management.
- Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent professional qualification. (The successful candidate could be in process of completing essential qualification on the understanding that the qualification standard would be met within 1year of appointment)
- Successful candidates must pass a Security Clearance (SC)
- Successful candidates must also meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.
Desirable:
- Knowledge or understanding of the public health sector.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
This vacancy will use Success Profiles.
At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria within the Person Specification section listed.
You will be required to complete the following:
- An Application form setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements and relevant professional qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The application form needs the same information as a standard CV.
- A Statement of Suitability (up to 1500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement.
If we receive a large number of applications an initial sift against the lead behaviour (Leadership) will be conducted.
Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Assessments
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in an Independent Leadership Assessment (ILA) which will include psychometric tests. An ILA is a 90-minute session with an occupational psychologist aimed at gaining an understanding of your preferred behavioural style in the workplace.The assessment will be informed by online psychometric assessments you will have completed beforehand, the results of which will be explored as a part of the discussion during the session. After the ILA is completed, the assessor will formulate a narrative report which is given to the panel prior to your formal interview.
The assessment will take place online between the sift stage and interview. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Stage 3: Interview (Success Profiles)
You will be invited to a face-to-face interview.
Interviews to be held in person at UK Health Security Agency, 10 South Colonnade, London E14 4PU.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
Interviews will be held week commencing the 9 July 2025 or the 16 July 2025, please note these dates are subject to change.
This vacancy is being assessed using Success Profiles. During the interview we will assess you against the below:
Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance.UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Application form and Statement of Suitability
Behaviours:
Essential criteria- Leadership
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules.Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase.Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree.You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include:
- Generous annual leave:
- 26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
- 28 days after 5 years of continuous service
- 32 days after 10 years of continuous service
- Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday
- Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
- We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
- We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.
As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview.If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police Check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.
Internal Fraud check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances.Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.
Security Vetting
Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels