Surrey & Sussex Police – Finance Department 

Finance Business Partner

Vacancy Information

This is an exciting time to join us as we launch our newly redesigned Finance Service. We recognise how we use finance and our resources within Surrey and Sussex Police is increasingly important and our ambition is to be at the forefront in Finance Excellence in Policing.

This means us fundamentally changing both our culture and systems and processes. This will include setting new corporate standards, implementing new systems and processes, driving continual improvement and inspirational leadership. This is integral to our approach to modernisation and shaping our finance team and accountancy function to ensure we meet our strategy and operational needs now and in the future.

We want people to join us to help us achieve our ambitions and aspirations.

The Role

A fantastic opportunity has come up for a Finance Business Partner to join the Joint Finance Service at Sussex and Surrey Police.

This is an exciting time of change within police finance and part of the challenge will be to develop a performance culture in relation to finance management.

This role is to provide a single point of contact responsible for providing strategic financial information and guidance to senior management teams across both forces.

The role is offered on a permanent basis.

The post holder will be required to work with clients across both Surrey and Sussex sites and therefore will be expected to travel to locations in both counties as part of this role.

Vacancy information

We are looking for a dynamic individual with a positive attitude, capable and resilient, determined with a natural ability to solve problems, working under pressure to deliver consistently high quality finance services within a changing context.

Operating in a diverse and continually changing environment provides both opportunities and challenges for Surrey and Sussex Police. Providing high quality finance services and supporting Force priorities to keep local communities safe and feeling safe, building public confidence in your force and staff confidence in your procedures, you will be busy and challenged on a daily basis.

If you thrive in a complex and exciting environment and always strive for financial excellence, then this is the place for you and we would love you to join us. Sussex and Surrey police are two of only 3 forces nationally to have piloted the national Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s “Achieving Finance Excellence in Policing” programme.

Key Responsibilities

Working alongside other members of the finance team you will produce high quality financial reporting services, which will include taking a key role in supporting strategic financial decisions. You will create, manage and maintain Finance programmes that deliver continuous improvement. This will involve advice and support on financial management, forecasts, risk assessments, opportunities for efficiencies, and business cases. Other responsibilities include support and management of other members of the finance team.

Skills & Experience

To be successful in this role, you must have a solid financial background as a qualified CCAB accountant with relevant experience of working within a large and complex financial environment; with specific knowledge and experience of fulfilling a budget management role and clear experience of self-motivation and workload prioritisation. You will also have the ability to analyse complex financial issues and a record of developing and implementing strategies to address financial issues.   In addition to being CCAB qualified you will also be supported to achieve a CIPFA Diploma in Finance Business Partnering.

Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written are essential for this role, alongside good organising and influencing skills, with strong attention to detail and ability to plan workloads and support others to ensure that all tasks are completed to the required timetable.

Contact Details

For further information/an informal discussion about this role, please contact Andreas Efthymiou on 07546 415 794 / Andreas.Efthymiou@Penna.com at our recruitment partners at CIPFA Penna.

Interview dates - w/c 20 December

Diversity Statement

Surrey Police and Sussex Police are committed to providing quality in the service we deliver, the career opportunities we offer our people and to increase the diversity of our workforce to reflect the community we serve.

We value diversity and inclusion and want to attract the best people for the roles available regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, disability, social status and religious beliefs.

We want to do all we can to encourage fair and inclusive opportunities, helping us to ensure that all individuals are properly supported and represented.

We are committed to the elimination of unfair discrimination and we are determined to ensure that all our employees receive fair and equitable treatment.

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who are from different ethnic backgrounds and experiences.

Additional Information

Surrey Police and Sussex Police work together in collaboration for this role, however they remain two different employers, with differing pay scales, allowances and terms and conditions including hours of employment.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

If you are an internal candidate looking to apply for this role, please ensure that you discuss your application with your line manager before submitting an application. If you are conditionally offered the role your attendance record and any reasonable adjustments already in place will be discussed with yourself and your current line manager. If you are successful in your application, you may be required to resign and transfer your employment, taking on the Terms & Conditions and pay scales of the Lead Force (if this is not your existing Home Force).

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self-employed workers) covered under Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.