Finance Director – Capital

Department of Health and Social Care; London; On-site; GBP 105,000; Full time

Job description

London or Leeds

Job Summary

The Finance Director Capital is responsible for a range of high profile, stretching and complex areas – including managing the Department’s budget in line with government priorities.

DHSC is looking for an individual with excellent leadership, influencing, and finance skills who wants a challenging role in the heart of government, and who will want to make a strong corporate contribution to DHSC. Given the breadth and scale of the portfolio, the successful candidate must influence, advise, and persuade at the most senior levels in the Department, the wider health and care system, HM Treasury and across Government.

Reporting directly to the DG Finance and Group Operations, you will lead a large team based in Leeds and London with strong links to DHSC’s Arm’s Length Bodies and partner organisations.

Job Description

As Finance Director Capital, you will lead a Directorate of c.100 staff (with 7 Deputy Directors reporting to you) and have specific responsibility for:

• Managing a budget of £13.6bn (25/26) to deliver financial balance against the CDEL budget set by Parliament and ensuring best possible use of capital investment.
• Setting strategic direction and reform ambitions for health & care infrastructure.
• Leading on radial policy proposals via the Spending Review and the once-in-a-generation 10 Year Health Plan.
• Leading on all policy regarding the NHS estate, including RAAC, net zero and making most effective use of its PFI infrastructure.
• Improving DHSC’s overall delivery of major projects and programmes, including by leading the Department’s Major Projects portfolio and investment committee function.
• Finance business partnering for NHS Technology and the New Hospital Programme.
• Maintaining an effective counter fraud function, including by chairing DHSC’s Counter Fraud Board and sponsoring the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
• Sponsoring 4 Department-owned companies - NHS Property Services, Community Health Partnerships, NHS Professionals and Porton Biopharma Ltd.
• Advising on complex commercial projects, including PPE contract dissolution.
• You will be jointly responsible with the Finance Director Revenue for leading and developing the capability of the Finance Group across all our functions and professions.
  
  

As a key member of the Department’s senior leadership team, you will be expected to:

• Play an active role in the ongoing corporate management and development of the organisation and play a leadership role in the Government Finance Profession.
• Lead and develop a respected and collaborative professional team which commands credibility at all levels and promotes a culture of finance-based decision making and value for money across the organisation.
• Be a part of the Government Finance Function (GFF) senior leadership network leading, promoting and supporting the development and delivery of the GFF Strategy.
• Be responsible for protecting and supporting the Accounting Officer, ensuring appropriate regularity, propriety and stewardship in line with the requirements set out in Managing Public Money.
• Be responsible for taking decisions and making recommendations on the organisation’s finances. Make informed and trustworthy judgements through taking account of relevant context and making use of expertise and experience.
• Build a strong external network across a wide range of stakeholders, including government, NHS England, the NHS and wider public and voluntary sectors.
• Develop influential working relationships with other Government Departments, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and No.10 to ensure delivery of cross department priorities to meet DHSC needs.
  
  

Person specification

It Is Important Through Your CV And Statement Of Suitability That You Give Evidence And Examples Of Proven Experience Of Each Of The Following essential Criteria:

• Demonstrated leadership ability with a proven track record of building and motivating supportive, inclusive, and high-performing multi-disciplinary teams. With the ability to guide teams in operating at a strategic level, considering priorities from a systemic and nationwide perspective.
• Strong political acumen, with the ability to collaborate closely with Ministers, Board members, and other senior stakeholders. Capable of navigating complex, evolving, and ambiguous environments to negotiate effectively, influence decisions, manage risks, and make sound judgements on strategic and reputational issues.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including those within central government, partner organisations and Arm’s Length Bodies, and broader stakeholders.
• Relevant experience in Government spending and finance, with demonstrated capability to make informed decisions and recommendations regarding DHSC’s financial matters, including excellent understanding of the public spending framework.
• Successful demonstrable experience in assessing and taking decisions on material investment business cases.
• Experience of successfully working alongside major projects and programmes.
  
  

Qualifications:

Fully qualified with CCAB/CIMA or equivalent.

Salary and Benefits

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
  
  

Selection process details

To apply for this post please follow the online application and submit the following documents no later than 23:55 Wednesday 7th May 2025.

• A CV (which is for information purposes only) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your CV should be 2 pages or less.
• A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Applications will be sifted on statement of suitability. Please note that your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for an interview. Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend the interview.

If you are unable to apply online, please contact [e-mail]

Selection Process

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme and A Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of Assessments which may include a Technical Assessment and a Staff Engagement Exercise. 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.

Discussion with the Vacancy Holder

Shortlisted candidates may be given the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Andy Brittain, Director General for Finance, DHSC prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role, and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview to discuss your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification earlier in this pack. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation at interview on a scenario issued to them 30 minutes ahead of their panel interview. Full details will be provided prior to interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Nationality requirements

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
  
  

Contact point for applicants

• Name : SCS Candidate
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]