Commercial Finance Analyst

Job summary

We are excited to announce that we are currently seeking a part qualified/qualified Commercial Finance Analyst to join our Commercial Finance team at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The Commercial Finance team is a small team with a big remit. Our team plays a crucial role operating across critical commercial projects and procurement activities, providing colleagues with financial guidance and support across the entire life cycle of commercial contracts.

As a team, we are responsible for providing financial support to major procurements, projects and post contract award activities, which can include Open Book analysis, supplier viability analysis, payment modelling, and financial Strategy development.

The Commercial Finance Analyst will primarily focus on financial modelling and analysis, supporting different workstreams within the Commercial Finance team, including Health, Employment and Estates.

Job description

Tell me more about the position

This is an exciting opportunity to join DWP Commercial Directorate as an SEO Commercial Finance Analyst. Working as part of the Commercial Finance team, you will support commercial colleagues across procurement activity and the in-life management of contracts by providing financial analysis, insight and challenge.

Our team supports more than £11 billion of public sector contracts and plays an important role across the commercial lifecycle. This includes contributing to the design of payment methodologies for new procurements, supporting financial evaluation strategies, contributing to contract negotiations, and providing ongoing financial support during mobilisation and live delivery. Through this work, the team helps to strengthen financial oversight and support value for money across departmental programmes.

DWP is a large and complex organisation, and the role offers exposure to a broad range of senior stakeholders across Commercial, Operations and Policy. You will be expected to build effective working relationships, provide evidence-based analysis to support decision-making, and contribute to the wider development of commercial finance across DWP

The role offers the opportunity to work on high-profile and business-critical activity, while developing your professional expertise within a supportive and collaborative team environment.

Career Development & Learning

DWP is committed to helping you grow. You will join a team made up of colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing together different experiences, skills and perspectives.

You will have access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities from the outset, including a guaranteed five days of learning each year, alongside opportunities to develop your technical capability and broader professional skills.

As part of DWP Finance, you will be working in an organisation that plays a central role in delivering the Government’s welfare and economic objectives. The role therefore offers strong opportunities for professional development, supported by access to coaching, mentoring and collaborative working across the wider finance and commercial community.

Person specification

The role and responsibilities for this position include, but are not restricted to:

Financial Modelling

You will be working in a small team of modellers and accountants, supporting the standardised and robust approach to commercial financial modelling activities across DWP’s major programmes. This is likely to include:

• Should Cost Models: Supporting decisions on delivery options, including whether services should be delivered in-house or outsourced and estimating the likely cost of external provision.
• Pricing and Cost Models: Supporting the evaluation of supplier bids, including working with large and complex datasets to assess pricing structures and financial implications.
• Payment Methodology and Design: Working with commercial and operational colleagues to design fair and effective payment mechanisms that support value for money, manage risk and incentivise successful outcomes.
• Model Testing Regimes: Contributing to the design and operation of testing regimes to ensure models are robust, transparent and capable of withstanding internal and external scrutiny.

Analysis

Our work contributes directly to contract award decisions and can have a significant impact on departmental funding requirements. We assess the financial aspects of suppliers’ offers before and during contract delivery to support value for money across our programmes and reduce the risk of disruption to critical public services. You will apply strong analytical skills and curiosity to investigate complex issues and deliver insightful analysis in support of our programmes. This is likely to include:

• Financial Insight and Recommendations: Investigating complex issues, delivering insightful analysis, and developing evidence-based recommendations to support senior stakeholders and commercial decisions.
• Bid Evaluation Support: Building and using large databases, including those containing millions of data items, to enable rapid analysis within challenging timescales and support the financial evaluation process.
• Scenario analysis: Designing and running what-if scenarios to assess the impact of contractual changes, supplier profitability and regulatory developments.
• Presentation of analysis: Presenting analysis clearly and confidently to stakeholders, going beyond the numbers to deliver a compelling narrative that supports board-level decision-making.

The post holders will report to one of the Grade 7 Senior Commercial Finance Analysts supporting the Commercial Categories and to deliver its key objectives.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

The application process will involve uploading a CV and personal statement. To be successful, you must demonstrate your experience matching ALL the Essential Skills listed below. Further information under ‘Application process’.

What do we need to see from you?

To be successful in joining DWP Commercial Finance you should be able to demonstrate the following Essential Criteria as part of our application process:

• Financial Modelling: Demonstrable capability in solving problems through Excel-based modelling, including scoping, designing and developing new models.
• Data Analysis: Experience of producing bespoke analysis and turning complex data into clear, actionable insight and delivering a compelling narrative in a project or programme environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Experience of identifying, developing and embedding improved ways of working to enhance the service provided to stakeholders.
• Collaborative Working: Experience of working effectively across diverse stakeholder groups, using strong communication and influencing skills to manage and constructively challenge expectations.
• Communication: Experience of presenting financial and commercial analysis clearly and engagingly to support stakeholder understanding and informed decision-making.

Qualifications

This role is open to CCAB / CIMA qualified accountants or part-qualified accountants who are still studying. Please note the higher rate of pay is only available upon full qualification.

Memberships

Eligibility criteria for qualified accountants:

You must hold a full chartered level professional qualification awarded by a UK-recognised accounta