Head of Due Diligence and Investment Appraisal

Job summary

As Head of Due Diligence and Investment Appraisal, you will provide strategic leadership for DBIST’s specialist financial assessment function, setting the direction for how financial viability, deliverability, value for money and risk are assessed across high-profile grant and investment proposals. You will own the standards, assurance approach and senior advice that support Ministers, boards and senior decision-makers to take evidence-based funding decisions that protect public money while enabling economic growth.

Job description

As a senior leader, you will lead a team of specialist accountants and expert delivery partners, building capability across DBIST and ensuring robust due diligence, investment appraisal and financial risk assessment are embedded across the grant and investment portfolio. You will influence senior officials, Ministers, external advisers, other government departments and business leaders, using your professional judgement to provide clear advice on complex corporate finance, business case and subsidy issues. Your work will help DBIST deploy public funds confidently, secure investment across the UK and safeguard taxpayer value in line with Government Grant Standards, Managing Public Money and DBIST’s assurance framework.

Head of Due Diligence and Investment Appraisal

Key responsibilities:

• Set the strategic direction for DBIST’s due diligence and investment appraisal function, ensuring financial assessment activity is aligned to DBIST and wider HMG economic objectives.

• Own and continuously improve the assurance standards, guidance and operating model for Financial & Economic Assessment (Due Diligence), ensuring consistent, proportionate and high-quality advice across the grant and investment portfolio.

• Provide senior professional judgement on financial viability, investment appraisal, corporate finance, technical accounting and value-for-money issues, including where cases are novel, high-risk, high-value or politically sensitive.

• Lead portfolio-level assurance of due diligence activity, identifying systemic risks, quality issues, capability gaps and opportunities to strengthen decision-making, reporting and controls.

• Advise senior officials, boards, investment committees, Ministers and other decision-makers on the financial risks, trade-offs and assurance implications of grant and investment proposals.

• Ensure early and effective engagement with policy, commercial, legal, analysis and delivery teams so that appropriate Financial & Economic Assessment is built into scheme design, business cases and approval routes from the outset.

• Lead and deploy the G7 Forensic Accountant Team and specialist delivery partners through others, setting priorities, managing competing demands and ensuring resources are focused on the highest-risk and highest-value work.

• Provide formal review and senior clearance of Financial & Economic Assessment reports, ensuring advice is robust, concise, evidence-based and clearly framed for senior decision-makers.

• Build capability across the team, directorate and wider DBIST by developing standards, sharing learning, coaching colleagues and creating a culture of professional excellence, challenge and continuous improvement.

• Maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across policy teams, wider DBIST, other government departments, external advisers, applicants and beneficiaries to support joined-up delivery and credible challenge.

• Ensure grant and investment decisions are supported by complete, accurate and timely information through effective use of the Grants Hub System and wider reporting arrangements.

• Ensure all activity complies with Government Grant Standards, Managing Public Money and DBIST’s assurance framework, escalating material risks and issues where senior intervention is required.

• Act as line manager and senior leader for the team, setting objectives, delegating effectively, developing talent, managing performance and creating an inclusive, empowering and high-performing culture.

• Contribute to the wider leadership of the Grant Delivery Directorate and Corporate Services Group, deputising where appropriate and modelling the Civil Service Leadership Statement.

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and strategic leadership scope of the post.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• Significant experience of investment appraisal, financial due diligence, corporate finance, financial viability assessment or equivalent senior financial assessment work, with the ability to apply professional judgement to complex, high-value or high-risk cases.
• Strong understanding of value for money, business cases, financial risk, subsidy considerations, grant assurance and the stewardship of public money, including the ability to apply Government Grant Standards, Managing Public Money and departmental assurance requirements in practice.
• Ability to operate credibly with senior executives, Finance Directors, external advisers, senior officials and Ministers, providing clear advice, constructive challenge and confident recommendations in real time.
• Strategic leadership capability, including setting direction, prioritising across a portfolio, anticipating risk, improving systems and influencing how financial assessment supports DBT’s wider economic objectives.
• Proven ability to deliver through others, including leading specialist teams, developing capability, delegating effectively, managing performance and creating an inclusive culture of trust, empowerment and professional excellence.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex financial evidence into succinct advice for senior decision-makers.
• Strong organisational judgement and resilience, with the ability to manage conflicting priorities, make timely decisions under pressure and maintain quality across multiple live schemes and cases.
• Full member of CCAB body (e.g., ICAEW or Scottish equivalent, ACCA or CIMA).

Memberships

Full member of CCAB body (e.g., ICAEW or Scottish equivalent, ACCA or CIMA)

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Significant experience of investment appraisal, financial due diligence, corporate finance, financial viability assessment or senior financial assessment work, with the ability to apply judgement to complex, high-value or high-risk cases.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,185, Department for Business and Trade contributes £20,042 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
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