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JOB APPLICATION

PACK

Job Title: Head of Finance Business Partnering Directorate: Finance Department: Finance Business Partnering Location: Twickenham

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Dear Candidate Thank you for your interest in working for Thames Valley Housing. In this pack you find the Job Description and Person Specification for the role you are applying for. We encourage you to read the guidance notes and fill in the application form carefully. The criteria set out in the person specification contains all the competencies for this role and will be assessed at different stages of the selection process. Please see the guidance notes for further information on this. Thames Valley Housing is a user of the government’s “two ticks” disability symbol, which recognises organisations that are positive towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the short-listing criteria are guaranteed an interview. I hope that you find the job description interesting and decide to apply. I wish you success and we look forward to receiving your application form. Thames Valley Housing Recruitment Tel: 0300 456 2929 Email: recruitment@tvha.co.uk Web: www.tvha.co.uk/careers

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CONTENTS Guidance Notes for Applicants………………………………………………………………………………….4 Job Advert…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Job Description…………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Person Specification…………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Our Competency Framework……………………………………………………………………………………12

Appendix 1……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

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GUIDANCE NOTES FOR APPLICANTS Before you complete your application

Please read the job application pack before you apply online for the position - this contains all the

information you need to decide whether the job is right for you.

Read through the job description and person specification – they are the best places to find out

exactly what experience, skills and competencies you need to be successful in the role.

The person specification highlights the competencies we want to asses as part of our recruitment

process. Our competency framework is at the back of this pack.

You’ll need to prepare a CV – we ask you to upload your CV as a Word document as part of our

online application form.

Completing your application

When you’re ready to apply, click ‘Apply here’ at the bottom of the job advert for the position

you’re interested in and complete the online form.

We’ll ask you about your skills and competencies – as well as your CV, we’ll also ask you to upload

a personal statement or answer some questions online about how your skills and experience

match the essential criteria and competencies in the person specification.

You’ll need two good references - we will ask for contact details for your references in the online

application, but we won’t contact them until the offer stage. Your references should be:

- Your current employer. If you are unemployed, this will be your most recent employer. This will be

someone senior to you who can assess your work for us, not a colleague or friend at work.

- A previous employer or someone with a senior role who can vouch for you.

We’ll ask you for some personal information to help us monitor diversity and equality – the only

people who will see this information are the HR team who will use it for equal opportunities

monitoring purposes. It will be treated in the strictest confidence and does not form part of the

selection process.

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What happens next?

Assessments/Interviews

Our Recruitment team will contact you a few days after the application closing date if your application has

been short-listed. We will invite you to a competency-based interview, and ask you to complete some tests.

These could be ability tests, written exercises, job-related tests, psychometric tests or IT tests. We will also let

you know if you have not been shortlisted this time.

Driving

If the job needs you to drive, we will need to see your driving license.

DBS check

For some jobs we will need to carry out a Disclosure & Barring Service check. We’ll say so in the job

description if that’s the case.

Eligibility to work in the UK

It’s against the law for us to take on people who do not have the right to work here. If we offer you a job, we

will ask you to prove this to us. We’ll send you a list of documents you can use for this.

Data Protection

By law, we have to let you know that we keep the personal information about you that you put in a job

application. When you sign and send an application in, we take this to mean that you are giving us permission

to keep it, and to use it to get in touch with you, if we find a job we think would suit you in the following six

months.

Your Views

We’re happy to hear from you. We want to improve our recruitment, so please complete the Recruitment

Survey. https://tvhahr.wufoo.eu/forms/recruitment-what-was-your-experience/

Getting in touch

If you have any questions or problems at any stage of your application, please do get in touch with our

recruitment team on recruitment@tvha.co.uk.

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JOB ADVERT HEAD OF FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

Location: Twickenham

Salary: £56,250 rising to £62,500 per annum on completion of probation

Closing date: 23 January 2017

Interview date: 1 February 2017

About the Company

Thames Valley Housing Group is a medium-sized housing association based in Twickenham, South West London which owns and manage 15000 properties with a book value of over £1bn and turnover of £100m.

The group business is carried out through it is charitable company, joints ventures, associates and subsidiary some of which have a commercial objective in order to generate a profit to help fund our social purpose

About the role

We’re changing the way we provide management reporting and advice, with an emphasis on working closely with managers at all levels so that they can use financial information to improve the delivery of their work. This role, reporting to the Deputy Finance Director, will be responsible for leading the team providing accurate and timely information including:

Financial Planning & Analysis; Budgeting and Forecasting

Monthly Financial Reporting

Value for Money and Unit Cost Analysis

Financial Modelling for New Business Opportunities

About you

We are looking for a qualified management accountant who is passionate about partnering with managers to demonstrate the value that good financial information has for their work to come and be our Head of Business Partnerships. You will demonstrate experience of developing strong relationships with senior stakeholders, managing teams, delivering complex financial analysis and driving improvements.

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You will either be proven at this level and looking for a new challenge, or someone possessing relevant experience looking to make the next step in their career.

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Deputy Finance Director

Head of Finance Business

Partnerships

Housing Business Partner

Development Business Partner

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Head of Finance Business Partnerships Directorate: Finance Department: Business Partnerships Location: Twickenham Responsible to: Reporting to Deputy Finance Director Family tree (clearly showing the responsibilities for and to particular managers) Main purpose of the job We are looking for a qualified, enthusiastic person with a business partnership mentality to come and be our Head of Finance Business Partnerships. You will have a proven track record of developing strong relationships with senior stakeholders, managing teams, delivering complex financial analysis and driving improvements. You will either be proven at this level and looking for a new challenge, or someone possessing relevant experience looking to make a progressive move. Main contacts which the post holder has within and outside the organisation Internal: Deputy Finance Director and Group Finance Director, Housing and Development Business Partners, Head of Transactions, Commercial Assistant Finance Director

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Head of Treasury, all other Directors and Managers of Thames Valley Housing Association, Audit Committee Members External: Government Agencies, Internal Auditors, Homes and Communities Agency, Kier Plc (JV partner) Financial responsibilities of the post Submission as part of the Finance Department budget Principal accountabilities expected of the post holder: Financial Planning & Analysis

Leading the annual budget and forecast process including timeframes, templates,

communication of assumptions and advice;

Introduce analysis based on units and unit cost to highlight areas where Value for Money

opportunities exist;

Develop a suite of product reporting for the Executive team to show contribution to the

business;

Lead the development of real time reporting for the business to enable decision makers to

access accurate information directly;

Financial modelling of new business initiatives;

Development of a 3 year, medium term plan.

Monthly Reporting

Lead the monthly reporting process, coordinating handover from the Transactions, Financial

Accounts, Treasury and Commercial Finance teams in Finance by working day 4;

Ensuring that monthly reporting is completely in a timely way, leading the on-going

development of all business reporting so that it is a solid foundation for any financial planning

& analysis;

Responsible for payroll reporting and analysis;

Responsible for enhancing reporting on Joint Venture activity;

Continually use this information to understand business information and make

recommendations on how to improve business performance;

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Effectively communicate management accounts and reports so that the Operational and

Executive boards fully understand key data and are consequently able to make informed

decisions on their areas of the business;

Working with the Senior Management Team to account for their department performance.

Regulatory Reporting

Leadership of reporting to the Homes and Communities Agency on Value For Money/Unit Cost

Analysis;

Preparation of quarterly investor reports.

Business Partner

Business partner to the Deputy Finance Director, Finance Director, Chief Executive’s Office and

Corporate Services Director;

Maintains and builds a number of strategic relationships;

Plans and manages projects requiring considerable creativity, foresight and judgment;

Manages projects which require cross functional co-operation.

People

Responsible for and manages the business partnership team;

Shares knowledge with/provides information to colleagues and team;

Coaching/mentoring of others.

Other

An active leader in the Finance senior management team;

Plans and submits a budget on behalf of the team;

Owner and champion of PM10 the group reporting system, with responsibility for regular

updates and ensuring consistency with the statutory accounts;

Evaluates, adapts and improves standards, techniques and procedures;

May be a project lead or contributor to firm projects.

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To carry out other duties as may be reasonably assigned from time to time by the Deputy

Finance Director, Group Finance Director and such duties to be compatible with the level of

this job description.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Role: Head of Finance Business Partnerships

Directorate: Finance

Knowledge, Experience and Skills Essential

Significant experience post qualification in business partnering.

A proactive attitude to delivering information on time.

The ability to provide sharp analysis and insight behind the numbers.

A strong internal stakeholder, who is able to demonstrate confidence in their ability and

recommendations.

Experienced in leading and evolving Finance teams.

Proven ability to coach & mentor colleagues on their career journey.

Desirable

Experience using group reporting tools such as PM10, Hyperion and SUN.

Experience of joint venture, property development and property rental reporting.

Qualifications Full CCAB Professional Accountancy qualification

Competencies (Assessed by personal statement and at interview)

Core (refer to Competency Framework guidelines to determine appropriate definition) Applied Thinking (Professional) Recommends improvements to processes and services at a team level by analysing patterns and trends from information Results Focused (Professional) Uses Directorate/Department objectives to identify team KPI to drive service delivery and meet goals

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Planning and Organising (Expert) Develops project plans and identifies departmental activities and resources required to meet organisational goals Initiative and Innovation (Expert) Plans and implements new ideas in the long to medium term and takes the lead in delivering change within Directorate Working Together (Expert) Builds the team to deliver a high quality service Managing Relationships (Expert) Maintains networks and plans impact Continuous Improvement (Expert) Drives departmental activity to continuously improve systems and processes Customer Driven (Expert) Champions and promotes the delivery of quality service to all customers OTHER Good IT skills (accounting systems, business systems, excel and word) Commitment to Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety

LIVING AND DELIVERING THE CORPORATE VALUES

Think Forward – Question how we do things. Think Ahead. Innovate Think We – Let’s work together to achieve our shared goals. Think Openly – Let’s be transparent and true to our word. Think With Compassion – Offer your time and support. Act with empathy and understanding. Think With Energy – Be passionate about delivering great customer service and making things happen

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OUR COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

What are Competencies and how are they used? A competency is an ability, skill, knowledge or trait that is needed for the successful performance of a job. It is often defined in terms of behaviours. Overall, competencies are a set of behaviours that an individual must possess in order to perform to the optimum level within that role. When used properly, and in conjunction with other working practices and procedures, competencies can ensure fairness, openness and equality in the way we recruit staff, select people for training, identify clear development paths and promote people. The Competency Framework contains a total of ten competencies and it is considered that to carry out a role at a particular level an individual should possess those competencies that are ‘Core’ for that level. The depth of which these core competencies are required will vary according to each role. Core competencies are far broader in their application and apply to all jobs within TVH. This document details the core competencies which TVH recognises as necessary. The person specification highlights the competencies we want to assess as part of our recruitment process, but the following areas are important all of the time.

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Name Definition Level Descriptors

1 Applied Thinking Makes use of relevant information to resolve problems, identify opportunities and reach appropriate solutions.

Leader Identifies new business opportunities by evaluating company performance from a range of information

Expert Sets Directorate/Departmental priorities by developing solutions to support the business plan

Professional Recommends improvements to processes and services at a team level by analysing patterns and trends from information

Vocational Solves basic problems within clearly laid out policies and procedures

2 Results Focused – “Getting things done”

Achieves successful delivery of tasks and objectives by effectively managing others or taking direct action.

Leader Sets the performance framework for the organisation to meet corporate goals, achieve results and champions improvements

Expert Sets the performance framework for the Directorate/Department to meet objectives, KPIs and continuously seeks improvements in delivery

Professional Uses Directorate/Department objectives to identify team KPIs to drive service delivery and meet goals

Vocational Takes responsibility for achieving individual objectives and contributing to team targets

3 Planning and Organising Plans and organises work and activities to meet objectives whilst achieving quality and value for money.

Leader Structures the business plan to deliver key objectives while allocating appropriate resources

Expert Develops project plans and identifies departmental activities and resources required to meet organisational goals

Professional Delivers the project plan/departmental objectives to plan and budget

Vocational Contributes to the team/project objectives by effectively setting own work plan and prioritising key tasks

4 Initiative and Innovation Takes a creative approach to work by formulating new ideas or adapting existing ideas in a new or unexpected way to create opportunities.

Leader Develops ways of capturing innovation and creativity across the organisation and delivers through others

Expert Plans and implements new ideas in the long to medium term and takes the lead in delivering change within Directorate

Professional Develops and implements initiatives at a local level

Vocational Addresses current opportunities by improving and adapting existing approaches

Appendix 1

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Name Definition Level Descriptors

5 Working Together Works co-operatively and flexibly across cultures and organisational boundaries to achieve shared goals

Leader Creates a positive team working environment

Expert Builds the team to deliver a high quality service

Professional Involves others to work towards shared goals and objectives

Vocational Works co-operatively with other members of the team and direct customers

6 Managing Relationships (Influencing, persuading and negotiating)

Builds and maintains relationships to achieve positive outcomes for the Association

Leader Extends networks and uses indirect influence to build external relationships to achieve long term strategic organisational goals

Expert Maintains networks and plans impact

Professional Builds positive and reciprocal relationships that benefit the Association

Vocational Builds rapport with colleagues and direct customers/suppliers

7 Continuous Improvement (Striving for Excellence)

Looks for opportunities to improve (self, products and/or services)

Leader Creates a continuous improvement environment

Expert Drives Departmental activity to continuously improve systems and processes

Professional Delivers improvements at a team level

Vocational Drives self to deliver results and aspirations

8 Customer Driven Provides an excellent service to all customers

Leader Develops the strategy to meet the long term interests and aspirations of customers

Expert Champions and promotes the delivery of quality service to all customers

Professional Plans and organises delivery of customer service

Vocational Delivers a high quality service

9 Commercial Awareness Understands relationship of operational issues to wider business context

Leader Defines and develops TVH’s commercial objectives to maximise the organisation’s financial wellbeing

Expert Delivers the commercial objectives

Professional Understands the purpose and content of the Corporate business plan

Vocational Demonstrates awareness of commercial aspects of the business

10 Leadership (Developing and Managing People)

Inspires and motivates others to develop confidence and capability to realise their full potential

Leader Leads the organisations to deliver high performance

Expert Is a role model for effective leadership

Professional Supports team development

Vocational Gives basic direction and instruction

Appendix 1

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