Credit: Pixabay

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is seeking a chief financial officer whose role will include responsibility for driving improved use of digital technologies and data across the department.

The £140,000-a-year, director general-level job comes with accountability for MHCLG’s operations, including overseeing the operating framework for its arm’s-length bodies. 

The successful candidate will also be in charge of developing a new digital strategy for the department, which will improve its internal tech support and use technology and automation more effectively to increase productivity.

Related content

• MHCLG digital chief: ‘I want us to be proud plumbers’
• Public sector finance officers say digital transformation is ‘top priority’
• Local Digital Fund dishes out £1.25m to 16 councils in first investment round

Alongside this they will oversee the department’s analysis and data function, to “ensure MHCLG develops into a ‘data driven organisation’ in line with the government’s data strategy, creating opportunities to embed innovative data solutions across the department and improve efficiency and informed policy development and its impact across the department”, the job ad said.

The CFO will also oversee HR in the department, including diversity targets and implementing a new strategic workforce plan.

The finance chief will help to lead the finance profession and deliver the cross-government finance strategy, as well as providing commercial leadership, overseeing the “large and growing” portfolio of financial investments in housing managed by Homes England, according to a job advert.

The role also includes overseeing negotiations between the Treasury and the department about major fiscal events such as spending reviews and budgets.

The job advert calls for an “outstanding, collaborative and inclusive leader” with the “ability to navigate and transform the performance and culture of large organisations with diffuse accountability and capable of making change stick”.

Applicants are therefore expected to have a preference for working collaboratively and be able to achieve their goals through “strong relationships, persuasion and influencing rather than positional power”, it added. They must, therefore, be able to be credible and confident dealing with public servants, businesses and ministers.

Applications are open until 9 December.