Remuneration: £198 per day.

Time commitment: 4 to 8 days per annum.

Role location: Remote but may be expected to attend some in person meetings. Out of pocket expenses will be paid for any in-person meetings requested.

Term: This appointment is initially until the end of June 2025 with an option to extend in future. 

The ability to speak and write Welsh is desirable. We will judge applications submitted in Welsh or English equally.

Closing date: 20 May 2024 at 23:59

About the Centre for Digital Public Services

The Centre for Digital Public Services (CDPS) helps to design and deliver better public services for Wales.

We are an arm’s length body of Welsh Government, set up to help deliver the Digital Strategy for Wales.

Our focus is on:  

  • creating shared digital standards (including for services and technology), building communities and sharing knowledge  
  • building skills and capability and a pipeline of digital talent  
  • creating multidisciplinary teams of digital experts who work in partnership with organisations to design and deliver better services

CDPS’s board were appointed by Welsh ministers in July 2022 to monitor and scrutinise CDPS’s progress in delivering its objectives, helping drive performance and providing challenge where necessary. Key to this is ensuring effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on governance, financial management and risk, including audit and internal controls in accordance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements and, where relevant, codes of practice or other relevant sectoral guidance.

The role

We are looking for a qualified finance professional to assist our board and serve as a valuable support between our Executive and Non-Executive Directors.

The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, excellent communication abilities and a deep understanding of financial standards. This position is an excellent opportunity to develop experience in a virtual board, engaging with a dynamic group dedicated to making a difference for the people in Wales.

You will mainly work with a subcommittee of the board – the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) oversees the finance and risk assurance. We are seeking to appoint a financial advisor to the ARC to provide the following: 

  • Attendance at quarterly ARC which are held virtually. Meetings (2 hours) are currently scheduled for 17 July 2024, 23 October 2024, 22 January 2025 and 30 April 2025.
  • Provide strategic advice to ARC across a variety of financial areas including quarterly management accounts and annual statutory accounts and reporting, debt management, cash management, insurance coverage, audit and risk etc.). 
  • Understand CDPS’s requirements under Managing Welsh Public Money. 
  • Comply with all industry rules and regulations. 
  • Liaise with the CDPS Executive regarding providers and value for money. 
  • You will be ACCA, ACA, or CIMA qualified. 

About you 

The ideal candidate will have: 

  • A commitment to the aims, objectives and current strategy of CDPS and the Digital Strategy for Wales. 
  • Proven working experience as a finance adviser, controller, planner, specialist or similar. 
  • Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills. 
  • Accuracy, attention to detail and the ability to explain complex information clearly and simply 
  • Previous experience of working with a board and executive (optional).

Our commitment to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce

We would like to highlight how important it is to us to actively hire individuals who can bring different experiences, perspectives, and cultures to what already exists at CDPS. We are passionate about growing into a more diverse workforce and positively encouraging applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.  

We recognise that British citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds sent 60% more CVs on average to get positive feedback from employers, compared to their white counterparts who had the same skillset, experience, and qualifications. (Source: Nuffield College’s Centre for Social Investigation (CSI)

We also recognise that over 1 million disabled people in the UK are denied opportunity to work (According to a 2022 survey from the Valuable 500).  

Research shows that, while men apply for jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised groups tend only to apply when they check every box.

So we encourage you to apply for this position, even if you don’t meet all of the written requirements, we’re open to meeting you and seeing how you can add to our organisation.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a short covering note to support your application. If writing is not your best form of communication, please advise this in the cover note, and we will look at alternative ways to review your application. We are happy for you to submit your CV without or name or anything that discloses protected characteristics. 

The covering note should:

  • Explain why you’re interested in the position. 
  • Provide evidence of why you’re suitable, based on the ‘The role’ section above. 
  • Tell us where you saw the position advertised. 
  • Email your application to people@digitalpublicservices.gov.wales

Eligibility  

You must be able to provide evidence of your experience against the above requirements. You should always conduct yourself in a manner which will maintain public confidence.

You must not be an employee of CDPS or Welsh Government. 

Please note, you will be ineligible if you:  

  • have within the preceding five years, been convicted in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and have received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine 
  • are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order or have made a composition or arrangement with creditors 
  • have had an earlier term of appointment with IWPRB terminated on the grounds it was not conducive to the interests or good management of the body for you to continue to hold office 
  • are the subject of a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 

You must have BPSS certification before starting this role, which we will pay for and process. See here for more information.

Conflict of interests

You will be asked to declare any private interests which may or may be perceived to conflict with the role and responsibilities of board advisor, including any business interests and positions of authority. You will also be required to declare these interests on a register which is available to the public. 

Standards in public life

You will be expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. You will be asked to subscribe to the seven principles of public life. The successful candidate will not be a board member for CDPS, but their position will allow them access to the board.

Public servants must not misuse their official position or information acquired in the course of their official duties to further their private interests or those of others. Conflicts of interest may arise from financial interests, and more broadly from official dealings with, or decisions in respect of, individuals who share private interests (e.g. freemasonry, memberships of societies, clubs, organisations, and family). 

Where a conflict of interest arises, appointees must declare their interest to the CDPS executive and chair to determine how best to proceed.