Spending Principal

Description:

An outstanding opportunity has opened up within HM Treasury for a strategic, analytical, and collaborative Spending Principal to join the Justice, Home Affairs, and Equalities team. This is a Grade 7 level post in the Home Office branch, responsible for delivering spending control, overseeing critical policy reform, and contributing to the broader public service reform agenda.

This high-profile role allows direct interaction with Ministers and senior officials, providing a unique chance to influence policy at the highest level. As part of the Public Services Group, you’ll help manage over £250 billion in public spending, directly shaping national policy in areas such as law enforcement, border control, and asylum.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide spending control oversight of the Home Office, analyzing financial plans, mitigating risk, and ensuring efficient resource use

• Lead the preparation and negotiation of Mains and Supplementary Estimates, including reserve claims

• Take a leadership role during spending reviews, guiding analytical inputs and helping Ministers assess investment trade-offs across government

• Drive high-profile policy reforms, particularly around visa and legal migration, workforce strategy, and capital investment

• Offer timely, strategic advice on new and emerging policy issues

• Line manage Senior Executive Officers (SEO) and Higher Executive Officers (HEO), and contribute to team leadership through matrix management

What We’re Looking For:

• Strong analytical and numerical capability combined with sound policy judgment

• Proven ability to work across complex policy landscapes, drawing insights from both quantitative and qualitative evidence

• Strong stakeholder and influencing skills, with experience working with senior officials, Ministers, and cross-departmental teams (e.g. No.10, Cabinet Office)

• Leadership and people management experience, particularly at SEO and HEO levels

• Comfortable with ambiguity, proactive, and capable of managing multiple high-stakes issues simultaneously

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years, plus 8 public holidays and King’s birthday leave

• Flexible working patterns: part-time, job-share, compressed hours

• Defined Benefit pension scheme with 28% employer contributions

• Generous parental and adoption leave

• Access to cycle-to-work scheme, season ticket advances, and staff networks for support and engagement

• Up to 2 additional flexitime days off per month