Business Case Lead – Government Transformation Programme

About the role

You will own the interlinked business cases that underpin a major outsourcing and transformation programme for central government. The role focuses on turning input from commercial, finance, service design and operations into a single, defensible investment story that gains approval at departmental and Treasury decision points.

Key responsibilities

• Secure approval at each decision gate, ensuring evidence meets the required standard.
• Maintain a coherent investment narrative across multiple interdependent cases.
• Produce an options appraisal that is transparent, honest about uncertainty, and yields a preferred option that survives challenge.
• Deliver benefits, affordability and value‑for‑money analysis for finance and commercial sign‑off.
• Resolve conflicting expert input into settled evidence and agreed assumptions.
• Map the approvals path, identifying signatories, requirements, timelines and potential refusal triggers.
• Alert the Senior Responsible Officer early when a case is weak and recommend corrective actions.
• Leave behind templates and assurance standards for ongoing departmental use.

Required profile

• Proven record of leading public‑sector business cases to approval under the Five Case Model and HM Treasury Green Book.
• Strong financial analysis capability, including cost modelling, net present value, net present social cost, optimism bias, sensitivity analysis, switching values and benefits quantification.
• Ability to write concise, decision‑ready narratives for senior government leaders.
• Experience managing large‑scale outsourcing, market engagement or operating‑model programmes where investment decisions are contested.

Required skills

• Cost modelling
• Net present value (NPV) analysis
• Net present social cost analysis
• Optimism bias assessment
• Sensitivity analysis
• Benefits quantification