C2/SEO System Accountant
Insolvency Service
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 17th November 2024
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Salary
This post also includes a Recruitment and Retention allowance up to £6,100 per annum, based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience. Please note that negotiations for the Insolvency Service 2023 and 2024 Pay Awards are still ongoing. We will update this information in future adverts once the pay awards are finalised.
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Corporate Finance
Finance
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About the job
Job summary
Do you have a passion for finance and a desire to make a real impact to shape a modern, efficient and effective public service?
Join the Finance, Commercial, Sustainability and Property Directorate (FCSP) at the Insolvency Service!
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency, playing a crucial role in supporting businesses and individuals facing financial difficulty. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment where you can develop your expertise and contribute to the Agency's success.
This exciting new role sits within the System Accounting team, who work to support changes to the Agency's finance systems, and to support with live issues or incidents affecting these systems.
This C2/SEO System Accountant role is a great opportunity to help improve and assure financial systems in the Insolvency Service, ensuring that Finance and operational teams can work efficiently and safely to deliver great service to the public.
Job description
We are seeking to recruit a qualified or part-qualified System Accountant in our Finance, Commercial, Sustainability and Property directorate.
The role will report to the Head of System Accounting within the Core Finance team and will work closely with other functional areas within Finance, the wider Agency and across Government, requiring you to build a network of contacts to understand, improve and assure finance systems and processes.
This new role will focus on improvements to the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS) system landscape. RPS is a key area of the Agency's operations, providing support for thousands of people each year at a time when they may be at their most financially vulnerable due to redundancy.
The role offers exposure at senior levels, and the opportunity to work with multi-disciplinary projects.
The FCSP directorate has a healthy learning and development culture, and we are committed to supporting our staff develop the skills and experience to help progress their careers.
Responsibilities
As a C2/SEO System Accountant, focussing on RPS, you will:
- lead Finance engagement with an upcoming project to improve the RPS system environment, as subject-matter expert for the relevant Finance systems
- provide functional oversight of ongoing use, development and utilisation of Finance systems related to RPS
- lead on internal and external audit queries regarding RPS systems where these interact with financial systems
- assure RPS business and system changes, working closely with colleagues across the Agency to ensure future changes align to relevant accounting standards, best practice and Government Functional Standards, protecting the Agency's ability to meet statutory accounting and control obligations and best practice in financial reporting and insight
- identify and support opportunities for improvement, including scoping RPS requirements for future financial systems, testing and change impacting
- engage with system support teams to understand any live issues and effectively collate and communicate Finance impacts to stakeholders
- report to the Head of System Accounting on matters relating to finance systems, and make recommendations for the endorsement of plans relating to these systems
- support the Head of System Accounting with demand management, capacity planning and relevant training & guidance across the System Accounting team, the wider Finance function and the Agency as relevant
Person specification
The successful candidate will:
- be able to quickly establish strong working relationships with expert colleagues in Finance, IT and operational areas to collaboratively tackle complex problems
- understand accounting requirements, particularly Government financial reporting (Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM), Managing Public Money, Government Functional Standards) and payroll (RTI) requirements
- confidently and clearly explain technical finance IT functionality and accounting requirements in plain English, expertly communicating requirements, concerns and impacts verbally and in writing to stakeholders at all levels
- ensure that sufficient attention is given to documentation, assurance and testing of system design, fixes and enhancements to support financial control and audit requirements
- understand the business context of the financial systems, and work intelligently to achieve best possible outcomes for all stakeholders
- be able to prioritise demands and take ownership of workplans, working at pace and giving confident, evidenced expert advice to support delivery of tasks successfully and on time
- build knowledge on the Agency's structures, processes and systems, to support across the team where required
- engage with opportunities across the Government Finance Function to network and share System Accounting best practice across the sector.
- be required to attend the office at one of the locations listed for 60% of your working time, and occasionally attend other locations. This will count towards your 60% attendance.
Essential criteria
It is essential that the successful candidate either holds a recognised Professional Accountancy qualification (such as ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA) or is working towards qualification with the expectation of completing it within 2 years of taking up this post (this will be a contractual obligation, with full funding provided). They should also have recent practical experience in finance IT system design, improvement or management.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
Benefits
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:
- flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
- full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
- in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- 5 days paid leave for learning and development
- 5 days paid for volunteering
- a Cycle to work scheme
- staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life
- a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of at least 28.97%
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
We will use the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework to assess your application at all stages.
The following elements of the Success Profiles Framework will be used:
Experience: At both application and interview, we will assess your experience against the person specification. Please ensure you keep this in mind when completing your CV and personal statement, and when preparing for your interview.
Behaviours: At both application and interview, you should give examples which clearly demonstrate what you did and why, and the outcome, to demonstrate your experience of:
- Working Together (assessed at application and interview)
- Changing and Improving (assessed at application and interview)
- Communicating and Influencing (assessed at interview only)
- Seeing the Big Picture (assessed at interview only)
More information about the Civil Service Behaviours is available from the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework
During the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, a 750-word personal statement, and behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words, and should explain how your experience, skills and qualities provide evidence of your suitability for this role, with particular reference to the essential criteria and qualities outlined in the person specification.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will continue to test your behaviours and experience. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 18 November 2024
Interview – w/c 02 December 2024
Location - MS Teams
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Drop-in Information sessions
To help you decide whether you would like to apply, we will be holding two drop-in sessions where you can hear more about the role, including who we are, what our finance teams do, and what it's like to work in finance in the Insolvency Service.
You can access the sessions via the details below. If you have any issues, please contact the Job Contact listed further below.
Friday 08 November 2024 at 14:00 hours
Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 335 782 953 901
Passcode: RLUkWa
Dial in by phone: +44 20 7660 8304
Phone conference ID: 981 526 055#
Tuesday 12 November 2024 at 12:00 hours
Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 317 212 217 311
Passcode: N4tV9P
Dial in by phone: +44 20 7660 8304
Phone conference ID: 743 919 671#
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Transforming Workplaces
The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.
We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.
The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.
Hybrid Working
Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.
Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via Insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Dan Gordon
- Email : daniel.gordon@insolvency.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
