Assistant Financial Accountant
Department for Business and Trade
Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 27th September 2024
Details
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Salary
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Type of role
Finance
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About the job
Job summary
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the Department for economic growth and supports businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. DBT’s scope is unique, and you would be working for a team responsible for establishing the finance function and ensuring business continuity across all aspects of finance, including financial management, financial reporting, internal controls, financial governance, business processes and systems.
Financial Accounting, Reporting and Control Team (FARCT) lead on the production of DBT’s financial accounts, DBT’s relationship with the National Audit Office (NAO), HMRC and providing advice on compliance with HM Treasury and Cabinet Office controls. The team are critical in establishing and embedding high quality financial accounting controls practices and processes in DBT, within and beyond the Finance team.
FARCT plays a critical role within the Department’s Finance and Business Services Directorate with responsibility for ensuring compliance with financial standards and best practice, delivery of statutory reporting, oversight of key financial controls, VAT compliance, cash management. It is a high-profile team which also provides advice on the accounting, budgetary and tax implications of new projects and programmes.
The position reports to the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and will be expected to be flexible to take on varying roles in the team. You will be exposed to all aspects of the Department’s financial accounting and reporting and are required to share your financial accounting expertise with stakeholders across the department.
FARCT is looking for an outstanding, self-driven and enthusiastic finance professional with the required experience, skills, and personal qualities. You will be a results-driven, collaborative player, with excellent attention to detail and with the ability and communication skills to build good working relationships at all levels across the DBT family.
DBT will provide you with the opportunity for a diverse, exciting, worthwhile career and support you with training and development.
Responsibilities of the team:
- Overall primary objective is to deliver the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) and completion of the interim and final audit exercises each year.
- Financial Accounting and Reporting: Maintain the integrity of the Core Department's ledger, and assist in the production of the Departmental Group accounts, consolidating over 19 partner organisations with the Core Department. Provide expert accounting advice and information used to inform key decisions to wider finance teams within the Department’s and partner organisations’ stakeholder management.
Job description
Main duties include:
- Taking an active part in the month end accounts process including journal preparation – especially monthly VAT reconciliations, balance sheet reconciliations, accounts production and other general ledger activities.
- Engaging and working collaboratively with the wider finance community (including DBT’s Partner Organisations) to mitigate accounting risks so that the Departmental Accounts are free of material errors.
- Engaging with the auditors (NAO) to ensure that the audit process runs smoothly. Work collaboratively to resolve Management Letter Points, especially those relating to VAT technical issues.
- Completing the NAO disclosure checklist, challenging where necessary, and escalating potential issues to senior managers or decision makers.
- Taking a leading role in ensuring that correct public sector VAT treatments are applied within each supply procured by the wider businesses.
- Taking a leading role in carrying out the monthly VAT reviews and undertaking any necessary corrective actions through adjustment journals.
- Providing technical support to the VAT lead with review and timely submission of the quarterly VAT returns to HMRC and undertaking any necessary corrective actions through relevant adjustment journals in a timely manner.
- Becoming an expert in the department’s accounting systems used to prepare full accounts and associated notes using the relevant consolidation system tools, including EPM, CDM and Excel models.
- Identifying improvements to current processes and procedures, including engagement in projects to implement new systems.
- Working collaboratively in an integrated and interdependent way, to improve financial capability and understanding across the organisation.
- Supporting senior managers with making decisions on the accounts production process and other financial controls and risks.
Person specification
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
- Fully or part qualified accountant - CCAB (e.g., ACCA, ACA, CIPFA or CIMA) and If part qualified, you must be actively studying towards completing the accountancy qualification.
- Ability to build trusting relationships with various stakeholders and work towards influencing them.
- Must be a good team player, have excellent attention to detail and be someone who adapts to a changing environment, seeking opportunities to improve and progress their own work.
- Experience of financial management and transactions, forecasting and budgeting.
- Good written and verbal communication skills, including experience of communicating financial performance and management information to non-financial audiences.
- Excellent Excel and presentation skills.
- Experience of external audit cycles in Central Government/public sector set of accounts or private sector organisation.
- Experience of Group Accounts consolidation and producing financial statements in a complex organisation within or outside of government and making sound accounting judgements.
- Strong accounting skills (e.g., IFRS Application ability to accurately create accounting journals, identify the audit evidence required to support a transaction and perform General Ledger (GL) reconciliations).
- Experience of using different Group Accounts preparation and consolidation systems e.g., Oracle Financials, EPM, CDM or similar systems.
- Ability to work flexibly and respond positively to changing business needs.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of preparing financial statements and public sector financial reporting requirements (FReM).
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You will be asked to demonstrate for previous finance experience through a technical question.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the Essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
- A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the Essential criteria.
It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.
Further Information:
- A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
- Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
- The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
- New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
- Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
- A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
- Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
- Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
- This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland/Access NI 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk
Vetting
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Feedback
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 : Sabah Iqbal
- Email : Sabah.iqbal@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
