Financial Controller

Serious Fraud Office

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 24th November 2024

 
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Details

Reference number

378000

Salary

£53,132 - £62,877
Staff applying on promotion within the Civil Service will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or receive a 10% increase on their existing salary. Individuals appointed on level transfer will retain their existing salary. Applicants from outside of the Civil Service should be aware that starting salaries will normally be at the band minimum and you should not expect to receive a higher salary.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Grade 7
Band B

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Accountancy
Finance
Other

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

The role will be based at our offices at 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5BS, in central London. We are operating hybrid working arrangements that require staff to be in Cockspur Street 40% of their working pattern.

Job summary

The Finance team provides support to all operational and non-operational teams across the SFO in managing their budgets, forecasts and accruals, and ensuring that that they have the right financial and management information and support to enable them to manage their resources effectively.  The Finance team also maintains the SFO’s Finance system, currently e-Financials (Oracle Fusion from October 24), and ensures that all income and expenditure transactions are processed promptly and effectively, and that appropriate financial records are kept.

 

The Financial Controller provides leadership to the Financial control function ensuring that suppliers, staff and witnesses are paid promptly and correctly while identifying improvements to processes and services where these will add value.  The Financial Controller is required to work with the Head of Finance taking the lead on the preparation of the annual accounts and the related submissions to HMT, as well as the compilation of monthly returns in compliance with existing Cabinet Office requirements on spending controls and transparency returns.

 

As a key member of the Finance Function Senior Leadership Team, you will also play an essential role in leading and building our future Finance Function, supporting the development of staff, role modelling effective leadership behaviors, ensuring we live our values and helping to embed the new finance operating model.

 

The Financial Controller is also expected to support the service owner for the SFO’s financial system – Oracle Fusion and its related modules.

Job description

Provide leadership and direction to staff within the financial control team ensuring that suppliers, staff and witnesses are paid promptly and correctly.

To identify and deliver improvements in the work of the financial control team.

Lead on the preparation of the annual accounts ensuring these are produced in line with the agreed timetable and to the required standard. In addition to act as the main contact during the subsequent audit by the NAO.

Lead on the compilation of monthly returns in compliance with existing Cabinet Office requirements on spending controls and transparency returns.

Ensure that all key account reconciliations are up to date and maintained in a timely manner.

Ensure that the SFO fully complies with its VAT requirements and manage the SFO’s cash requirements including forecasting of future spending.

Maintain an effective working relationship with the Head of Business Partnering, and assist other team members by sharing specialist knowledge and experience.

Contribute to office-wide initiatives such as inputting into policy development and other work that supports the continuous development of the SFO.

Person specification

See above and attached Job Pack.

Licences

Qualified Accountant (CCAB) with demonstrable experience of delivering Annual Accounts preferably in a central government context

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Delivering at Pace
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Changing and Improving
Alongside your salary of £53,132, Serious Fraud Office contributes £15,392 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme. For further details, click here http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions 

Generous annual leave provision of 25 days which increases to 30 days after five years’ service plus an additional day in recognition of the King’s Birthday and the option to buy or sell up to five days’ leave per year. Different terms may apply if you are already a Civil Servant.

Discretionary performance-related bonus scheme.

Interest-free season travel ticket, bicycle loan and cycle to work scheme.

Access to the Rental Deposit Salary Advance Scheme which assists employees in meeting the costs of deposits for privately rented homes.

Opportunities for learning and development.

Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies.

Voucher for eye care and discounted spectacles.

Access to a range of discounts through membership of the Civil Service Sports and Social Club, CSSC Sports and Leisure. http://www.cssc.co.uk/

Maternity and paternity leave provision over and above the statutory entitlements.

Access to My CPS Rewards Gateway. My CPS Rewards offers staff a range of rewards and savings including:

  • Discounts with high street retailers
  • Savings on grocery shopping at a range of supermarkets
  • Special salary sacrifice and recognition schemes
  • Reloadable gift cards and e-cards
  • Instant vouchers

Any move to the Serious Fraud Office 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/

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application stage

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

  • Confirmation of how you meet the Essential criteria as listed on the Job Description.
  • A personal statement of no more than 750 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the essential experience criteria as listed in the job pack, and what you can bring to the role.
  • A supporting CV outlining your career history.

CV & Personal statement will be used to SIFT. 

It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Behaviours and Essential experience as outlined in the Job Description will be tested at interview. 

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Timetable

Advert closes 24th November 2024

Sift to take place from 27th November 2024

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 2nd December 2024

All dates are indicative and subject to change.




Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : Robertson Bell
  • Email : katiemoore@robertsonbell.co.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : katiemoore@robertsonbell.co.uk

Further information

For external competitions there is no appeal against the selection decision. However, individuals have a right to appeal if they feel that the principle of appointment on merit through fair and open competition and the Civil Service Commissioners’ recruitment principles have not been met. Individuals who want to appeal should do this by setting out their grounds for appeal in an email for the attention of Head of People to People@sfo.gov.uk. If, after an internal appeal, you still believe that the Civil Service Commissioners’ Principles have not been met, then you can contact the Commission directly: Complaints should be sent in writing to: Civil Service Commission, Room G08 ,1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Email info@csc.gov.uk

Attachments

Service Owner - Job Pack Final Opens in new window (pdf, 707kB)

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