C2/SEO NIC Project Accountant
Insolvency Service
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 3rd November 2024
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Salary
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
The National Interest Case (NIC) Project Accountant sits within the Project and NIC Team and is responsible for providing expert financial advice and support to the operational NIC team and wider stakeholders. This is an interesting and diverse role which allows the successful candidate to use their expert Financial and Accountancy knowledge to undertake a range of activities across the lifecycle of a number of NICs.
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!
Job description
This is an exciting and diverse role within the Project and NIC Team, which sits within the Strategic Finance Team and wider Finance, Commercial, Property and Sustainability (FCSP) Directorate.
As the NIC Project Accountant, you will provide expert support to the NIC Team as well as ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, working closely between the Strategic Finance Team and NIC Team members. This will involve working within the Strategic Finance Team, to take a lead on financial aspects on a portfolio of NICs.
Responsibilities:
The role involves a diverse range of activities, dependent upon the lifecycle stage of each NIC. Some typical examples of the responsibilities of the role in include:
Pre-Insolvency Stage
- Collaborating, and early inclusion in discussions, with stakeholders to help ensure delivery can proceed at pace, e.g. by engaging with funding partners to ensure sufficient capital and procedures are in place.
- Ensuring indemnities are in place.
Post Insolvency
- Regular liaison with Special Managers, e.g. to manage the financial reporting structure, funding transfers, VAT recovery and other receivables.
- Attending and participating in Official Receiver (OR) meetings with commercial partners and other government departments.
- Monitoring and reporting the realised asset income received by the Special Managers.
- Reviewing fee income value received by the OR to ensure accurate fee income is charged against the individual estates.
- Engaging with the OR around accounting treatment, including VAT.
- Undertaking reviews of invoices ahead of approvals, and maintaining supporting data.
- With commercial partners, managing cashflow positions and other financial statements.
- Managing the return of surplus funds to funding partners and liaison with Finance colleagues around central financial reporting.
- Preparing monthly forecast and annual budget profiles for NICs, also feeding into White Paper Accounts.
- Supporting the annual audit through providing responses to queries, and cross-government spending review.
Line Management
- This role will provide direct and/or indirect line management to the Cost Centre Managers on the team.
Person specification
The successful candidate will:
- hold a recognised Professional Accountancy qualification, such as ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA.
- demonstrate a strong understanding of a breadth of finance processes as well as technical accounting skills.
- show strong analytical, creative and pragmatic problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and implement improvements in response to business needs, whilst reflecting best practice.
- demonstrate excellent communication, relationship building and influencing skills, with the ability to present information clearly and explain complex issues to a range of audiences with varying levels of understanding.
- have a strong level of excel skills, with the willingness to enhance further.
- be able to work autonomously whilst being part of a team.
- be willing to travel occasionally for work-related meetings, team meetings and events.
It would be desirable for the post holder to have experience of PowerBI and/or Business World.
Qualifications
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Accounting Skills
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
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and a 500-word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Your personal statement should be no more than 500 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the job description and person specification.
We will assess your experience as part of the sift process. If successful, you will be invited to an interview where we will test your experience, technical skills, and strengths. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.
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 assessment/interview.
Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 04 November 2024
Interview – w/c 18 November 2024
Location - MS Teams
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
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/Disclosure Scotland 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 : Sarah Jeffrey
- Email : sarah.jeffrey@insolvency.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010.
There have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process.
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance: insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.
All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of the recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved.
Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised with Government Recruitment Service.
