52232 - Operational Finance Database Officer

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Background

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service is an agency of the MoJ and provides the supporting administration for the judiciary across England and Wales.  It delivers services to the public directly in court and tribunal buildings, remotely via business centres and some limited services via the internet.

The Judicial Pay and Pensions is part of the Finance Governance & Performance Directorate. The team administers the judicial payrolls, ensuring that judicial office holders are remunerated at the correct rates, be they salaried, fee-paid or non-legal office holders in the Courts and Tribunals. 

The Finance Support Centre manages the fee-paid payrolls. The Access Expense database holds fee and expense information and generates the fee-paid payroll. 
    
There are high expectations of all staff regardless of the job they do and high performance is expected from everybody. The organisation is continuously adopting new or better ways of working to ensure that it focuses on just that which is essential. Band D staff will need to display a commitment to four key principles: Continuous change, LEAN principles, managing uncertainty and improving performance. All those appointed to new roles in HMCTS must be wholeheartedly committed to these principles and evidence this in their application.

Overview

As a business unit, HMCTS Finance Support Centre is embarking on a period of significant change.  Strong leadership is a critical element in this being successful.  As a manager within HMCTS the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus, visibly championing the changes which deliver greater efficiencies. HMCTS is a continually changing organisation. Strong leadership is a critical element in this being successful. As a manager within HMCTS the jobholder must provide clear direction and focus, visibly championing the changes which deliver greater efficiencies. HMCTS Executive team expects all Managers to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

Operational Finance is part of the Finance Profession. 

The key purpose of the role is to

• Control and maintain the Access Expense database for judicial fees, expenses and witness and appellant costs arising from Courts and Tribunals
• Manage training, guidance, communications and feedback on the Access Expense system
• Perform independent checks and reconciliation of payrolls and manage emergency payments
• Produce management information, financial reports and analysis, on a regular and ad hoc basis

Key responsibilities

Operations

• Manage the Access Expense payrolls process, ensuring pay data submissions are correct and complete and run within the agreed timescales.
• Manage the payment of London weighting, ad hoc allowances and arrears payments.
• Maintain the Access Expense database, ensuring users are set up correctly, amendments are actioned promptly, leavers are removed, and that sensitive data is protected at all stages.
• Maintain expense types, payment elements, groups and codes, update venues and payment rates on Access Expense and Dimensions.
• Manage communications regarding changes to Access Expense to judiciary, staff and partner agencies.
• Co-ordinate and deliver training on Access Expense to Finance Centre staff and judicial users.
• Maintain all Access Expense guidance, circulating updates to staff and judicial users.
• Run reports to provide statistical and financial data for the management team, judiciary, Judicial College, MOJ Policy, Reform, HMCTS Management Accounting Team, MOJ Pensions team and Judicial Office.
• Ensure Governance and Assurance around the safe and secure receipt, accounting and transfer of both money and personal data.
• Deputise for the Band C Access Expense Manager as and when required.
• Deal with any accommodation issues that arise and liaising with estates/ facilities and/or contractors as required.
• Monitor and proactively report on HMCTS assurance programme and contribute to ongoing development.
• Ensure the risk management system and standards are applied by all staff in line with HMCTS/MOJ policy. Alert others, as appropriate, to risks which are not capable of local resolution.
• Apply CI tools and techniques to working practices to improve efficiency of operations.

Team leadership

• Contribute and participate in the management of the team; role model HMCTS values, and apply policies and procedures (including diversity, attendance and discipline).
• Assign responsibilities for action and monitor progress against plans.
• Identify staff potential and develop in line with business and individual needs.
• Ensure that performance management and reward & recognition systems are utilised effectively throughout area of responsibility, ensuring consistent standards through benchmarking, and encouraging and rewarding good ideas and creativity.
• Be responsible for health and safety issues for the team and their immediate working environment.
• Take a lead in employee engagement activities to maintain good working relationships with team members and to improve service delivery and staff morale / motivation.
• Ensure staff are aware of HMCTS strategic objectices/and or updated in relation to corporate messages.
• All Band D staff are expected to perform other management roles in addition to their own role.

Processing and managing casework

• Answer and/or appropriately redirect enquiries from HMCTS staff, judicial office holders and other customers.
• Investigate formal complaints and manage them to resolution, escalating policy issues to senior managers as appropriate.
• Process manual and emergency payment requests ensuring a consistent approach and that appropriate authority for payment is obtained.
• Take action on instances of non-compliance with policy and refer back claimants/users and team members accordingly.
• Assist with investigation and resolution or recovery of over/under payments via the Access Expense system. Make appropriate recommendations for remedial action.

Calculations and analysis

• Perform reconciliation of payrolls, taking action to resolve errors and anomalies in payroll data.
• Identify and implement solutions to local problems, referring complex issues and/or trends to the Access Expense Manager.
• Extract, collate and format data for management reports and ad hoc requests from MOJ Policy and/or Reform colleagues.
• Research trends and analyse financial data for regular management reports and draft appropriate commentary, identifying any trends or significant issues. 

Communicating with the public, juries, the judiciary, other court and tribunal users and representatives of other agencies and organisations

• Maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, supporting agencies, voluntary and user groups. Work with partner agencies to improve the level of service offered to users.
• Support Access Expense benefits realisation by providing guidance and training on system’s functionality to judicial office holders and increasing user take-up.
• Provide feedback to staff, judiciary and other stakeholders on process improvement and performance against targets
• Think beyond own area of responsibility, considering wider policy and organisational implications of issues.

Representation

• Represent the function you have been assigned to at an operational level
• Represent the Judicial Pay and Pensions team at project and policy meetings as an operational expert.
• Deputise for the Access Expense Manager in meetings with stakeholders and service delivery partners as required.

Specialisms

• In depth knowledge of Excel and the Access Expense system
• Working knowledge of functions undertaken within the Courts and Tribunals, to support the development and review of finance policies and procedures
• Analytical skills for the investigation and resolution of complex user/operational issues with the Access Expense system
• Contribute to testing and evaluation of further developments to the Access Expense system.  

Accountability

• Reporting to the Access Expense Manager.

Other duties

The post holder is required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.

Location of Post

This post is suitable for remote working and can be based at any HMCTS location.