9171 - Accountant

Overview

HMCTS is embarking on a period of significant change which will see the organisation transform over the next 5 years. 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. The HMCTS Executive Team expects managers in the organisation to operate in a culture of openness and honesty, demonstrating a commitment to change through involvement and empowerment, and by delivering results.

The HMCTS Finance, Governance and Performance function will have a pivotal role in supporting senior stakeholders and their teams through the change, with the right strategy to build the necessary organisational capability and to realise the benefits needed.

Main purpose of the role:

As an Accountant in HMCTS your role is to protect value, drive value and add value.

Your role will be to support Senior Accountants to administer the financial reporting processes for the organisation, ensuring they deliver timely, fit-for-purpose products. You will assist with the preparation of the monthly management accounts and quarterly financial reporting for HMCTS, providing management commentary and ensuring any savings trends or opportunities are identified and flagged for management review. You will liaise closely with HQ finance and operational colleagues to ensure that key spending trends are identified and any budget variances are challenged at an early stage.

You will provide effective, active and dynamic leadership, communicating objectives, plans and priorities with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. You will become involved in national initiatives that continue to develop the finance function with regard to delivering accounting services and improving management information and where appropriate you will ensure compliance with CPD requirements, and keep up to date with accounting developments.

Key Responsibilities

• You will perform the necessary tasks to assist Senior Accountant(s) to administer budgets on a day-to-day basis.
• You will prepare outturn and forecast reports to ensure budget pressures/under-spends are identified early and managed appropriately.
• You will prepare and upload journals to the General Ledger (GL) and record transactions via various sub-ledgers.
• You will raise purchase orders and monitor receipting actions and system accruals.
• You will resolve invoice queries
• You will ensure financial transactions are correctly accounted for under relevant International Accounting Standards (IASs).
• You will upload budgets and assist in the regular BV reporting cycles ensuring that figures uploaded to the financial systems reconcile to approved delegations.
• You will work with and assist Governance and Assurance colleagues to ensure that key financial processes are delivering sound financial information.
• You will work with Senior Accountant(s) to actively track and monitor in-year spend and benefits, ensuring that these remain in-line with forecasts.
• You will perform detailed financial analyses to understand cost drivers with a view to identifying and realising cost savings opportunities.
• You will obtain a comprehensive understanding of spending trends and work with the Senior Accountant(s) to model key trends.
• You will produce unit costing and pricing reports for review by management and other relevant stakeholders.
• You will actively assist in producing, monitoring and reporting benchmarking information that drives consistent and standard approaches to financial planning.
• You will help produce excellent quality financial models and infrastructure.
• You will identify opportunities for improvements to the costing and modelling processes.
• You will assist the Senior Accountant(s) in producing financial reporting products and ensure that they are delivered to customers on time. These will include management accounts, reporting packs for lodgment to the HQ Finance team for consolidation, Year-end financial accounting returns to the relevant MoJ financial accounting team, and down-stream summary financial reports for use by front line delivery units.
• You will support the production and maintenance of the HMCTS finance manual, including details of finance guidance and policy.
• You will support the Senior Accountant(s) in liaising closely with senior operational managers and other front-line staff to ensure that key financial assumptions and financial control tools (such as those around sitting days, workforce planning and BAR returns) are communicated and understood.
• You will act as a key point of contact for both internal and external auditors on financial information, processes and controls.
• You will 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.

Key Skills

• CCAB, or equivalent, qualified (or the ability to evidence solid financial experience over an extended period of time and/or in a variety of finance roles).
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders.
• Exceptional written and verbal skills.
• Ability to work in a culture of change and work with risk.
• Adaptable and willing to review role and priorities with senior management team to meet the current and future needs of the organisation.

Competences (including Finance Specific Competences)

Delivering Value for Money (Level 3)

• Recommend actions to achieve value for money and efficiency
• Cultivate and encourage an awareness of cost, using clear simple examples of benefits and how to measure outcomes
• Work confidently with performance management and financial data to prepare forecasts and manage and monitor budget against agreed plans
• Follow appropriate financial procedures to monitor contracts to ensure deliverables are achieved
• Monitor the use of resources in line with organisational procedures and plans and hold team to account

Changing and Improving (Level 3)

• Find ways to improve systems and structures to deliver with more streamlined resources
• Regularly review procedures or systems with teams to identify improvements and simplify processes and decision making
• Be prepared to take managed risks, ensuring these are planned and their impact assessed
• Actively encourage ideas from a wide range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform own thinking
• Be willing to meet the challenges of difficult or complex changes, encouraging and supporting others to do the same
• Prepare for and respond appropriately to the range of possible effects that change may have on own role/team

Leading and Communicating (Level 3)

• Take opportunities to regularly communicate and interact with staff, helping to clarify goals and activities and the links between these and Departmental strategy
• Recognise, respect and reward the contribution and achievements of others
• Communicate in a succinct, engaging manner and stand ground when needed
• Communicate using appropriate styles, methods and timing, including digital channels, to maximise understanding and impact
• Promote the work of the Department and play an active part in supporting the Civil Service values and culture
• Convey enthusiasm and energy about their work and encourage others to do the same

Collaborating and Partnering (Level 3)

• Establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes

• Invest time to generate a common focus and genuine team spirit
• Actively seek input from a diverse range of people
• Readily share resources to support higher priority work, showing pragmatism and support for the shared goals of the organisation
• Deal with conflict in a prompt, calm and constructive manner
• Encourage collaborative team working within own team and across the Department

Achieving Commercial Outcomes (Level 3)

• Consider, in consultation with commercial experts, alternative ways of working with partners and contractors to identify more efficient outcomes, balancing cost, quality and turn around times
• Work with commercial experts in engaging effectively and intelligently with delivery partners in order to define and/or improve service delivery
• Gather and use evidence to assess the costs, benefits and risks of a wide range of delivery options when making commercial decisions
• Identify and understand relevant legal and commercial terms, concepts, policies and processes (including project approvals and assurance procedures) to deliver agreed outcomes

Managing a Quality Service (Level 3)

• Make effective use of project management skills and techniques to deliver outcomes, including identifying risks and mitigating actions
• Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and service standards to provide quality, efficiency and value for money
• Work with team to set priorities, goals, objectives and timescales
• Establish mechanisms to seek out and respond to feedback from customers about service provided
• Promote a culture that tackles fraud and deception, keeping others informed of outcomes
• Develop proposals to improve the quality of service with involvement from a diverse range of staff, stakeholders or delivery partners

Closing date: 25th May 2017 at 23:55 hours

If you require any assistance please call 0845 010 3512 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment@noms.gsi.gov.uk Please quote the job reference 9171