27604 - Financial Accountant
Overview
The Ministry of Justice sits at the heart of public service. It works to protect and advance the principles of justice that underpin our democracy. Common with other public services the department has also been at the forefront of the Governments wider efficiency agenda, supporting fiscal consolidation by driving innovation across our frontline services to improve productivity and through carefully prioritising diminishing resources.
The Ministry’s Financial Management and Control directorate is a newly formed directorate bringing together multiple teams from across the Ministry into consolidated teams and centres of excellence to deliver high quality financial management and reporting services for the Ministry.
The Ministry is looking to recruit a technically strong financial accountant to strengthen its capacity and capability in the area of producing the consolidated Departmental Annual Report and Accounts.
Other key areas that the role may contribute to include:
- Provision of analysis and advice in respect of accounting treatments, budgeting treatments and regularity and propriety issues;
- Production of Agency and Arm’s Length Body Annual Report and Accounts.
We are looking to recruit an experienced practitioner with an ability to analyse complex information, provide written and verbal advice and explanations that can be easily understood by both finance professionals and non-finance professionals and have experience in respect of reporting and accounts production.
Alongside strengthening capacity and capability, we need to ensure that the financial accounting function is agile and able to quickly prioritise work across the organisation to meet competing demands, therefore it is expected that this position will gain a solid understanding of accounting practices across the whole of the Ministry and is able to take on specific tasks/prepare advice in all areas as required.
Successful candidates may be seconded to other parts of the Ministry and its Agencies.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities may include a combination of the following as required:
- Supporting the production of unqualified consolidated Departmental, Agency and Arm’s Length Body Annual Report and Accounts to tight deadlines;
- Drafting & preparation of fully considered advice in respect of accounting, budgeting, regularity and propriety issues including co-ordination and collection of supporting information;
- Senior stakeholder management to ensure that any advice is based on fact, has been reviewed at the appropriate level and that any issues are raised in a timely and appropriate manner;
- Identifying and ensuring appropriate management of risks to delivery;
- Supporting the continuous improvement of business processes to increase efficiency;
- Ensuring that best practice and knowledge is shared across the Ministry group;
- Maintaining a strong working relationship with the NAO and other external stakeholders; and
- Managing and coaching more junior staff, ensuring that professional training requirements are met.
- CCAB qualified accountant (i.e. ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or a recognised equivalent
- Comprehensive knowledge of IFRS and/or FReM reporting requirements for central government
- Proven ability to meet tight deadlines within unpredictable and demanding environments whilst delivering high quality products;
- Proven ability to engage and communicate effectively with stakeholders;
- Experience of dealing with external auditors; and
- Excellent Microsoft Office skills.
- Understanding of financial management in a central government context.
- Experience of Oracle Financials.
Competencies
You will be required to demonstrate the following competencies:
Seeing the big picture
- Be alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit own and team’s work
- Develop an understanding of own area’s strategy and how this contributes to Departmental priorities
- Ensure own area/team activities are aligned to Departmental priorities
- Actively seek out and share experience to develop understanding and knowledge of own work and of team’s business area
Making effective decisions
- Identify a range of relevant and credible information sources and recognise the need to collect new data when necessary from internal and external sources
- Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw conclusions
- Recognise scope of own authority for decision making and empower team members to make decisions
- Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making to help build engagement and present robust recommendations
Delivering at Pace
- Successfully manage, support and stretch self and team to deliver agreed goals and objectives
- Show a positive approach in keeping their own and the team’s efforts focused on the goals that really matter
- Take responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to standard, giving credit to teams and individuals as appropriate
- Plan ahead but reassess workloads and priorities if situations change or people are facing conflicting demands
- Regularly monitor own and team’s work against milestones or targets and act promptly to keep work on track and maintain performance
- Coach and support others to set and achieve challenging goals for themselves
Changing and improving
- 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
- Actively encourage ideas from a wide range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform own thinking
Collaborating and Partnering
- Establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes
- Invest time to generate a common focus and genuine team spirit
- Readily share resources to support higher priority work, showing pragmatism and support for the shared goals of the organisation
- Encourage collaborative team working within own team and across the Department
Location
The post can be located at Ministry of Justice hubs in London, Birmingham, Leeds or Glasgow although a substantial presence in Glasgow will be required to facilitate contact with team members, stakeholders and finance meetings.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Flexible working hours
The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.
Benefits
The MoJ offers a range of benefits:
Annual Leave
Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Pension
The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training
The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.
Support
- A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
- For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Networks
The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
19/07/2019, 23:55 hours.
To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.
For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).
If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:
- You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
- You were studying abroad
- You were living overseas with parents
In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.
Candidate Information
You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:
- An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
- A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.
During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.