Assistant Finance Business Partner

Drop In   You can find out about us and get more information about the role by attending our drop-in session. You will have the opportunity to talk to people doing the job and ask any questions, including about the recruitment process from application to interview through to offer. You can join the session at any point throughout  on Tuesday, 11th July, between 11:30 to 12:30,  Click here to join the meeting.

The TRA is one of the first public bodies to be set up to meet the new needs of the UK following its departure from the European Union. We play a central part in ensuring that the international trading environment is fair as well as free, by protecting British businesses from unfair trading practices such as dumping, trade-distorting subsidies and unforeseen surges in imports.

We are growing to be an organisation of over 150 people, with our headquarters in central Reading. It is vital to me that we have a friendly, supportive culture, where you will quickly get to know who works here and where you will be helped to realise your full potential. We strive to be an outward-looking organisation, learning from international best practice and looking to add our own distinctive twist, such as developing our digital-first approach to trade remedy investigations. As an arm’s length body that is independent of government, we are passionate about living our values of integrity, expertise, transparency, and inclusion.

We are looking for professionals who bring relevant skills and expertise but who are also eager to learn and develop. Nobody joins the TRA as the finished article. If you believe that you have the experience and qualities to put your stamp on something new and exciting, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

About the role:

TRA’s Finance team puts Finance at the heart of TRA’s decision making and plays an integral role in ensuring our reporting is compliant and fit for purpose. As such, we are seeking to recruit an Assistant Finance Business Partner (AFBP); to support the management of our financial resources and provide expert Finance support to key internal and external stakeholders.

As the AFBP; you will work with TRA’s Budget Holders – using your finance expertise to build effective relationships with them and ensure effective operation of TRA’s financial and budgetary controls.

You will also manage our month end processes along with supporting on management accounts duties as well. This is a key role, supporting TRA’s ExCo and other budget holders to manage their non-pay budgets.   

Key Accountabilities:

• In order to perform in this role, you will need to:
• Work with Head of Finance & Commercial to implement and monitor robust internal controls system in line with internal audit recommendations and Managing Public Money (MPM) principles.
• Ownership of key management accounting policies, processes, and procedures.
• Lead on monthly management accounting and month-end responsibilities such as sending out monthly accruals commissions followed by ensuring accruals/prepayments are posted accurately with supporting evidences.
• Support the quarterly forecasting and management reporting process such as preparing the management information packs for ExCo meetings, carrying out budgets vs actuals variance analysis, preparing budget performance commentary, and work with Finance & Commercial Lead as needed.
• Provide assurance on the integrity of the ledger by ensuring accuracy of non-pay financial transactions (through posting accurate journals).
• Support year-end processes such as open Purchase Order (PO) close, accruals and prepayments adjustments, closing the ledgers.
• Provide training and support to the business on key financial processes.
• Line manage an Executive Finance Officer (EO) on purchase to pay (P2P) processes.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors including supporting with year-end audits.
• Liaise with parent Department (Department for Business & Trade) on quarterly forecasting discussions.

About you: 

To be successful in this role applicants should demonstrate the following:  

Essential skills and experience:

• CCAB part-qualified or willing to study towards an accountancy qualification.
• Previous experience of having supported forecasting and budgeting across multiple budget areas.
• Excellent Excel skills. 
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to prioritise your own workloads and competing demands.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to build and foster relationships with various teams across and external to the TRA.
• Strong attention to detail, high level of analytical ability and sound judgement.
• Team player with ability to adapt to stakeholders’ ways of working.
• Ability to support non-financial managers in managing their budgets.
• Prioritise and deliver quality outputs (with attention to detail and accuracy) to tight deadlines.
• Excellent numeracy and financial analytical skills.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Previous experience of having supported the production of annual accounts for an arm’s length body. 
• 2 years or more combined experience of supporting the production of full management accounts from end-to-end process and working with external and internal auditors.
• Knowledge of Managing Public Money (MPM).

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Job contact :

• Name : Rudmila Azad, Head of Finance & Commercial
• Email : Rudmila.Azad@traderemedies.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : TRArecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk