Senior Financial Accountant (Ref:77653)

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.

Overview

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is responsible for all aspects of justice. We are proud to work together to make a difference for the public by focusing on protecting the public; reducing reoffending; delivering swift access to justice; and reforming the constitution.

The Financial Management and Control directorate ensures the MOJ spends its money astutely, forecasts that spend accurately against our control totals, always considers Value for Money, and ensures spending is within our financial control framework and government spending controls. We will always strive for continuous improvement, and drive and deliver change, applying proportionate levels of governance and risk.

Role summary

Financial Accounting and Reporting SEOs are expected to produce the statutory financial accounts, ensuring they meet FReM and HMT reporting standards. They will liaise with a range of colleagues and wider stakeholders to obtain and assure the information relevant to the production of accounts, and will liaise with the auditors to see the accounts to a clear audit certificate.

Typical role responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Reporting SEOs are expected to produce the statutory financial accounts, ensuring they meet HMT reporting standards. They will liaise with a range of colleagues and wider stakeholders to obtain and assure the information relevant to the production of the accounts.

Entry routes

Suitable for staff with the required skills and/or experience from within or outside Finance

Within Finance

This role may be suitable for individuals in the following roles:

•    Financial Accounting and Reporting HEO
•    Business Partnering HEOs or SEOs with sufficient technical accounting knowledge
•    Finance HEOs or SEOs with the required numeracy and technical accountancy skills

From outside Finance

This role may be suitable for HEOs on promotion and SEOs with the required numeracy skills.

Progression routes

Staff in this role typically move into other SEO roles in Finance or progress to Financial Accounting and Reporting G7 or wider finance G7 role.

Role responsibilities/tasks

The job holder will be required to undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

•    producing high-quality quarterly financial statements to challenging timescales
•    preparing or contributing to technical accounting papers and presenting these to senior management
•    reconciling ledger balances on a monthly basis and making sure discrepancies are resolved in a timely manner
•    reviewing current systems and processes to ensure they incorporate the appropriate financial controls, and that system documentation is accurate and up to date.
•    answering queries from internal and external auditors and resolving issues raised in management letters.
•    maintaining a strong working relationship with the NAO and other external stakeholders.
•    working with Business Partners and Management Accounting to better understand operational issues behind the financial information.

The post holder will be 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. This may also include working closely with other MOJ Finance staff to develop solutions/problem-solve, engaging in project work to drive finance improvements.

Behaviours required 

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

The following Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this role and will be assessed upon applications:

•    Making effective decisions
•    Delivering at pace
•    Communicating and influencing

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

If we receive a large volume of applications, we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is ‘making effective decisions’.

In addition to Civil Service Behaviours identified above, we will be asking questions to assess your technical accounting and Excel skills at interview.

Candidates should also provide a CV detailing their employment history and their key deliverables or achievements in each role.

Interpersonal skills

•    Ability to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders e.g. NAO, Finance Business Partners, Management Accounting
•    Good coaching and leadership skills with the ability manage a team, ensuring that staff are being developed and have the tools and support to deliver their objectives

Professional skills

Professional skill    Level
Understanding of International Accounting Standards    E
Understanding of all Govt guidance relevant to role e.g. FReM    E
Presentation skills    P
Drafting skills    P
Excel skills    E
Interrogation of technical systems    P

Key for levels of professional skills

•    A = Awareness
•    W = Working
•    P = Practitioner
•    E = Expert

Qualifications

•    Level 4 qualification with AAT, CCAB or CIMA or
•    Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent or
•    Working towards a qualification or
•    Financial experience over an extended period.

In addition to salary, a pensionable, non-contractual specialist allowance will be applied to this role for fully qualified appointees. Specialist allowances apply to certain roles only, are non-transferable to other roles and are subject to annual review.

Travel

The MOJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MOJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

This will be discussed and agreed upon completion of pre-employment checks.

Applicants are advised to access the JCC/JSO office map, which is updated whenever a new JCC/JSO site opens, to determine potential travelling times and distances to MOJ locations before applying for a job.

Application Process

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application. Should many applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, ‘making effective decisions. 

Candidates are required to submit a CV at application stage.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to interview, where the behavioural elements and strengths will be tested further alongside other elements of the post. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

Training 

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

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.

For further information please feel free to contact glenda.roberts@justice.gov.uk 

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Excel knowledge – we ask them to talk us through their use of some key Excel formulas
• Excel knowledge – we ask them to talk us through their use of some key Excel formulas

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances 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

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com