Consolidation Accountant

About HM Treasury

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

Public Spending Group

The Public Spending Group has a high-profile role in Government, setting the Government’s overall spending plans and ensuring they deliver value for money for the taxpayer. We are responsible for reporting to Parliament and the public on how taxpayers’ money is spent. We drive forward improved outcomes and efficiency in public services and enhance the value for money of decision-making through better evaluation, data and analysis.

We advise on overall government policy on public sector pay and pensions, the biggest single driver of public spending. We collaborate with and directly support departments to deliver the Government Finance Function strategy, building finance capability across government and developing the management information, tools and frameworks to better understand and ensure value for money.

About the Team

Government Financial Reporting (GFR) is a friendly and supportive team that sits within the public spending group and prides itself in developing professional technical expertise and working collaboratively with its wide range of stakeholders. It leads on a number of critical finance ministry functions including:

• Developing guidance and maintaining the integrity of the key financial management and reporting frameworks that underpin spending in central government – covering financial reporting, departmental budgeting and the Supply Estimates process (the means by which government spending is authorised by Parliament).
• Producing major financial and statistical publications, including Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis and the Whole of Government Accounts (which consolidates the accounts of over 10,000 public sector entities).
• Providing advice to government departments and Treasury Spending Teams (who manage the Treasury’s spending relationship with departments) on complex or novel transactions – particularly in respect of the financial reporting and statistical classification (e.g. whether they are on or off the Government’s balance sheet).
• Managing relationships with key independent external stakeholders, including the National Audit Office, the Office for National Statistics, the Financial Reporting Advisory Board, and a number of accounting standards bodies both in the UK and internationally.

GFR comprises around 30 members of staff and provides exposure to a wide range of colleagues across the Government Finance Function, as well as working on areas of emerging policy and risk management within government. The team is dynamic, and fully supports learning, development and growth.

Key Accountabilities 

The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is a set of consolidated accounts for the whole of the public sector. This is a highly complex account and at the forefront of what is done internationally. Each publication is a significant project with sophisticated technical and logistical issues. There is strong support for WGA both within the Treasury and from other interested parties such as Parliament, the National Audit Office and the Office of Budget Responsibility. WGA 2019-20 was heavily delayed as a result of a number of factors and now the Treasury is making a significant investment in its recovery plan.

The Senior Consolidation Accountant role will play an important part in this plan. We are looking to produce the accounts more quickly while continuing to improve the quality of the publication, remove the qualifications and ensure that the best use of it is made across user communities.

Key accountabilities for this role include:

1. Playing an important role in production of the accounts. Using technical expertise to prepare and submit complex journal adjustments in production of the accounts and producing individual notes to the accounts and financial statements, working at pace and collaborating with team members
2. Liaison with National Audit Office staff, working with little oversight to come up with effective and creative solutions, and responding to complex audit queries
3. Develop and nurture strong relationships with key stakeholders (both internal and external) to support successful WGA implementation
4. Seeking and implementing solutions to improve processes and systems, linking to faster delivery of the WGA account

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact Matthew Rowe – matthew.rowe@hmtreasury.gov.uk

About Your Application
 
We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.  

1. The lead criteria is: Experience of project working on a complex financial reporting process, keeping all parties on track to deliver against deadlines and priorities (Experience)
 
If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria only.

We will assess the below further criteria in your application form;  

2. Working at pace to help produce complex financial information (Delivery at Pace)

3. Ability to work collaboratively with finance colleagues to come up with effective solutions to complex issues (Working Together)

4. Ability to manage and influence stakeholders in a collaborative multistakeholder environment (Communicating and Influencing)

Required Qualifications: 
 
CCAB (or equivalent) qualified accountant or part-qualified accountant
 
Candidate Guidance Support Session 
 
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the link below to join the call at the right time. 
 
Wednesday 2nd August 12:30 Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 15th August 17:00 Click here to join the meeting

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

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)

• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)

• Generous parental and adoption leave package

• Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room

• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving

• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site

• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes

• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network).

Flexible working arrangements:   HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.

HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites – Darlington, London, and Norwich, with the expectation of achieving 50% attendance in the office as a minimum requirement, along with the flexibility of working remotely. This blended working approach allows you to work collaboratively, meet stakeholders face to face, support others and promotes a healthy work life balance (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. All our offices have been recently modernised and designed to collaborate and connect with colleagues as well as desk and quiet space to allow a range of ways to work.

Job contact :

• Name : Matthew Rowe
• Email : matthew.rowe@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk