Job Description

You will be responsible for the leadership of the financial accounting team, reporting directly to the Finance Director. You will deliver financial control systems, annual accounts and reporting process, cash management, payroll and financial governance.

You will have ownership and accountability for key areas of the Finance function, providing regular updates to the senior team including the Permanent Secretary. You will seek out innovative ways of delivering our financial policies and processes to maximize the value to both the public and the taxpayer. You will be a key member of the finance and wider corporate services Senior Management Teams.

This role will liaise closely with key internal and external stakeholders, including Ministerial teams, budget holders and teams across the business, internal and external auditors.
Key Accountabilities Include (but are not limited to):

• Lead the delivery of systems of financial control, ensuring that all transactions are monitored, recorded and reported appropriately
• Responsible for and lead on technical accounting, financial control and assurance across the Department, interpreting international accounting standards and government wide regulations to apply to the context
• Lead the planning and preparation of the Department’s annual statutory accounts, group consolidation and Whole of Government Accounts and ensure that accounting and assurance deadlines are met
• Manage our day to day relationships with stakeholders across government, including Treasury, Cabinet Office, and internal and external auditors
• Lead the financial accounting of team of 6 staff, with 2 direct reports

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Full CCAB qualified accountant or part qualified as a minimum
• Demonstrable experience of design and implementation of new financial processes and controls
• Demonstrable experience of preparing or auditing financial statements
• Experience of building positive and effective working relationships across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, and having a credible impact with senior colleagues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to comprehend complex technical information and distil it into a format that is widely understandable
• Experience of providing professional finance services to senior stakeholders and influencing business decisions.
• Experience of building, maintaining and leveraging collaboration networks and partnerships
• Experience of communicating financial information to a non-financial audience.