About the job

Job summary

Drop In Session

You can get more information about the role and working at the TRA by attending the drop-in session which takes place on 2nd July 2024 from 11:00 to 12:00. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions, including about the recruitment process from application to interview through to offer. You can join the session at any point throughout the hour by clicking the link here

The Organisation:  

The Trade Remedies Authority (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 are a growing organisation of over 150 people, headquartered in Reading – a stone’s throw away from Reading Station.  

Our mission is to defend the UK economic interests against unfair trade practices such as dumping, trade-distorting subsidies and unforeseen surges in imports.  We do this by investigating whether new trade remedies are needed to prevent injury to UK industries caused by unfair trading practices, making recommendations on appropriate measures to defend UK economic interests. 

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. We are an expert and dedicated bunch! As such, we are seeking to recruit an experienced 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 while supporting on a broad range of management accounts duties. This is a prominent role, supporting TRA’s ExCo and other budget holders to manager their non-pay budgets efficiently and effectively.

Job description

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.
• Support key fiscal events such as annual budget setting process (Business Planning) and mid-year budget realignment (Supplementary Estimates) for the TRA Directorates.
• Carry out monthly management accounting and month-end responsibilities such as ensuring accruals/prepayments journals are posted accurately with supporting evidences within deadline.
• Use your excellent Excel skills to carry out financial analysis of transactions.
• Support the quarterly forecasting and management reporting process such as preparing the management information packs for meetings, carrying out budgets vs actuals variance analysis accurately, preparing budget performance and forecasts movement commentary, and work with Finance & Commercial Lead as needed.
• Carry out monthly ledger analysis for the TRA cost centres to ensure accuracy of non-pay financial transactions, proactively identifying and correcting any errors.
• 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.
• Potentially 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.

Person specification

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

Essential skills and experience:

• CCAB part-qualified, AAT/CIMA will be accepted or be willing to study towards an accountancy qualification.
• Experience of carrying out month-end close (preparing and posting journals with supported audit evidence).
• Strong demonstrable experience of having supported regular forecasting and budgeting exercise for multiple areas with non-finance colleagues.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to prioritise your own workloads and deliver to conflicting deadlines.
• 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, skilled in variance analysis.
• Team player with ability to adapt to stakeholders’ ways of working and translate financial concepts for non finance professionals.
• 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. 
• 3 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).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,565, Trade Remedies Authority contributes £9,332 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Apply   

To apply, you will need to complete a CV and a personal statement.  Your CV (up to two-pages) should set out your education as well as your employment history, to demonstrate how you meet the Key Accountabilities required of this role. Your personal statement (maximum 750 words) should provide detailed evidence (with examples from your career) demonstrating how your experiences and skills meet the essential (and where possible – Desirable) requirements for the role. Our guide for candidates provides more useful information.​

Shortlist   

The panel will consider your application against the key accountabilities (CV) and essential criteria (Personal statement) for the role. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.

Interview   

The interview assessment will consist of a presentation exercise and an experience, strength and behavioural-based interview. We use Civil Service Success Profiles to interview for our roles. The behaviours that you will be assessed against at interview are Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace and Working Together. 

Interviews will be held at our office in Premier House, Caversham Road, Reading​

Expected timeline:

Drop in Session      2 July 2024.

Application closes   21 July 2024.

Shortlist                   29 July 2024.

Interviews                7th-9th August 2024.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to The Trade Remedies Authority from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via TRArecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.