About the job

Job summary

Do you have excellent attention to detail and the confidence to advise and influence colleagues and stakeholders at all levels?

 

We are recruiting for Assistant Finance Lead to work within our Business Cases and Management Accounts & Monthly reporting teams. You will be working with wider Programme colleagues to support development and track progress of business cases, and supporting month-end activity including journaling and analysing spend, reviewing forecasts, and discussing performance with Finance Leads and Budget Holders. There will also be wider team activity they can support, including developing our guidance for all staff and improving our processes and controls. 

 

This is a key role and will require you to provide budget holders with sound financial guidance and advice. The role will require partnership working with senior budget holders to ensure compliance with all statutory requirements and best practice to assist business areas in achieving their objectives.

 

The Scotland Act 2016 devolves responsibility for a number of social security benefits to Scottish Ministers, as well as the power to top up benefits and create new benefits. The benefits  to be devolved amount to some £2.9bn expenditure per year in Scotland and required the creation of a new Agency, Social Security Scotland, to deliver these benefits to citizens.

 

The Social Security Programme Directorate has been established to take forward the Scotland Act powers on devolved benefits. This vacancy is in the Social Security Programme Management & Delivery Division of the Directorate. Programme Finance sits within the Programme Management & Delivery division within the Social Security Programme, working alongside Policy, Analysis, technology and change management experts to ensure that the Social Security Programme achieves value for money, continues to be affordable, and achieves its planned outcomes.  This is a large and growing business area: there are over 800 people in the Programme currently and this will continue to grow over the next year.

 

Programme Finance covers four key areas:

• Financial planning – supporting future years planning and the overarching business case for Social Security
• Financial planning – supporting the key business cases underpinning the programme
• Management accounts and monthly reporting
• Financial accounting, controls and governance

Job description

• Journaling and analysing spend each month, to understand where key spend is recorded in Social Security and changes month-on-month.
• Reviewing forecasts and actual spend against budget, and supporting monthly meetings with Finance Leads and Budget Holders.
• Supporting the Business Case team working with wider Social Security colleagues to develop business cases, including financial analysis and reporting.
• Working flexibly across the team taking on a range of other work as required to ensure that priorities are met.
• Maintain & develop forecasting models as required.
• Work with key Senior Budget Holders to support their financial requirements.
• Direct, coach and develop staff.
• Prepare and review financial information as well as undertaking financial and staffing reconciliations.

Person specification

1. Be able to demonstrate ability to apply your developing professional judgement in accountancy. With current knowledge of financial regulations.
2. Understanding and working knowledge of financial systems. Advanced excel skills with a proven track record of using excel effectively as a business tool.
3. Well-developed interpersonal skills, confident communicator with refined written communication skills and excellent attention to detail. Proven experience of stakeholder management across diverse teams.
4. Excellent numerical and analytical skills. With the ability to present complex information in a logical manner.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To be confirmed

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. 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.