About the job

Job summary

National location £30,473-£37,215

Outer London location £32,469-£39,532

Inner London location £34,463-£41,478

You will be working with a highly motivated and passionate group of people and will be working alongside them in an exciting and fast pace environment with the opportunity to make your mark and influence government policy and delivery.

This role will help delivery of certain defined management accounting processes that cut across Finance Business Partnering (FBP) teams and other finance teams.  For the defined areas of responsibility, this role will liaise with counterparts in FBP teams to deliver processes that ensure best practice in Finance Business Partnering at a UKHSA wide level.  The post holder will assist the SEOs, G7s and G6 in taking steps to build accurate monthly management packs, build robust forecast positions and to improve overall reporting of the function. This may involve supporting both Business As Usual (BAU), Covid—19 and Change portfolios.

Location

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working – this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our offices, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home. UKHSA have office locations across the UK. 

• The preference is for the role to be based in Leeds or London. However, this role is available at all core locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London) with Hybrid working.

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.  

As of the New Year, the UKHSA policy is 60% office attendance (3 days out of 5) in line with the most recent UK Govt. directive on office attendance for Civil Servants.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.* 

Job description

Your main responsibilities will include:

• You will post accruals and transactions correctly, in a timely manner and with sound supporting evidence.
• You will undertake monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• You will monitor, analyse and report on accurate financial data.
• You will ensure that the system/ ledger data is correct.
• You will support SEO’s and G7 in improving and maintaining a robust project ledger reporting tool.
• You will liaise with General Project Managers and Projects Manager to create costings and then create new projects within MAPS system once approved.
• You will work with business groups to better understand capital expenditure and the nature of non-current assets, and action updates to the capital ledger.
• You will actively support the team in the implementation of new ways of working, adopting smarter processes. You will engage in continuous improvement through regular review and sharing of ideas to support improved ways of working and develop ‘thematic’ analytics expertise across the team.

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Working with a variety of stakeholders including business managers, the Accounting and Control Team, Financial Reporting (accounts) team and others as required to support the FBP team in ensuring compliance with financial process.
• Processing transactional adjustments for your business area and support the FBPs in providing robust financial management information to business units on a monthly basis.
• Supporting the FBPs in the year end accounts production process for your area working with your business area FBP to make sure all disclosure returns are completed accurately to pre-agreed timelines.
• Working with Accounting and Control Team and Financial Reporting team to provide/prepare evidence for year-end audit queries.
• Supporting FBPs in providing financial information or data gathering for FOIs/PQs for your business areas.
• Maintaining robust audit trails and records of key financial decisions.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

Essential

• Previous Accounting/Finance experience
• Experience of working in a diverse team to deliver an effective and efficient service, in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable

• High level of technical ability, including advanced Excel skills and experience in using Oracle based finance systems;
• Part Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent or working towards qualification

Benefits

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage. UKHSA ensures that the nation can respond quickly and at greater scale to deal with a range of health threats, including those of a future pandemic.

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this.  Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. 

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

For further information on the selection process, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th January 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews: TBC possibly WC 22nd January 2024

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

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.