About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.

Our Structure

The Finance, Commercial, Sustainability and Property Directorate manage, oversee and analyse the Agency’s financial and commercial activity. By reporting on our current position, forecasting our future budgets and working closely with internal and external stakeholders, we play an active part in understanding the agency’s performance and in shaping its current and future financial position.

Job description

This is an exciting role within our newly formed Financial Planning & Analysis team, which is responsible for setting the Agency's financial strategy and reporting the financial position through to budget holders, our Executive Committee and Board and our external stakeholders including our sponsor department.

As a Management Accountant you will be responsible for reporting the financial position at strategic level, adding value to numbers by providing insight and analysis, highlighting key issues and "telling the story" around financial information.

The team is strategically placed at the heart of the organisation within the Strategic Finance Team and is made up of six members who are located across the UK. The role will include line management responsibility for one HEO.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead and coordinate the monthly financial closedown process.
• Create, provide and present reporting outputs at stakeholder meetings, including:

1. Management accounts for budget holders (in accordance with Government Accounting Principles). 
2. Other standard finance reports and dashboards for internal and external purposes e.g. reporting through to our Executive Committee and Board and external stakeholders including our sponsor department and other funding partners.

• Review financial performance and gather commentary to provide incisive narrative and summaries for senior management.
• Build a detailed understanding of in year current and forecast expenditure and income.
• Build and maintain relationships across Finance, the wider Agency and our sponsor department and funding partners.
• Lead the translation of data into meaningful reporting outputs, adding insight to financial data to support key discussions.
• Provide cover for Grade 7 during absences.
• Support Finance Business Partnering Teams and Financial Planning with reporting related queries.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate evidence of

• They can work confidently and effectively in Microsoft Excel.
• The ability to work autonomously.
• The ability to establish and build positive relationships through good interpersonal skills and communication skills.
• They can analyse data and provide meaningful insights to finance and non-finance professionals.
• Experience of or willingness to develop skills on Power BI or similar data analytical tools.

Essential

• Successful candidates who are part qualified will need to commit to completing a full CCAB or CIMA qualification including practical assessment requirements within 2-3 years - This will be a contractual obligation with full funding provided
• Willingness to travel infrequently for team events and meetings (averaging 6 occasions a year)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,880, Insolvency Service contributes £11,307 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 Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV,  and 500-word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your personal statement should be no more than 500 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

We will test your experience as part of the sift process, if successful you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your technical skills and strengths.

Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected Timeline (subject to change)

• Sift – w/c: 04/03/24
• Interview – w/c: 25/3/24
• Location - MS Teams

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process

Further Information

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

Any move to Insolvency Services 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

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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

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 insolvencyrecruitment.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 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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.