About the job

Job summary

In DHSC, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you’d like to work in, we’d love to hear from you.

The Department’s Financial Consolidation Team is at the heart of ensuring DHSC’s financial results are captured on an accurate and timely basis. This is critical to enabling decision makers to effectively manage the Department’s £150 billion annual budget.

The Group Annual Report and Account is key to the delivery of the DHSC’s objectives, allowing Parliament to scrutinise spending within the Health and Care system and contributing to the Department’s accountability requirements. The Department and the Group accounts are complex. If you can imagine an accounting scenario, then it probably happens somewhere within the Departmental Group.

We are a team of accounting experts who are relied upon for our expert advice, guidance and we are known for the quality of our outputs. The work is highly interesting and provides ample opportunity for the right individuals to grow and develop within the Department’s large and diverse finance directorate.

Job description

We are recruiting a Higher Executive Officer role in the Department’s Financial Consolidation Team. This role is critical in enabling the Department to produce our annual report and accounts and enable a successful audit.

This role provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the production of one of the largest and most complex sets of financial statements in Europe.

This role is stretching, requiring strong knowledge and experience of financial accounting and reporting requirements. It would be suitable for a finance professional looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to develop their skills in a high-impact area that consistently ranks as the public’s number one priority.

Successful candidates would receive strong investment in their learning and development, opportunities to work on a variety of exciting projects and ample opportunity for career progression.

It is essential that candidates for this role are at least part-qualified in a recognised accountancy qualification (CCAB or equivalent) and are actively seeking to become fully qualified. Those that hold a full CCAB, CIMA or equivalent qualification will be eligible for an annual market pay supplement of £7k. For more information on DHSC’s Market Pay Supplement Policy please contact the application contact point. The Department is an authorised training provider with all the main accountancy bodies and provides study support where this is appropriate.

Person specification

Role responsibilities :

• You will be part of a small team responsible for the preparation of high quality, IFRS-compliant, consolidated Departmental accounts to challenging timescales.
• You will undertake quality assurance of ALB and NHS financial returns for inclusion in the group consolidated financial accounts, including validating data and following up queries with individual organisations.
• You will calculate and process accurate and appropriate consolidation adjustments.
• You will build effective working relationships with key stakeholders and other teams involved in the preparation of the consolidated accounts, both internal and external to the Department.
• You will identify and take forward process improvements in relation to the design of the consolidation process.
• You will assist in the preparation of the Whole of Government Accounts return on behalf of the group.

Key skills and experience required for the role:

Essential:

• At least part-qualified (CCAB or equivalent). Where part-qualified, willingness to complete professional accountancy training.
• Practical experience in one or more areas of financial accounting, audit or preparation of statutory accounts.
• The ability to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders e.g. NAO, arm’s length bodies and wider business colleagues
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels in both written and verbal communication.
• Excellent IT skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to analyse complex financial data and draw well-reasoned conclusions.
• Excellent organisational skills and a proven ability to plan and manage competing priorities.

Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, usually either London or Leeds.  Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in person interaction and collaboration and enhancing team working, learning, and support. 

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate. 

Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need. 

There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,188, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £8,690 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Sift date: expected W/C 15/4/24

Interview date: expected W/C 29/4/24

Interview location: Virtual, by video. Further details will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

The available interview slots will be released with the sift scores.

Applications will be sifted on CV and Statement of Suitability. 

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert. Please also include a list of your relevant qualifications. 

Please use your statement of suitability to (in no more than 500 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert. 

An initial sift based on CV may be held if a large number of applications are received.  Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical. 

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service Careers Website here and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service Careers Website here

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance. 

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

Further Information

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

Any move to DHSC 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.

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.

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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 dhscrecruitment.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.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful. 

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above). 

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on either level transfer or promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

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.