About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Are you looking for an opportunity for future career progression within the Finance Profession?

Are you passionate about building great work relationships with a range of stakeholders?

If so, we have a fantastic development opportunity for a Finance Assistant to join our Financial Control Team, and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) focus is on putting passengers and users at the heart of our transport system, helping to build a stronger economy and supporting investment and regeneration. Two Director General led areas consider conventional rail:

• Public Transport and Local Group (PTLG) works on rail strategy, policy and reform, as well as wider public transport including buses and devolution.
• Rail Services Group (RSG) is focused on the day-to-day operational performance of the railway, including managing rail operator contracts. 

This role is situated in the Financial Control team which is responsible for the overall co-ordination, monitoring, reporting and consolidation of the Programme budgets for conventional passenger rail. The role will report into the Financial Operations Manager and will support the delivery of key financial processes that ensure the department pays suppliers and records financial transactions appropriately. 

As Finance Assistant, you will develop a detailed understanding of the objectives, financial transactions and business areas of both PTLG and RSG and you will apply this knowledge to your expertise in financial processes to ensure operations are able to respond to different needs while maintaining a level of commonality through standard guidelines, frameworks, processes and tools.

Responsibilities

You will:

• Assist in the preparation of periodic Train Operating Company (TOC) payments for certification and authorisation.
• Load periodic Train Operator financial forecasts and actuals onto DfT’s management information system.
• Support in the collation of information / evidence for both internal and external audits.
• Be the IT focal point for colleagues, assisting with the requesting of software, IT equipment and maintaining SharePoint access.
• Act as the Specialist Requisitioner, working closely with contract managers to ensure prompt payments to our suppliers in line with departmental prompt payment policy.

For full details please see role profile.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

Person specification

We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly organised, team player who is flexible and will thrive in a fast-paced environment. 

You will have excellent interpersonal skills, be a confident communicator and be someone who can build rapport with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels.

You will enjoy proactively taking the initiative to find solutions to problems and have a high attention to detail to deliver accurate numerical data and information.

You should have some experience of gathering financial, commercial and technical data and information and be willing to complete a minimum of a level 4 finance qualification once in role (for which support will be provided).

Additional information:

You will have the option to be based in our London office attracting the London salary, or in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the National salary. If based in Leeds or Birmingham, occasional travel to our London office will be required for key meetings and team events.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.

 

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, Ability and Experience.

How to Apply

At the application stage you are required to provide a Personal Statement (max 750  words), please tailor this to provide evidence of your;

• Experience of building effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to engage with colleagues at all levels.
• Excellent planning and organisation skills and confidence working with data.

You are also required to provide one Behaviour Statement (max 250 words) providing evidence for Managing a Quality Service.

When writing your statements it may be helpful to use the STAR approach to show examples of specific instances where you have met these criteria. That is:

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in?
Task - What was the task that you had to complete and why?
Action - What did you personally do?
Result – What was the result of your actions? 

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application (Personal Statement and Behaviour Statement). 

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests and application is 23:55 on 04 August 2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. 

Your full application (including Civil Service Numerical Test, Personal Statement and Behaviour Statement) will need to be submitted by the closing date of 04 August 2024.

Please be aware that maintenance on the test system is planned for Saturday 27th July 2024. During this period you may not be able to access the testing system. Please ensure you complete the test outside of these dates. 

The sift is due to take place from 05 August 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 15 August 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview

This interview will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

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

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

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.