About the job

Job summary

The Finance team provides support to all operational and non-operational teams across the SFO in managing their budgets, forecasts and accruals, and ensuring that that they have the right financial and management information and support to enable them to manage their resources effectively. The team also maintains the SFO’s Finance system, e-Financials, and ensures that all income and expenditure transactions are processed promptly and effectively, and that appropriate financial records are kept.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team as a Finance Manager. You will be responsible for managing the Finance accounts payable / receivable team, ensuring that the team pay and record supplier invoices and staff expenses correctly and that key account and bank reconciliations are completed. You will also be responsible for working with the Financial Controller to ensure that required monthly returns are compiled and to assist with the preparation of FOI/PQ responses.  You will also play a big part during interim and final audits by working with the Financial Controller to liaise with the NAO and to provide them with information during the interim and final audits.

As the system administrator for the Finance System the Finance Manager also plays a lead role in ensuring non finance users are provided with training and that processes are properly documented and fit for purpose.

Working to the Financial Controller the post holder will also be responsible for identifying improvements to systems and processes. The SFO is currently planning to implement new IT systems to manage documents and to integrate financial and HR systems which post holder will have the opportunity to be involved in and will be responsible for managing the changes within the team.

Job description

As a Finance Manager you will be responsible for:

• Management of the accounts payable / receivable function, setting direction and ensuring that invoices and expenses are correctly paid in line with the agreed timetable while ensuring the maintenance of appropriate controls.
• System Administrator for the Finance System (eFinancials) ensuring the accounts payable / receivable team is appropriately trained and supported and providing training and support to non-finance users.
• Providing support to the Financial Controller with the monthly expenditure reporting, FOI and Parliamentary Questions.
• Ensuring that the monthly bank reconciliation is completed, that the VAT return is properly submitted and that balance sheet accounts are regularly reviewed and reconciled.
• Working with the Financial Controller to ensure that improvements to systems / processes are identified, implemented and documented including the new document and financial systems.
• Maintaining effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

For more information about the role, please see attached Job Pack.

Person specification

See above and attached Job Pack.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,797, Serious Fraud Office contributes £8,855 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 and Experience.

Application stage

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

• A personal statement of no more than 500 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the essential experience criteria as listed in the job pack.
• A supporting CV outlining your job history and qualifications, including how you meet the essential technical criteria for the role.

It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Behaviours and experience criteria as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview. 

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Sift to take place from 22 February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 4 March 2024.

All dates are indicative and subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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.