About the job

Job summary

This position is to lead the Financial Accounting Team of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). This specialist team sits at the heart of Finance. The team is responsible for the integrity of the finance systems, statutory reporting and managing the balance sheet including fixed assets.

This is a key position offering an opportunity to shape how the team operates and influence its future direction.

Applicants must be CCAB qualified (or equivalent) with an excellent track record of delivery in large and complex organisations. You will enjoy collaborating and working with a broad range of stakeholders.

Job description

DVSA is a large, complex government organisation responsible for road safety. It operates across Great Britain generating annual income of around £400m and employing c4,600 people.

The Head of Financial Accounting is responsible for ensuring effective financial stewardship of DVSA. This includes compliance with financial standards and best practice, delivery of the Annual Report and Accounts, managing the annual audit and delivering an unqualified audit opinion.

The position directly leads a team of 5 colleagues, also providing influence and direction to the whole of the Finance department on matters of financial accounting. It provides expertise in financial accounting and has exposure to senior leaders as well as external stakeholders.

The position works with managers and leaders across the Agency supporting front-line delivery and decision making.

Responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:

• Contributing to the achievement of the DVSA strategy by ensuring that the organisation has robust systems of internal control, is financially sustainable meeting its financial objectives while realising value for money.
• Provide assurance to the Accounting Officer as to the propriety and regularity of all income and expenditure, assets, liabilities and reserves and ensure the accuracy and integrity of DVSA’s financial accounts and accounting procedures.
• Production of accurate and timely financial reporting including the published Annual Report and Accounts.

For more information about the role and responsibilities please refer to the candidate pack attached.

Person specification

You will be a fully qualified CCAB Accountant (or equivalent) with excellent knowledge and experience of financial accounting. You will have great communicating and influencing skills and able to deliver complex finance messages to a broad range of stakeholders. You recognise the benefits of change and encourage a culture of continuous improvement.

You are proactive with a strong record of delivery. You will have experience of leading financial activities in a large and complex organisation. You will have the confidence and enthusiasm to make a real impact within our team driving those around you to achieve the same shared objectives.

Additional Information

Please take note that DVSA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

This role can be based in Bristol, Nottingham or Swansea, your presence at one of these locations will form part of the working arrangements agreed with you. We operate a hybrid working model giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work. Our expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your time at your base location. Visits to other DVSA sites or work locations count towards this.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

Some travel will be necessary depending on location (estimated, 1 overnight trip per quarter, and 2 day trips per month).

About Us

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably.

We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

We’re working hard to:

• Make roads safer.
• Improve services for our customers.
• Make road transport greener and healthier.
• Harness the potential of technology and data.
• Grow and level up the economy.

We’re committed to giving all our colleagues purpose, professionalism and pride in what we do. We work in supportive, diverse and inclusive teams where everyone is valued. You can grow, develop and progress, and make a real difference to society.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice and welcome and encourage applications from everyone, such as ethnic minorities, women, disabled people and those who identify as LGBT+.

To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and making DVSA a great place to work visit our Careers website. 

Benefits

• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
• Exceptional pension with an employer contribution of an average of 27%
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days holiday, increasing by 1 each year of service, up to 30
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday
• Latest IT and Tech devices
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
• Excellent learning and development tailored to your role including paid apprenticeships up to Masters level
• Wide range of discounts schemes on high street names
• Employee assistance program for health and wellbeing
• Cycle to work scheme and Gym membership offers
• For more information see visit our careers page

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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement.

For your personal statement, please use the word count of 1000 words to provide evidence of when you have: 

• Significant experience of general financial management including producing full sets of published accounts following external audit.
• Experience of interpreting and implementing complex technical accounting rules.
• Experience of leading and developing a team.
• Experience of SAP, Oracle or equivalent systems including implementation of new systems.

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

• An interview.
• A presentation.

As part of the technical element, you will be accessed against the Finance Competence Framework. Please find more information here.

If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to work for DVSA and how to apply, we will be holding virtual sessions to find out more. Please click here to secure your place at one of our upcoming events. 

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

The Department for Transport recruits using Success Profiles. For each role, we consider what you need to demonstrate 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.

You can read more about Success Profiles here.

The sift is due to take place from the 29th of May 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the 17th of June 2024.

This interview could be conducted via a video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. 

We’ll try to meet the dates we’ve set out in the advert. But there may be occasions when these dates will change. We’ll give you plenty of notice of any important dates.

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.