About the job

Job summary

Are you a positive and proactive individual who is looking for an exciting role within a fast-paced function? If so, then we want you to join our inclusive Air Finance team at RAF High Wycombe!

The Air Finance Team consists of three functional areas; Finance Business Partners, Specialist Services and Finance Operations, which all sit within the Director of Resources area of responsibility, interacting with numerous stakeholders across the Command.

This recruitment is for 2 Higher Executive Officer positions within the Finance Operations Delivery team.

The team is made up of approximately 60 personnel, divided into 14 sub teams.

These posts offer the opportunity to build upon financial, communicating and influencing and leadership skills whilst working as part of a large, friendly, and flexible team. We are looking for proactive individuals to produce timely and robust financial information and inform 

recommendations to Senior management. Job holders will be required to liaise with stakeholders including wider finance colleagues (Civilian and Military), RAF Stations and Units and Senior Managers; therefore, proven communication skills are essential.

Professional Finance qualifications are not essential. Air Command is building a learning culture within the Function and your continued development is important to us, therefore support may be available for you, to undertake further appropriate qualifications or attend CPD events.

We are based at Headquarters Air Command at RAF High Wycombe; an attractive place to work, located in the village of Walters Ash. There are good public transport links with regular bus services to/from Aylesbury and High Wycombe as well as free car parking on site.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week with an expectation to attend the office on a weekly basis.

A reserve list will be created to allocate individuals to any additional roles that become vacant over the next 12 months

Job description

Finance Operations is responsible for conducting all foundation financial activities regarding Air Command through owning report production and initial financial analysis. The team provide an efficient and effective In-Year Management (IYM) and Annual Budget Cycle (ABC) reporting function across Air Command units.

Key responsibilities of this post include:

• Be a proactive line manager and develop a team of high performing Executive Officers.
• Review the upload of In-Year Management (IYM) and Annual Budget Cycle (ABC) profiles.
• Review and endorse the quality of variance analysis and commentaries, ensuring they explain any key changes in business activity.
• Check the correct process is followed for identifying and processing mis-bookings.
• Review the accuracy of accruals, prepayments, and deferred income journals and ensure they are being matched iaw policy.
• Endorse control total transfers within specified timelines.
• Check to ensure all expenditure items are correctly categorised as committed or uncommitted on the Planning, Budgeting and Finance (PB&F) system.
• Review the progress of Business Plans and collaborate with business managers and your team, to ensure all material changes are reflected accurately.
• Be the escalation point for business managers and your team when issues arise.
• Assist wider Fin Ops team with ad-hoc tasks.

Person specification

It is essential that the successful candidates can:

• Build effective relationships and manage engagement across a range of teams.
• Work flexibly in a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment.
• Communicate effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Display strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Work confidently and effectively in Microsoft Excel.

It is desirable that the successful applicant has:

• Previous experience in a finance role.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 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.

When writing Behaviours applicants are strongly advised to ensure that their submission uses the S.T.A.R. format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and demonstrates the behaviours detailed at HEO level in the Civil Service Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours booklet.   Comprehensive coverage on Success Profiles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles  

 Behaviours:

We'll assess you against these behaviours if selected for interview:

• Changing & Improving
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self & Others
• Managing a Quality Service

In your application you only need to provide evidence of:

• Communicating & Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service

You will also be invited to undertake an Excel test as part of the interview process

Candidates will be required to provide a CV, setting out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided any reasons for gaps in the last two years.  

Candidates will also be required to submit a 500-word statement of suitability explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provides evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the criteria set out above.

These cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the online templates provided on the CS Jobs dashboard.

Part-time or Job-share will only be considered provided full time hours can be covered.

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

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk  

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.  

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.