About the job

Job summary

This role is in the central Financial Accounting and Control Team (FACT). In addition to being DCMS’ financial accounting Centre of Excellence, the team leads in the production of the consolidated accounts of the DCMS Group (with 34 of its 42 Arms Length Bodies directly consolidated)  and manages the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

The team is the hub for all financial operational and control functions including treasury management, VAT, purchase to pay support and manages the relationship with DCMS’ shared services provider.

The DCMS Finance team (of which FACT is an integral part) is relatively small and this provides opportunities for development not always found in a bigger department. Finance is high on the agenda and provides the opportunity to influence the direction of the Department for the future.

Please see candidate information pack attached below for further information.

Job description

We are recruiting a team leader to join the Financial Accounting and Control Team (FACT), your primary responsibilities are:

• Responsible for a list of ALB’s, ensuring their financial and non financial data is compiled, checked and included within our consolidation system including technical accounting alignment adjustments for those not using the FReM accounting.
• Joint responsibility for overall word version of the Group Accounts; preparation, reviewing, sense checking and proofreading of the final DCMS Group accounts, including commissioning other sections, challenge and review and collation into a single cohesive document.
• Joint lead on system developments to improve and streamline consolidation and financial reporting processes.
• Joint lead in the production of the DCMS Whole of Government Accounts.
• Supporting colleagues and ALBs in the resolution of technical accounting (and budgetary) issues.
• Joint liaison with the National Audit Office. 
• Development & line management of staff. 
• Completion of ad hoc tasks. 
• Working across the team to support other areas, share knowledge and build resilience in the team, supporting our vision as a high performing technical accounting Centre of Excellence, focussed on continuous improvement.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience.

Essential requirements:

• Qualified financial accountant (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) with demonstrable post qualified experience in a large finance team
• Experience of preparing (or auditing) accounts in conformity with relevant accounting standards
• Experience of managing or using complex accounting systems and advanced knowledge of Excel
• Be an excellent communicator, able to explain complex ideas both verbally and written at all levels
• Proven ability to work as part of a team delivering at pace in a fast-moving environment

Desirable skills:

• External audit background
• Experience in preparing consolidated accounts
• Knowledge and experience of the FReM, Consolidated Budgeting Guidance (CBG), Managing Public Money and HM Treasury’s supply estimates manual

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Hosted by Liam Ford (Head of Financial Control and Operations) Thursday 4th July 2024 at 12 pm

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest here and you will be sent an invitation. 

Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process, please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,839, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £13,456 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.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 pm on Tuesday 16th July 2024 via the CS Jobs portal.

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability.Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.

The interview process will assess behaviours and technical ability.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Leadership
• Working together
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at pace

The technical skills to be tested at interview are:

• Accountancy 
• Finance Systems
• Excel

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets.

Further Information

If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only., Prior agreement to be released on loan 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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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   

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

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. 

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one. 

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

Feedback

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 counter-terrorist 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.