About the job

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Job Title/ Position        Senior Financial Accountants (Capital and HMPPS)
Grade    SEO
Number of Vacancies    1
Business Group    Financial Transactions, Reporting and Governance
Directorate    Financial Management and Control
Location    National with occasional travel to London

Hours    37
Post Type     Permanent 
Role Type/ Team    Finance

Ministry of Justice an Inclusive Employer

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 of choice and ensuring equity of opportunity for all. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring in terms of their culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Overview

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is here to protect the public, reduce offending, and deliver swift access to justice. We are responsible for:
•    prisons
•    probation
•    courts and tribunals
•    a range of services to help victims of crime, children, vulnerable people, and those seeking access to justice.

The Ministry of Justice sits at the heart of public service delivery and the government’s wider social reform agenda, working to protect and advance the principles of justice. The department has been at the forefront of the Government’s wider efficiency agenda making finance roles an exciting and challenging opportunity.

The Ministry’s Financial Management and Control directorate brings together multiple teams from across the Ministry into consolidated teams and centres of excellence to deliver high quality financial management and reporting services for the Ministry. 

The Financial Accounting and Capital Accounting teams support the department by providing a centralised, professional service that supports the entire department and individual business areas and entities, whilst adhering to the key principles in Managing Public Money, the Estimates Manual, Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, the Spending Controls Framework and Budget Holder Responsibilities. 

Role Summary 

The roles advertised are in MOJ’s Financial Accounting and Reporting team, which produces financial accounts for the MOJ Group and agencies, and support accounts production for arm’s length bodies (ALBs): each year, we prepare and see through audit 17 sets of annual accounts. There are two roles available, one within the Capital Accounting team and the other within the HMPPS (Prisons and Probations Service) Financial Accounting team.

Financial Accounting and Reporting SEOs are expected to produce statutory financial accounts or estimates ensuring they meet HMT reporting standards. All Senior Financial Accountants and Senior Capital Accountants liaise with a range of colleagues and wider stakeholders to obtain and assure the information relevant to the production of accounts, and liaise with the auditors to see the accounts to a clear audit certificate.

Senior Financial Accountants and Senior Capital Accountants work with Management Accounting and Finance Business Partnering colleagues to support the organisation they have responsibility for, but are also a part of, and supported by, the wider Financial Reporting team which covers the whole of MOJ.

Typical Role Responsibilities 

Entry Routes 

Suitable for staff with the required skills and / or experience from within or outside Finance

Within Finance  

This role may be suitable for individuals in the following roles:

•    Financial Accounting and Reporting HEO
•    Business Partnering HEOs or SEOs with sufficient technical accounting knowledge
•    Finance HEOs or SEOs with the required numeracy and technical accountancy skills.

From Outside Finance

This role may be suitable for HEOs on promotion and SEOs with the required numeracy skills.

Progression Routes

Staff in this role typically move into other SEO roles in Finance or progress to Financial Accounting and Reporting G7 or wider finance G7 role.

Role Responsibilities/Tasks 

•    producing high-quality quarterly financial statements to challenging timescales
•    reconciling ledger balances on a monthly basis and making sure discrepancies are resolved in a timely manner
•    reviewing current systems and processes to ensure they incorporate the appropriate financial controls and that system documentation is accurate and up to date
•    answering queries from internal and external auditors and resolving issues raised in management letters
•    maintaining a strong working relationship with the NAO and other external stakeholders
•    preparing or contributing to technical accounting papers and presenting these to senior management
•    working with Business Partners and Management Accounting to better understand operational issues behind the financial information

Other duties

The post holder will be required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post. This may also include working closely with other MoJ Finance staff to develop solutions/problem-solve and engaging in project work to drive finance improvements.

The department is undergoing transformation and the postholder will be required to support the transformation of the MoJ Finance function. They will need to ensure that their team are central to the changes undertaken, that customer service is enhanced whilst maintaining effectiveness and improving efficiency.

Behaviours Required 

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours, and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

•    Making effective decisions
•    Delivering at pace
•    Communicating and influencing

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which can be found here, to complete this application: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

If we receive a large volume of applications, we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Delivering at Pace.

In addition to Civil Service Behaviours identified above, 

•     A Statement of Suitability is required consisting of a maximum of 750 words
•    CV

Interpersonal Skills 

•    Ability to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders e.g., NAO, Finance Business Partners
•    Good coaching and leadership skills with the ability manage a team, ensuring that staff are being developed and have the tools and support to deliver their objectives

Key Skills, Knowledge and Experience

•    Excellent communication, networking and negotiating skills
•    Ability to consolidate financial and other information to deadlines.
•    Experience of providing professional finance services to stakeholders 
•    Knowledge of IFRS and/or FReM reporting requirements for central government.
•    Experience of dealing with external auditors
•    Excellent Microsoft Excel skills

Professional Skills

Key for Levels of Professional Skills

•    A = Awareness
•    W = Working
•    P = Practitioner
•    E = Expert

Core

Understanding of International Accounting Standards    E
Understanding of all Govt guidance relevant to role e.g., FReM    E
Presentation skills    P
Drafting skills    P
Excel skills    E
Interrogation of technical systems    P

Qualifications 

•    Level 4 qualification with AAT, CCAB or CIMA
•    Qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent
•    Working towards a qualification
•    Financial experience over an extended period.
In addition to salary, a pensionable, non-contractual specialist allowance will be applied to this role. Specialist allowances apply to certain roles only, are non-transferable to other roles and are subject to annual review.

Travel

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.  Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

This will be discussed and agreed upon completion of pre-employment checks.

Applicants are advised to access the JCC/JSO office map, which is updated whenever a new JCC/JSO site opens, to determine potential travelling times and distances to MoJ locations before applying for a job.

Application Process

To apply please complete the online application form. Applications will be sifted by a panel who will look at the Civil Service Behaviour framework and what is evidenced in your application. Should many applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.  

Candidates who are successful following the sift process will be invited to interview, where the behavioural elements and strengths will be tested further alongside other elements of the post. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates in advance of the interviews.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees.

For further information please feel free to contact Jenny Wilcocks, jenny.wilcocks@justice.gov.uk

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, Ministry of Justice contributes £10,804 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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.