About the job

Job summary

Do you have the experience of working in a Finance Transaction team?

Do you have outstanding numerical and communication skills?

Have you got a proactive approach to problem solving?

If so, we are looking for a Transactional and Compliance Manager to join us at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and we'd love to hear from you!

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) implements the government’s maritime safety policy in the United Kingdom and works to prevent the loss of life and occurrence of pollution on the coast and at sea.    

Safer lives. Safer Ships. Cleaner Seas.    

Our vision is to be a world-leading organisation, accelerating the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards. We put our people, our customers and our planet at the heart of everything we do.   

We welcome applications from all communities, and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.    

Job description

Here at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) we are looking for a Transactional and Compliance Manager to work within the Financial Transactions team and lead on the delivery of Purchase 2 Pay (P2P), Order to Cash (O2C) and General Ledger (GL).

The role will require the post-holder to build strong relationships with local finance contacts and operational areas, develop an understanding of the business to ensure financial processes are fit for purpose and deliver agreed outcomes.

The post-holder will have a key role to play in supporting the delivery of a range of initiatives that in turn support the organisation in delivering its objectives. The role will support business units and other finance colleagues to ensure Financial Operations can effectively underpin informed decision making and problem solving.

The post is responsible for delivery, processes, controls, and compliance of P2P/O2C/GL activity. The postholder will act as a liaison between the MCA and Shared Service provider and provide effective and inspiring leadership and coaching to the transaction team to ensure continuous improvement.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become a part of the MCA Team whereby your daily role provides a valuable enabling function for the delivery of a lifesaving service. You will have the opportunity to meet and build lasting relationships with stakeholders at all levels as well as plenty of development opportunities to either learn or build on your existing finance knowledge.

Full training will be provided to develop you as a Transactional and Compliance Manager and progress towards a professional qualification.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Manage and lead the P2P and O2C teams, ensuring delivery and compliance of activity within these areas and GL.
• Completion of monthly bank and control account reconciliations, maintain bank accounts & signatories and ensure funds are available to make payments.
• Support the delivery of and compliance against VAT, IR35, multiple workplaces, fraud and debt.
• Act as a subject matter expert in the delivery of Unity (Shared Service) project; to work closely with Departmental colleagues within DfT, HMRC and DLUHC.
• Support the delivery of notes and disclosures for Annual Accounts and Reporting; to work closely with National Audit Office during audit periods.

For further information about the role please see the attached.

Person specification

About You:

• You will hold or be studying towards a professional qualification under AAT/CCAB/CIMA.
• You will have exceptional communication and relationship building skills ensuring that difficult conversations are handled with ease.
• As a strong leader you will provide your team with guidance and support, developing their knowledge and confidence in their abilities.
• You will have working knowledge of Microsoft Excel being able to confidently and comfortably use its varying features i.e. formulas, data sorting, conditional formatting etc.
• You will have an analytical mindset and have the ability to interpret data for investigative actioning.

You would be described as a meticulous person, happy to concentrate on your work and do a thorough job even when under pressure and can carry out your duties with minimum supervision.

Additional Information  

Location Information - This role will be based from one of our offices in Southampton, Aberdeen or Cardiff. MCA supports flexible working and operates a hybrid working model between home and office for this role, giving you greater flexibility over where and when you work.

The expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace or out on official business. Details of the arrangement will be discussed further with your line manager.

There may be a requirement for occasional travel on official duty within the UK, which may involve overnight stays. Notice will be given prior to travel.  

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis until 28.03.2025 with the possibility of an extension or permanency.

Permanent Civil Servants will not be expected to change their employment status from permanent to fixed term appointment.

Internal applicants will be appointed on inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan agreement. The expectation is that you will return to your previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance. 

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.  

Click here to get a copy of the MCA Staff Benefits Brochure    

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency   

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.

How to Apply

Within your CV and personal statement please demonstrate your knowledge and experience of: 

• Bank reconciliations and manipulating large volumes of data.
• Working to strict deadlines and ability to plan and manage priorities.
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP - accounting systems).
• Line management of a finance team.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 1,000 words.

It is essential when submitting your personal statement that you provide as much detail as possible, and utilise the full word count given, against the essential criteria outlined above as this will be used in conjunction with your CV to assess candidate suitability to move to the next round in the recruitment process. 

The sift is due to take place on 26th & 27th Febuary 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from 7th March 2024.

This interview will be conducted face to face in Southampton. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

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

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

• An Interview 
• A presentation

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.