Salary - £37,488-£38,895 (Cheltenham), £39,454-£40,842 (London)


About You

Please note that you are required to meet the following essential criteria to apply for this role:
• You’ll be Level 4 AAT qualified (or equivalent)
• You’ll have demonstrable experience in a similar role

Ideally, you will be working towards a CCAB or CIMA qualification.
We also value qualities such as teamwork, professionalism, innovation, and the desire to make a real difference. You’ll enjoy working with others to solve problems. And you’ll be able to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders and negotiate effectively with them. This will all be supported by your passion for finance and an aptitude for figures and spreadsheets. Most importantly, you’ll be keen to learn and always approach your work positively.


The Role

We have Financial Accountant vacancies across various finance functions. Descriptions of each team, as well as the responsibilities of Financial Accountants within these teams are detailed below.
Please indicate your preferences on your application form.


Financial Analysis

The Financial Analysis team provide financial analysis and insights. This gives accurate and timely financial information that meets business needs.

As a Financial Accountant in this area, you’ll be responsible for key month-end activities, ensuring that reports are accurate and provide useful insights.

You’ll also:
• Ensure the integrity of transactions on financial systems, ensuring good controls and checks are in place to maintain accuracy.
• Use the management reports to provide meaningful and insightful analysis for senior managers and decision makers.
• Undertake all month end activities, including approving journals, budget profiling and accurate forecasting.
• Provide explanations for significant changes in forecast and actuals; provide updates on issues and risks to senior managers.
• Produce high quality reports and insightful management information for senior managers.
• Develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders and negotiate effectively with them e.g. Finance Business Partners, Governance, senior budget holders (customers).
• Effectively manage a team of one to two people, using coaching and leadership skills.


Financial Accounting and Reporting

The Financial Accounting and Reporting team provide services concerned with the summary, analysis and reporting of financial transactions made by the agencies. They prepare and provide assurance of our accounts in line with relevant external policies and standards. The team also provide VAT advice, complete VAT returns and ensure compliance with legal requirements.  

As a Financial Accountant in this area, you’ll perform analysis and interpret data to provide assurance to senior managers. You’ll also:
• Gather supporting information and query data in line with accounting standards, suggest solutions to decision makers and ensure data is clear and supportive so it can be used as evidence for audit purposes.
• Analyse the monthly balance sheet reconciliations and challenging transactions where necessary.
• Ensure the integrity of data collected for external reporting purposes and that good controls and checks are in place to maintain accuracy.
• Review, analyse and interpret financial data for use in the annual report and in accounts and estimates processes, helping to provide insight for senior managers and decision makers.
• Complete the NAO (National Audit Office) disclosure checklist; challenging where necessary and escalating potential issues to senior managers or decision makers.
• Interpret financial data against relevant accounting standards and can explain it in a non-technical format.
• Effectively manage a team of one to two people, using coaching and leadership skills.


Financial Operations

The Financial Operations team manage the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Expenses and Cash Management services. They ensure that the agencies are able to meet payment obligations and are sufficiently funded. Plus, they provide assurance around handling of cash and staff payments.

The Financial Operations team is responsible for:

• Payment processing and foreign exchange services.
• Customer management, sales, invoicing, receipting, and debt management services.   
• Creating necessary controls to manage public money, from creation of bank accounts through to accurate cash demand forecasting, data analysis and production of reports.
• Providing a clear expenses process to the user for advances, expense claims, credit cards, approval process, audit, payment processing and management information.

As a Financial Accountant in this area, you’ll develop a detailed understanding of objectives, financial transactions and business areas. Combining your expertise and this knowledge, you’ll ensure that operations can respond to different needs, while maintaining a commonality through standard guidelines, frameworks, processes and tools. This role supports the delivery of key financial process that ensure the department can continue operational delivery. You’ll also:

• Promote a culture of excellent customer service whilst effectively managing appropriate internal controls and procedures.
• Monitor performance against service level agreements and targets.
• Become an expert in your own work area, providing advice to business units on financial processes.
• Support the ongoing provision of transaction processing services, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Cash Management.
• Hold responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of data in the finance system.
• Assess the impact of and provide advice on all relevant change proposals that relate to their area; supporting process changes and making sure that BAU is maintained.
• Form collaborative relationships with clients to identify opportunities for improvements.
• Oversee audit requests and provide prompt responses to PQs and FOIs.
• Effectively manage a team of one to two people, using coaching and leadership skills.