Financial Accountant Ref. 3179

Flexible Working: Full-time up to 37 hours, depending on location. Part time, compressed hours and job share opportunities available. All roles will be office based.

About Us

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing, and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses, and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

About You

Please note that you are required to meet the following essential criteria to apply for this role:

•    Level 4 AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualified or equivalent
•    Demonstrable experience in a similar role 

Ideally, you will be working towards a CCAB (Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies) or CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification. 
We 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 aptitude for figures and spreadsheets. Most importantly, you’ll be keen to learn and always approach your work with positivity.

The Role

We’re hiring Financial Accountants across various finance functions, and all roles will be office based. Your suitability for various teams will be assessed throughout the recruitment process.

For example, as a Financial Accountant in the Financial Analysis team, you’ll provide valuable insight. As part of this team, you’ll be responsible for key month-end activities, ensuring reports are accurate. 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.

Where there are significant changes in forecasts and actuals, you’ll provide explanations. And when it comes to insightful management information, you’ll be an expert at producing high quality reports for senior managers. The key is to develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders. Drawing on your communication skills, you’ll lead your own small team. 

Or you might join our Financial Accounting and Reporting team, who provide services concerned with the summary, analysis and reporting of financial transactions made by the agencies. As a Financial Accountant in this area, you’ll perform analysis and interpret data to provide assurance to senior managers, ensuring the right information is shared with the right people.

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. 
•    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.

It will also be down to you to complete the NAO (National Audit Office) disclosure checklist, challenging where necessary and escalating potential issues to senior managers. Good communication skills will help you with this task, and when explaining interpretations of data against standards. Above all, you’ll check the integrity of data – it’s essential that controls are in place to maintain accuracy.

Alternatively, you may join us in our Financial Operations team, who manage the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Expenses and Cash Management services. As a Financial Accountant in this area, you’ll develop a detailed understanding of objectives, financial transactions, and business areas. With a strong focus on finance, you’ll be responsible for bringing structure to delivery. Combining your expertise and finance 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.

Day to day, you’ll support transaction processing services, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Cash Management. You’ll also assess and advise on the impact of changes, making sure that business as usual is maintained. It’s a responsible role and you’ll be accountable for the integrity of data in the finance system. We’ll also look to you to oversee audit requests and work closely with clients to spot opportunities for improvements where you can.

   
There are many more teams in the function not described here that you could join or explore during your career with us – details of which can be found on our Finance careers page. 

Training and Development

No matter at what stage of your career, you’ll have a positive impact and play a key role. We value your ability to learn and adapt to new challenges, so we’ll invest in your skills and support you by defining a clear and motivating career pathway. 

From day one, you’ll be assigned a dedicated buddy, have guidance from your line manager, and have access to internal communities, support networks and mentors. Plus, we’ll offer you the opportunity and funding to gain professional accountancy qualifications such as AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), or CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of between £43,205 - £45,345 plus other benefits including: 

-    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
-    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
-    Interest-free season ticket loan
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Cycle to work scheme
-    Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
-    Paid parental and adoption leave

Equal Opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website: https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity

We’re Disability Confident

MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday.  

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    Initially, we will ask you to complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you meet these criteria, we will then ask you to begin an application.   
•    You will need to create a login and provide your full name, email address and memorable password. Once you have successfully created a personal account, you will be required to complete a registration form, providing contact details and equal opportunities mentoring information.   
•    You will then be invited to upload your C.V and complete an online application form. 
•    Successful applicants will then be invited to a final interview, which will include competency and technical questions and further exploration of your motivation to work for the security agencies.  

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here. 

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here. 

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

As these roles are office based, you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 

Right to Withdraw Statement: 

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.