Job Detail
Job Description
Job summary
The organisation
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.
The team
This is an exciting developmental role within the Finance Business Partner (FBP) team, which is primarily responsible for managing the internal finances of the Insolvency Service. The team is strategically placed at the heart of the organisation within the Finance, Commercial, Sustainability and Property Directorate.
The team is responsible for assessing the financial health of the Agency’s 9 directorates, by providing finance advice and challenge to the Senior Leadership teams.
The FBP team is made up of 12 members who are located across the UK. Each Cost Centre Manager (CCM) reports to a FBP and provides them with transactional and accountancy management.
The emphasis around development within this role is high, with 5 CCM’s having successfully completed exams and achieved C2/SEO promotions within 3 years.
Job description
General Ledger & Cost Centres
- Analysing Financial Statements impacts
- Posting accruals and adjustments
- Assess VAT appropriateness
- Assess transactions against appropriate accounting standards
- Maintain and update cost centre names, hierarchy structures and approvers
- Highlight material variances to FBP with options for action
Purchase Orders (PO)
- Own and maintain a PO Tracker
- Raise issues or closures on PO’s
- Ensure material POs are included in the forecast
Reporting
- Own the facilitation of the checkpoint meetings
- Create, provide and present information at stakeholder meetings
Funding support
- Provide FBP’s with recommendations for forecast updates
- Support the FBP with Budget and spending review requests
Other
- Provide cover for FBP’s during absences
- Create a network of contacts within your business area in order to obtain information for accounts productions
- Support Management Accounts, Financial Accounts and Financial planning teams with transaction queries
- 1 cross team task that supports Finance
Note: Please be aware month-end is a critical time for these roles, therefore leave for the 1st and 2nd working day of each month will only be considered by exception.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Experience within an accounting role within the last 12 months.
- Ability to work autonomously
- Ability to establish and build positive relationships through good interpersonal skills and communication skills
- Intermediate level of excel skills, with the willingness to enhance further
- Willingness to travel infrequently for team events and meetings (averaging 6 occasions a year)
Important
Successful candidates will be committed to completing a full CCAB or CIMA qualification including Practical assessment requirements within 3-4 years, timeframe depends on current qualifications.
This will be a contractual obligation with full funding provided.
Qualifications
One of AAT Level 4, CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting (CIMA Cert BA) or equivalent CCAB qualification.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £28,842, Insolvency Service contributes £7,787 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We want you have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do so we offer a great benefits package:
- Full funding towards a full CCAB or CIMA qualifications, including day release for study and exams worth approximately £11,000 over 3 years
- Progressive role with support towards achieving C2/SEO promotion
- Hybrid working (40% of time in the office)
- Flexible working arrangements and flexi-time.
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service.
- In addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave.
- Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave.
- 5 days paid leave for learning and development
- 5 days paid for volunteering
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life.
Civil Service Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 250 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Government Recruitment Service will acknowledge your application and advise you of the outcome of the sift meeting.
Applications will be sifted to select those demonstrating the best fit against the criteria set out in the person specification and job description.
Please ensure you keep this in mind when completing your CV and Personal Statement.
Interviews will be conducted via video call and be based on Experience and Strengths.
Expected Timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 14th Aug 2023
Interview – w/c 29th Aug 2023
Location – MS Teams
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Insolvency Service 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
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via Insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in 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 if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
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 /Disclosure Scotland 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Transforming Workplaces
The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.
We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.
The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.
Hybrid Working
Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.
Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 40% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.
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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name :Scott Barrett
- Email :scott.barrett@insolvency.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email :InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service if they think that:
They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010.
There have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process.
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance: insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.
All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of the recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved.
Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised with Government Recruitment Service.
They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010.
There have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process.
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance: insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.
All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of the recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved.
Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised with Government Recruitment Service.