Finance Officer (Ref: 21949)

Job summary

This position is based nationally.

Job description

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Job Title: Finance Officer

Grade: EO

Directorate: HMCTS Finance, Governance and Performance

Location: National

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time/Flexible Working

Successful applicants will be expected to be office based 3 days per week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability).

Introduction

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

Job Description

We have ambitious plans to transform the services we provide to users of the justice system. The Government is investing significantly in our change programmes to modernise the court estate, upgrade and replace technology, streamline working practices, refurbish buildings, reduce maintenance costs, and deliver an improved experience for court users.

The HMCTS Finance, Governance and Performance function plays a pivotal role in supporting senior stakeholders and their teams through this transformation. By providing robust financial support and insight, we help build the organisational capability needed to deliver change and realise its benefits.

Finance Officer (Management Accounts Team)

As a Finance Officer within the Management Accounts Team (MAT), you will support the administration of the month-end reporting cycle, ensuring the timely production of accurate, fit-for-purpose financial information. You will work closely with finance and operational colleagues to support key financial processes and the delivery of management information.

You will also play an important role in maintaining, developing and improving a range of transaction processes and reports, helping to ensure that postings to the HMCTS accounts are accurate, robust and compliant.

Successful candidates will have access to extensive professional development opportunities through the Government Finance Function, supporting both their current role and future career development.

In this role you will

Your role as finance officer will encompass several key responsibilities listed below (but not limited to):

• Support the preparation of month end accounts and provide narrative for their interpretation and presentation.

• Provide analysis and assurance on the integrity of transactions in the general ledger and month end accounts.

• Preparation of journals, ensuring they are posted in accordance with policy and procedure and in line with the correct accounting treatment of transactions.

• Ensure month end activities are delivered in a timely manner and to the required standard.

• Provide ad-hoc financial analysis and insight for the area you cover.

• Ensure effective controls and procedures are in place to maintain the accuracy of the data in our financial systems, for your area.

• Work collaboratively with other finance staff to both deliver and improve on the finance processes and products owned by the MAT

• 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 post.

• Monitor team inbox ensuring enquiries are answered in a timely manner and prioritising enquiries escalated to you to achieve a quick solution.

• To prepare and be responsible for uploading of Forecasting Workbooks throughout the month.

Essential skills

• Customer service: the ability to deliver a quality customer service; organised to ensure service delivery objectives are met and be flexible to meet tight deadlines.

• Work collaboratively; the ability to develop effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes. Working with remote colleagues as part of a team.

• Excellent communications skills: both written and verbal.

• Strong organisation skills; the ability to co-ordinate multiple tasks

• Adaptable and willing, with the ability to work in a culture of change; continually improving (products, processes, and priorities) to meet the current and future needs of the organisation.

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates

Desirable skills

• Knowledge of month-end activities that feed into the financial accounts.

• Good IT skills (particularly Excel and PowerBi).

• Knowledge of using Oracle Financials (Hyperion) and Smartview.

• Knowledge of HMCTS and its business.

• AAT, or equivalent, or the ability to evidence financial experience.

For successful candidates without finance experience, full training will be provided. There may also be an opportunity to study towards finance qualifications.

Application process:

Stage 1 - Sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application:

An anonymised CV, setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements. Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Essential Skills section of this advert.

Behaviours 250 words:

• Managing a quality service

• Communicating and influencing

Examples illustrating the Civil Service Behaviours listed under the Application form stage assessments section.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift may be conducted on Managing a quality service behaviour. Candidates who pass the pre-sift will be fully assessed on all the sift criteria.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who passed the sift will be invited to interview via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Strengths and Behaviours. Details can be found under the interview stage assessment section on the advert.

• Working together

• Managing a quality service

• Changing & Improving

• Communicating and influencing

For further guidance on the interview process please click here

Important information

Salary details

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion, will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the new pay band, or receive an increase of 10 percent on the current base salary, whichever is higher (This is restricted to the pay maximum of the new band).

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,303, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £8,489 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.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 basic (or equivalent) 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5359

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/21949?entityId=21949