Finance Planning & Reporting Analyst

Job summary

Two great opportunities have arisen to join UKRI’s Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team responsible for strategic financial planning, analysis, financial management and reporting. The team works across the nine Councils and the Corporate Hub to deliver strategic insights and decision support tools to senior decision makers in the organisation.

These are critical roles in a dynamic and fast paced environment suited to an ambitious and driven individual with a strong commitment to the provision of high-quality financial information and to continuous improvement.

Working at the heart of this team you will have primary responsibility for supporting the Planning and Reporting Leads in:

• Delivery of multiyear planning and reporting
• Enhancing the current planning and reporting models and embedding the reporting cycle for UKRI
• Transitioning the Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting from current manual processes and collation of data to a single integrated system-based solution harnessing the opportunity presented by the introduction of Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications and complementary reporting systems and tools.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual to help develop the role, assist with the introduction of new methods of data analysis utilising systems such as Oracle Fusion EPM, Power BI and Databank, and input into shaping the role and work of the team.

The successful candidate will need to build and maintain strong relationships with Finance Business Partners and the UKRI Finance Data & Systems team and will involve working across the breath of UKRI including with the Strategy team, Analysts and DSIT who all use elements of UKRI financial reporting to inform policy development, operational decision making and setting organisational KPIs and metrics.

You will have a pivotal role in maintaining a good relationship between UKRI’s Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team and DSIT’s Finance Business Partnering team in what is a dynamic and fast paced environment.

The right individual will also have the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge of the technical aspects of government finance including budgeting rules, managing public money, delegations and understanding and responsibility for the allocations process.

Job description

Primary:

• Manage the monthly production of the UKRI in-year management accounts
• Manage the production of the high-quality quarterly / bi-monthly UKRI future year forecast – this will include setting out the guidance for data collection, teasing out assumptions used by finance business partners, quality-assuring the returns and summarising findings.
• Review and challenge the forecasts for in-year or multi-year submitted by the councils, analysing the risks and opportunities for UKRI identified throughout the individual business areas
• Having a strong understanding of the financial risks, pressures and opportunities both in year and in future years to ensure effective financial decision-making in these areas
• Be able to present and summarise information clearly, adapting the style and method of reporting used for different stakeholders as well as for different publications (e.g. the Annual Report and Accounts or the Operation Plan)
• Be a subject matter expert for the systems used to report data to DSIT, understanding and influencing the month end process
• Maintain and develop the UKRI consolidation reporting model, implementing improvements and controls to ensure the process is efficient and errors are minimised
• Work with key stakeholders in Strategy to identify reporting improvements, ensuring the UKRI reporting captures and focuses on the key spend activities
• Work with the finance business partner community to enhance monthly commentary, working with DSIT to embed a process to remove duplication and ensure effective communication
• Developing, managing and maintaining strong working relationships with key stakeholders in the finance business areas
• Ensure communication remains open and regular with the business partners, so that all parties are aware of their responsibilities relating to month end, budgets, forecasts and any papers
• Build a strong understanding of the various entities to provide effective challenge and support when reviewing the monthly forecasts received via the EPM submission made by each

Other Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as the NAO, DSIT and GIAA, developing and influencing a strong network to facilitate effective working
• Act as a key liaison point between DSIT and UKRI finance
• Manage budgets held within EPM, ensuring that they are aligned with the allocation letters, following any in year changes and managing the annual budget profile process
• Management and co-ordination of regular and ad hoc commissions from DSIT, including Future Year Forecasts, and HMT Mains & Supplementary
• Gain a strong understanding of the delegation process, understanding the specific budgetary ringfences and controls UKRI is required to adhere to
• Ensure that there is adequate cover in the team, providing support in the allocation process
• Deputise for the Planning and Reporting Leads as and when required.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA) or Equivalent experience (S)
• The ability to adapt to changing priorities, a "can-do" attitude, and a willingness to support colleagues across the Strategic Financial Planning and Reporting Team (I)
• The ability to take initiatives, plan and progress tasks independently (S&I)
• Strong management accounting, budgeting & forecasting experience and a particularly strong knowledge of MS Excel including modelling and controls (S&I)
• Clear, demonstrable relationship management and influencing skills, with ability to instil confidence within stakeholders (I)
• Personal resilience approach to solve issues in short timescales (I)
• Aptitude for and application of continuous improvement, ability to innovate and challenge and to offer insights and ideas with practical application (I)
• Good organisational skills, ability to deliver at pace and meeting changing priorities to time, whilst retaining accuracy (S&I)

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,743, UK Research and Innovation contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

1st interview incl presentation.

Interviews will either take place remotely via Teams or in person face to face.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitmement@ukri.org