Financial Controller

Job summary

We’re looking for a forward-thinking finance leader who can shape the future of Estyn’s financial function. You’ll bring strong strategic insight and a commitment to modernising how we work. This role suits someone who enjoys improving systems, working collaboratively and guiding a capable team through change. If you’re motivated by public service, excited about transformation and ready to help strengthen the resilience and impact of a national organisation, we’d be pleased to hear from you.

Job description

You will be responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for Estyn’s finance function, ensuring strong stewardship of public funds, excellent financial planning, and robust compliance with Welsh Government frameworks. You will work closely with the His Majesty’s Chief Inspector to re-shape Estyn’s finance function to support efficiencies across the organisation.

This role is pivotal in supporting organisational resilience, modernising financial systems and ensuring effective resource management. Working closely with the Welsh Government, Medr and external assurance bodies, you will play a central role in ensuring Estyn remains resilient, forward-looking and well-equipped to deliver its statutory responsibilities.

Key tasks include:

• Lead Estyn’s financial management, providing authoritative financial advice
• Develop and maintain a resilient, forward-looking financial strategy that supports organisational planning and change.
• Oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and routine financial reporting, ensuring accuracy, transparency and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with public sector financial management frameworks, Welsh Government and Medr requirements and statutory responsibilities.
• Lead the financial year-end process, including annual accounts, audit and assurance activity.
• Maintain oversight of procurement and contract management, ensuring value for money and effective commercial governance.
• Lead and inspire the finance team through transformation, working collaboratively and maintaining
• Provide leadership and support to the finance team, ensuring capability, resilience and strong performance.
• Strengthen financial controls, risk management and internal financial procedures as appropriate.
• Work closely with the Assistant Director - Central Services to ensure coherent and aligned leadership across all corporate functions.
• Support organisation-wide planning, resource allocation and continuous business improvement.
• Build strong working relationships with Welsh Government, Medr, Audit Wales, internal auditors and Estyn’s non-executive directors .
• Direct line management of the Head of Finance and Business Services

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• A recognised CCAB (or equivalent) accounting qualification
• Senior financial leadership experience ideally in the public or wider not-for-profit sector.
• Proven ability to lead financial planning, financial governance and financial assurance processes
• Strong understanding of Welsh Government finance frameworks, public sector compliance and audit requirements
• Demonstrated experience in modernising or improving financial systems, processes and controls
• Experience in leading finance aspects of organisational change or digital transformation
• Experience in managing, motivating and inspiring a finance team
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to advise and influence senior leaders
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with sound operational delivery

It is desirable that you have:

• knowledge of devolved governance and public service reform in Wales
• ability to work through the medium of Welsh

Qualifications

A recognised CCAB (or equivalent) accounting qualification

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £76,752, ESTYN contributes £22,235 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Competitive salary and incremental points meaning that you will normally reach the maximum of the pay scale within two/three years of joining us.
• Generous holiday entitlement – 41 days away from work each year (made up of 31 days of annual leave, plus 10 public/privilege holidays (pro-rated for those who work part-time).
• Wellbeing time – colleagues accrue 6 days off each year for wellbeing time, as well as holidays (pro-rata for those working part-time). We also provide an employee assistance programme, free annual health checks, seasonal flu jabs, a free eye care scheme and access to Health Insurance Plans through Civil Service Healthcare.
• Support for your family life – generous family friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption leave.
• Tax-free savings – Access to a cycle to work scheme.
• Special offers and discounts – Access to a range of discounts and exclusive offers through the Civil Service Social Club – Sports and Leisure, the Civil Service Motoring Association, the Civil Service Insurance Society and the Charity for Civil Servants.

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, Ability and Experience.

The selection process includes:

• A sift of applications: The panel will consider all complete applications. The information you give us in your application is important in deciding whether we will invite you to the next selection stage. Candidates will be assessed at sift on all essential criteria as per the person specification. Desirable criteria will be assessed at sift where there is a strong field of candidates as a second stage after essential criteria have been considered.
• Assessment and Interview: Candidates invited to assessment and interview will again be assessed on their skills, experience and behaviours in relation to the person specification. The assessment will consist of chairing a structured discussion and a presentation. Full details of the assessment will be shared when candidates are invited to attend. The interview will consist of a panel interview. This will take place on 5 March at our Offices in Cardiff.

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 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 : People Team
• Email : recruitment@estyn.gov.wales
• Telephone : 02920 446314

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@estyn.gov.wales

Further information

https://www.estyn.gov.wales/working-us/current-vacancies

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