Head of Management Accounts

Job summary

About the Government Legal Department

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfill our potential.

Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 4000 people, including nearly 3000 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-functional professionals to provide our corporate services. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film. On our website you can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.

Job description

About Finance, Planning and Performance Division (FPPD)

The aim of the Finance, Planning and Performance Division (FPPD) is to ensure that GLD has effective business planning and sound financial and performance management processes that meet its business needs.

The Division has approximately 50 staff covering transaction processing (accounts payable, customer billing, treasury functions such as banking, expenses and travel payments), financial and management accounting, planning, performance, finance policy, procurement and Bona Vacantia (BV) Finance.

The external reporting requirements places on GLD are the same as those of larger government departments, and in addition, GLD having only limited resources, needs to have a robust internal performance and finance regime to ensure we get maximum value for money for our clients.

The variety of work offered by GLD’s FPPD is very diverse when compared to finance roles in some larger organisations.

The Accounts team, of which this role is a key part of, manage the month and year-end accounting processes, budgeting and fee setting, forecasting and tax reporting, supporting senior management with decision making and the Accounting Officer in fulfilling statutory reporting responsibilities.

We also provide financial services to the Attorney General’s Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

FPPD is based predominantly in Central London but also has team members based in the Croydon, Salford and Bristol offices.

About the Role

We are looking for a motivated and suitably experienced individual to join the Accounts Team as Head of the Management Accounting function.

The team, of one, Grade 7 and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) are responsible for planning and co-ordination of the Department’s annual budget and quarterly forecasting exercises alongside month management accounts reporting and fee setting. As GLD is almost entirely funded through the fees we charge for legal services and needs to balance its income and costs throughout the year, this is a key role in supporting senior management with financial decision making.

The post holder will be working in a fast-paced environment, working with a range of stakeholders, and significant amounts of data to challenging cyclical reporting deadlines.

This will require someone with strong communication skills to communicate complex messages in an effective way and to be able to create effective working relationships with stakeholders. The role also involves a high degree of organisational skills to be able to manage complex financial consolidation processes and strong analytical skills to review and analyse data to identify trends and anomalies.

The individual should have a broad range of finance experience to enable them to identify specific accounting and budgeting issues arising and to be able to assess the impact of these in respect of the Department’s financial risks, providing advice to senior stakeholders to inform financial decision making.

This is a good opportunity for an experienced Finance professional looking to develop their career in the Strategic Finance and Management Accounting job.

Key responsibilities include:

• Support the Assistant FD in the design of the budgeting and forecast processes
• Coordinate the commissioning, consolidation and analysis of the annual departmental budgeting process
• Coordinate the commissioning, consolidation and analysis of the quarterly department forecasting process
• Coordinate the budgetary delegation process
• Support the FD in the setting of client fees and for fixed fees, managing the change process around fees and instructing the billing team to issue quarterly fees
• Preparation and issuing of monthly management account reports to budget holders
• Working with the rest of the accounts team to support month end processes including deep dive analysis on specific spend areas and analysis of CMS time and disbursements balances
• Provide advice, training and support to budget holders on preparation of budgets and forecasts, working together with Finance Business Partners to ensure a good quality service is provided
• Manage a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) direct report

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential at either application or interview. You can read more about Success Profiles and how they are used as an assessment method before completing your application.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Key Skills and Experience

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Advanced Excel skills
• Advanced accounting
• Experience of co-ordinating a complex finance consolidation process
• Excellent communication skills

Desirable

• Fee setting
• Familiarity with government finance including Supply Estimates and Government Financial Reporting Manual
• Experience in using Power BI reporting

Qualifications – Minimum Eligibility Criteria

• CCAB (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS) or
• CIMA full accountancy qualification held

Security Clearance Level

All GLD employees must hold BPSS security clearance. More information can be found about the vetting and clearance levelsbefore completing your application.

Sponsorship and Visas

There is the possibility that GLD can provide sponsorship for skilled workers, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria set down under current immigration legislation. GLD does not guarantee sponsorshipwill be provided or that an applicant will be successful in gaining a skilled worker visa.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for sponsorship. They also have the responsibility to notify the Resourcing Team that they require Sponsorship at the start of the onboarding process into GLD. This applies to existing civil servants as well as external candidates.

Qualifications

- CCAB (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS) or
- CIMA full accountancy qualification held

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,263, Government Legal Department contributes £16,589 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%

Benefits of working for the Civil Service

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Learning and Development at GLD

GLD has a comprehensive learning and development offer for all employees.

We offer a programme of in-person/hybrid and virtual sessions providing learning on profession-specific, soft skills, technical skills, and different topics. We also support colleagues through a range of different professional qualifications.

Cross-Functional Professional

We support all Professions with building their careers and capability aligning with the wider Civil Service offerings for each Profession.

There are also talent and development opportunities offered throughout the year these include:

Senior Leaders and Future Leaders Schemes – cross Civil Service accelerated development schemes.

Beyond Boundaries – cross government development programme designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks required to build a satisfying and effective career in the Civil Service.

Mentoring and Coaching – we encourage all colleagues to share their knowledge, capability, and experience.

Apprenticeships - We have a range of apprenticeships on offer across all professions with the opportunity for all employees to explore a profession specific apprenticeship to support their development in role.

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.

Application

To apply for this post you will need to complete the online application on Civil Service Jobs, searching the reference below. The deadline for this application is at 12:00 Midday onMonday 9th March 2026.

In your application you will be assessed on the following:

1. A CV of no more than three pages, setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The CV will be scored and assessed on Key Skills and Experience and Qualifications within the essential criteria.

2. A Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words demonstrating how you meet the Essential criteria for Key Skills and Experience. Full details can be found on the person specification slide.

3. For each of the following behaviours, provide statements of no more than 250 words, setting out clear examples of that behaviour:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Application Errors

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk . Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the against the behaviours, qualifications and key skills and experience outlined in the person specification.

In the eventuality that there are a high number of applicants successful at sift, GLD may operate a longlist, whereby applicants who have been shortlisted and met the minimum pass mark but are not selected for interview will have their application placed on hold. After the initial interview round candidates on the longlist may be offered an interview, should there still be posts available.

Interview

If you are invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in the criteria listed in the Person Specification, and strength-based questions.

These criteria are:

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Key Skills and Experience

Presentation

There will be a 5-minute presentation, which will based on the key skills and experience criteria set out within the person specification. This will be scored.

Full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.

Your interview will take place online.

Offer

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

All communications regarding your application will be made through Civil Service Jobs.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the interview. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list. We may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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.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.

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 : Bernard Muscat
• Email : bernard.muscat@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Further information

You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application hasn’t been treated in accordance with these Principles and wish to make a complaint, please contact recruitment_feedback@governmentlegal.gov.uk in the first instance. Please title your email as follows: Job Reference Number – Job Title – Recruitment Complaint. Complaints must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the incident or the decision which has caused the complaint. To fully engage with the issues raised GLD require that you submit evidence of your complaint.

Attachments

450322 - Head of Management Accounts-FINAL6 Opens in new window (pdf, 630kB)