Management Accounting Officer

Job summary

What you’ll do…

Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission and for over 100 years, we have been growing, shaping and caring for over 1,500 of our nation’s forests for the benefit and enjoyment of all. This role will support the finance services for the biodiversity project and support Forestry England’s mission and vision to protect and promote nature. You will manage budgeting and financial control of the Forestry England Biodiversity Cost Centres. You will provide regular finance reporting and use your knowledge and experience to help review and improve our financial position. You will build collaborative and supportive relationships with operational colleagues, the national finance team and other finance managers.

This role is funded by DEFRA rather than through Forestry England generated revenue, and is therefore subject to government spending reviews. While DEFRA has indicated long term support for the Biodiversity Programme and we expect funding to continue, it is possible that funding levels may change at the end of any financial year depending on DEFRA’s budget allocations. In the event of funding changes, we would prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible. This approach is consistent for roles within publicly funded organisations. We are committed to keeping staff informed and supported through any changes.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

Forestry England National Office in Bristol.

Job description

Management accounting:

• Monitoring and forecasting income and expenditure associated with the biodiversity programme.

• Support on submitting annual business plans for the biodiversity project team.

• Support in-year virements of project budgets.

• Assist the Finance Business Partner on the preparation of financial reporting of biodiversity activities.

• Build collaborative and supportive relationships with budget managers across the districts, supporting them in accessing and interpreting financial data.

• Communicate financial data and other information clearly to non-financial stakeholders, supporting them in accessing and interpreting financial data.

• Assist with interim and year-end accounts reporting.

• Raise journals for recharges, corrections, accruals etc in a timely manner.

• Ensure accounting actions are taken promptly, and in accordance with accounting standards and

Forestry England internal guidance.

Administration and Financial Control:

• Produce monthly financial reports and maintain in-year finance trackers.

• Draft ad hoc reports as required.

• Raise sales invoices for recharges and funding on a monthly and quarterly basis.

• Manage accurate transfer of income to districts, plus recharging of agreed costs.

• Work with Operational and National Finance teams to ensure that data within the ledger presents an accurate picture of the financial position, including:

- Ensure that material accruals and other accounting adjustments are recorded on a timely basis; and

- Identify and address the causes of any material miscoding

• Support with raising purchase orders / processing invoices in the absence of the Business Support Officer.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience providing management accounting services, including providing financial information to support decision making and budgetary control.

• Proficient using Microsoft Excel and competent with other Microsoft Office products.

• Confidence in working with numerical and financial data.

• Experience with financial systems.

• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders.

• A proactive can-do attitude with a willingness to take on a range of tasks.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• An understanding of public sector accounting and reporting requirements, including familiarity with Managing Public Money and HM Treasury’s Financial Reporting Manual.

• Evaluation of capital projects or programmes.

• Experience in working in a shared service / national team environment.

Qualifications

Essential

• At least part qualified accountant with a recognised IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) member body (e.g., AAT, ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAS, IFA), or significant relevant experience equivalent to that level of qualification

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,854, Forestry Commission contributes £9,807 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

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

How to apply…

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Managing a quality service
• Working Together
• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at pace

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

Please note that if you are an internal candidate on a permanent contract and you apply for a Fixed Term Appointment of three years or more, your substantive role will not be held open. You will retain your permanent status. At the end of the FTA, HR and your new Cost Centre Manager will attempt to find you a suitable alternative post in line with the Redeployment policy. If no suitable alternative post can be found, you will be managed under Redundancy policy.

If you move to a post in a higher pay band through fair and open competition for a period of less than three years, then you will be considered to be on a period of ‘temporary promotion’, if three years or more then you will be considered to be permanently promoted.

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.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 : FC Recruitment Team
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Forestry England Job Description - – Management Accounting Officer (PB5) Opens in new window (pdf, 136kB)