Senior Financial Accountant

Job summary

Are you a qualified accountant, with full membership with one of the CCAB recognised bodies or CIMA, looking to take the next step in your career and make a meaningful impact within a public sector organisation? This is an exciting opportunity to lead a key Financial Accounting and Finance Systems function, playing a central role in delivering high-quality financial operations, strengthening financial controls, and driving continuous improvement across systems and processes.

In this role, you will oversee critical areas including statutory reporting, treasury management, and financial systems, while supporting organisational decision-making through your technical expertise and insight. You will also lead and develop a dedicated team, helping to build capability and deliver excellence in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

If you are motivated by the opportunity to influence change, enhance financial governance, and contribute to the efficient and effective use of public resources, we would encourage you to apply.

Please review the full application pack for further details on the role, key responsibilities and how to apply.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Month-End and Year-End Processes
  Lead the timely closure of accounting periods, ensuring all journals are accurately recorded, balance sheet accounts (including control accounts) are fully reconciled, and all internal control processes are completed within agreed timescales.
• Statutory Reporting
  Support the preparation and review of annual statutory financial statements, ensuring full compliance with the FReM, SPFM, and IFRS standards. Ensure all supporting working papers are robust, clearly documented, and able to withstand detailed audit scrutiny.
• Process Improvement
  Proactively identify opportunities to enhance accounting systems, strengthen internal controls, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of financial processes. Lead and implement continuous improvement initiatives where appropriate.
• Technical Accounting
  Provide expert technical accounting advice to both finance and non-finance stakeholders, including guidance on the implications of decisions and changes in accounting standards (e.g. IFRS 16).
• Leadership and Management
  Provide effective leadership to the Financial Accounting and Finance Systems team, including setting clear expectations, supporting professional development, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and high performance.
• Financial Policy
  Contribute to the development, review, and implementation of COPFS financial policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with best practice and regulatory requirements.
• Finance Systems
  Act as the lead system administrator for core financial systems, ensuring appropriate system controls, performance, and service levels are maintained. Oversee and support the implementation of system upgrades and enhancements as required.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and other duties may be required as appropriate to the role.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be a fully qualified CCAB or CIMA accountant with strong knowledge of public sector accounting requirements, including FReM, SPFM and IFRS Accounting standards. They will demonstrate the ability to deliver accurate, high-quality work to tight deadlines, while effectively planning and prioritising both their own workload and that of their team. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, with the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. The role requires technical competence in balance sheet reconciliations and financial control, alongside experience of financial systems and a proactive approach to process improvement. Candidates will also demonstrate sound judgement, integrity, and an awareness of financial and reputational risks, with the ability to support and develop others within a team environment.

Applicants must use the additional information section of the application to detail their qualification, which should be fully qualified accountant with full membership of one of the CCAB member bodies (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS or Chartered Accountants Ireland) or CIMA. Applicants who do not include this information will not be eligible to progress to the next stage of recruitment. Please note that part qualified applicants will not be eligible.

Qualifications

Fully qualified accountant

Memberships

CCAB recognised bodies or CIMA

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Fully qualified accountant with full membership to a recognised CCAB or CIMA professional body
• Skilled in using finance systems and tools (preferably including Sun and Q&A) with strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other MS applications

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,111, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service contributes £17,993 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We offer an excellent range of benefits which include:

• 25 days paid holiday + 11.5 public and privilege holidays (rising to 30 days paid holiday after 4 years).
• Generous Civil Service Pension employer contribution, on average over 28.97% of your pay
• Flexible working hours and family friendly approach to work.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans.
• Employee Wellbeing Support with Mental Health First Aiders and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.

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, Experience and Technical skills.If you would be interested to learn more about this role, please see the attached application pack for further job details, salary information and assessment guidance.

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 : Recruitment
• Email : Recruitment@copfs.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@copfs.gov.uk

Attachments

Senior Financial Accountant - Application Pack - Final Opens in new window (pdf, 286kB)