Financial Accountant
Job summary
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is a new arm’s-length body set up, at unprecedented pace, to administer compensation to people whose lives have been impacted by the infected blood scandal.
IBCA will ensure payment is made in recognition of the wrongs experienced by those who have been infected by HIV, Hepatitis B or C, as well as those who love and care for them. They have been frustrated and distressed by the delays in achieving proper recognition, and we must help put this right.
We are committed to putting the infected and affected blood community at the centre of every decision we make and every step we take to build our organisation to deliver compensation payments.
IBCA employees will be public servants. If successful in this role you will be appointed directly into IBCA, on IBCA terms and conditions as a public servant.
Successful applicants will join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Please note that the mission of IBCA means that it is likely to be fully operational for a period of approximately up to 5 years, after which IBCA will become a smaller residual service. When IBCA’s work begins to wind down, IBCA employees will receive support and practical guidance to find a new role, whether in the Civil Service, another Arms Length Body (ALB), or an external employer.
This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your professional financial expertise to a highly impactful cause, within a fast paced environment. The environment provides a great space for individuals to stretch, challenge and develop, with lots of opportunities to work across the breadth of the finance function and with the breadth and depth of the organisation.
As a Financial Accountant, you will work within the Financial Accounting team, a core component of the IBCA Finance team. Within the role you will act as an internal technical expert, with responsibility and leadership of key aspects for external reporting and group compliance.
You will play a crucial part in applying and continuously improving robust financial controls with supporting documentation and reporting., You will ensure absolute ledger integrity, and provide expert technical accounting advice to professionally support the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, our accounting officer and our audit, risk and assurance committee.
You’ll succeed in this role if you enjoy a technical challenge, like variety, and thrive in a fast paced scaling organisation.
Job description
A Financial Accountant at IBCA will be a driving force in ensuring the financial integrity and operational effectiveness of the organisation. You will take ownership of complex day-to-day financial accounting processes, maintain robust internal controls, and ensure highly accurate financial record-keeping.
You will lead on critical technical accounting areas such as capital accounting, the integration of operational modelling for the compensation provision into the accounts, and tax compliance. This role demands an experienced, highly proactive finance professional with a meticulous eye for detail and a strong ability to manage competing priorities. You will be expected to champion best practices, design resilient financial frameworks, and translate complex financial data for non-finance stakeholders.
The post holder will have routine monthly, quarterly hard close and year end responsibilities and leadership across finance and on behalf of finance within our organisation.
- Ledger & Data Integrity: Taking ownership of complex financial accounting processes, ensuring the absolute accuracy and integrity of the general ledger, reconciliations, and financial systems.
- Technical Accounting: Leading on specific technical workstreams, including the practical calculation, accounting treatment, and monitoring of compensation scheme provisions and capital assets.
- Financial Controls: Designing, implementing, and maintaining robust internal financial controls and accounting policies suited to a newly established statutory body.
- ARA & Audit Support: Working for the Financial Accounting & Reporting Lead to supply highly accurate underlying data for the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) and actively supporting external and internal audit processes.
- Advisory & Compliance: Providing expert technical accounting advice to diverse stakeholders across the IBCA and ensuring strict adherence to accounting standards, Managing Public Money guidelines and statutory tax compliance.
- Team Member: Motivating, and working with colleagues across finance and IBCA to foster a high-performing, supportive, and continuous-improvement culture.
Person specification
- Technical Expertise: A fully qualified accountant or working towards (CCAB, CIMA, or equivalent) qualification with commitment to complete the qualification whilst at IBCA. This role requires detailed and practical knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) with experience applying standards to complex scenarios.
- Control Environment: Proven experience in designing, implementing, and continuously improving robust financial controls and accounting processes, ideally within a public sector or newly established environment.
- Analytical Rigour: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a meticulous eye for detail and a steadfast commitment to data integrity and accurate record-keeping.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Experience developing strong, sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders, alongside the ability to clearly communicate complex accounting concepts to non-finance audiences.
- Systems Proficiency: Highly competent use of IT packages and financial systems, coupled with excellent organisational and time-management skills.
Additional information:
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.
Qualifications
A fully qualified accountant or working towards (CCAB, CIMA, or equivalent)Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Financial Accountancy
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £47,258, Infected Blood Compensation Authority contributes £13,690 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).- Premium allowance paid monthly after probation
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%
- 32.5 days of paid annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
- Family friendly policies to support you and your everyday responsibilities
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, up to 12 months shared parental leave
This role may not meet the requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship. If you are unable to demonstrate a right to work that is not dependent on sponsorship, your application may not be able to proceed
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.As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career history and qualificationshighlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.
You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (500 words max.)
Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.
Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.
Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours, Technical Skills and Experience.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to IBCA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website)
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to
the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the IBCA if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
PLEASE NOTE: IBCA employees are public servants, therefore the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNR) do not apply. Candidates who do not meet the CSNR are welcome to apply and applications will not be rejected: successful candidates however will be subject to a Right to Work check to work within the UK.
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
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
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 : IBCA Recruitment Team
- Email : Ibca.recruitment@ibca.org.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at IBCA.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.ukSalary range
- £47,558 per year