Deputy Head of Finance (Ref: 1005)

Job Title Deputy Head of FinancePay GradeSEOSalary41,463- 45,276 (National) / 47,657 - 52,040 (London) Your salary will be dependent on your base locationLocationTy William Morgan, Cardiff, CF10 1EP/ Gwydyr House, London, SW1A 2NPContractPermanent (Loan basis may also be considered)ClearanceCTC (See Additional Information)About us:The Wales Office is currently recruiting for a Deputy Head of Finance to work in our integrated Wales and Scotland Offices finance team. The post will initially be focussed on Wales and the role will require the postholder to work across a range of duties within the finance function.The Wales Office is the face of the UK Government in Wales and the voice of Wales in Westminster. We support the Secretary of State for Wales and the Ministerial team in representing Wales at the heart of Government. We work in partnership with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to deliver a stronger Wales within a strong United Kingdom.The Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General supports the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Advocate General for Scotland to deliver the Department's objectives of strengthening and sustaining the Union, being Scotland's voice in Whitehall and championing the UK Government in Scotland and protecting the UK Government's interests in the courts and providing advice on policy and legislation.The resource budget for the Wales Office is 5.8m and the Scotland Office is 13.5mJob Description and Key Responsibilities:Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, the post holder will be required toLead on the production of the Departmental Accounts, Whole of Government Accounts and National Loan Fund Accounts.Support the delivery of external and internal audits including providing clear supporting evidence, monitoring of audit requests, and responding to auditors requests within agreed timeframes.Lead on the preparation of financial management information, including producing monthly management accounts and drafting financial reports for the Senior Leadership Team and Audit Committee.Monitor spends to ensure accurate reporting and working with budget holders to understand variances and agree actions that are appropriate.Support the production of the Main and Supplementary Estimates.Lead on completing the forecast and monthly outturn data and the Estimates data on OSCAR to time and quality standards.Lead on the production of transparency data.Build effective working relationships with key stakeholders such as HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, HMRC and the Welsh/Scottish Governments.Lead on the production of the monthly Departmental cash management forecasts and outturns.Ensure that funding requests for the Department and the Welsh/Scottish Governments are authorised within the agreed timeframes.Monitor the effectiveness of key controls including those operated by outsourced service providers.Support continuous process efficiencies and improvements across the finance team.Support the Chief Finance Officer by undertaking wider corporate services work including governance, security, IT, and estates.You will work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.Line management responsibility.The role is varied, challenging and provides good development opportunities including leading on several aspects of Government finance, and working with senior officials, Ministers, and a range of internal and external stakeholders.Person SpecificationEssential criteria · Must hold a CCAB or equivalent qualification (or part-qualified, close to completion)· Good understanding of Government accounting and/or budgeting.· Proven experience of budgeting and forecasting and general month end accounting in the public sector.· Strong attention to detail and an ability to analyse and interpret financial data.· Good interpersonal, communication, presentational and negotiating skills.· Excellent IT skills, working with ease in analysing data in Excel and other reporting tools.· Experience of using Oracle financials.· Able to work to tight deadlines and communicate/explain financial terms to staff who may be unfamiliar with them.· Ability to work in a geographically dispersed team.Selection process detailsThis campaign will be undertaken using the Civil Service Success Profile framework. You will need to provide evidence in your application to cover the following:· A CV setting out your work history and experience.· A Statement of Suitability (a maximum of 1250 words), setting out why you are interested in the role and how you meet the essential criteria.· Delivering at Pace (Lead Behaviour) (Application & Interview)· Working Together (Application & Interview)· Making Effective Decisions (Interview Only)· Communicating and Influencing (Interview Only)Technical SkillsAs part of your application, you will also need to provide evidence of the following qualification:A CCAB or equivalent qualification (or part-qualified, close to completion)In the event of a high volume of applications for this vacancy, an initial sift will be conducted on the Statement of Suitability and lead behaviour, Delivering at Pace.The closing date for applications is Tuesday the 31st of December 2024 at 23:55.Additional InformationThe Wales and Scotland Offices are not employers in their own right. Staff recruited to work at the Wales Office will be employees of the Ministry of Justice who provide employment services on our behalf.This role requires CTC level clearance. Applicants for National Security Clearance (CTC) must be resident in the UK for 3 years immediately prior to their application for Security Clearance. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years), you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why.If you do not meet the above requirement, you may still be considered for the role if, for example:· You have been serving overseas with HM Armed Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government.· You were studying abroad.· You were living overseas with parents.