Description
Are you a strategic decision maker who enjoys applying financial insight to support decision-making?
The Finance Officer role sits within a small team responsible for supporting policy colleagues across the Directorate to ensure strong, directorate-wide financial management. You will contribute to effective budget planning, monitoring and oversight, requiring good attention to detail and confidence in working with numbers. The role also provides an important link between policy teams and corporate finance colleagues.
Based in the Directorate for Environment & Forestry, this is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills in a fast-paced and evolving area. The Directorate has grown significantly in response to the climate and nature crises, with an expanding budget and a range of new multi-year programmes. In a challenging fiscal environment, the role will support robust scrutiny and ensure resources are used effectively to deliver the Directorate's priorities.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
* Supporting the team in the production and distribution of financial reports to required timescales, providing accurate, relevant and timely management information.
* Review budget monitoring returns, undertake the first check of forecasts, year to date actuals, and budget data, and ensure that explanations make sense and support the figures, challenging areas where more explanation is required.
* Providing assistance in updating the financial ledger for example performing monthly reconciliation's and preparing and processing journal entries.
* Interrogating financial data held on the system, understanding and analysing trends, formatting in a way that drives high quality management reporting and decision making.
* Assisting in the maintenance of overall financial control, to ensure the integrity of financial data on the ledger and the accuracy of the supporting systems and records.
* Ensuring adequate financial controls and clear audit trails are in place around accounting and reporting processes.
* Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders within your directorate and the wider Scottish Government.
* Working flexibly across the team and shifting direction quickly to meet changing priorities and demands.
Qualifications
Success profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills:
Budgeting, Forecasting and Costing – Awareness level
* Understanding of budgeting guidance.
* Budget management.
* Understanding forecasting.
Working with Data in Finance – Awareness level
* Interrogation of finance systems.
You can find out more about the skills required here: Finance Profession Capability Framework
Experience
* Experience in reviewing information from a range of data or information sources to draw out key findings and recommendations.
* Ability to evidence good written and verbal communications skills, and experience of engaging with colleagues or stakeholders at all levels.
* The ability to work on your own with minimal supervision, alongside managing your own workload and competing deadlines.
How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an in person interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 23 March 2026 however this may be subject to change. Apply before 23:59 on 1 March This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only (external candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy). About us The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Working pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If successful, you will be expected to attend Victoria Quay (VQ) on Wednesdays, which is the Directorate's anchored day. You will also be required to remain flexible to attend the office for a second day each week where business needs require. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
Security checks Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. Equality statement We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.