Details
Reference number
423123
Salary
£33,015 - £35,655
This role may attract an Accountancy pay enhancement subject to proof of relevant qualifications. Part Qualified 1st Stage £1,310 Part Qualified 2nd Stage £2,610, or Fully Qualified £7,105.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Contract type
Fixed term
Length of employment
12 Months
Type of role
Finance
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Cardiff, Wales, CF10 1EP : Edinburgh, Scotland, EH8 8FT : Didcot, South East England, OX11 0DF
About the job
Job summary
Background: The UK Space Agency:
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government's space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government's vision.
Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity's horizons.
We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £18.9 billion and employs 52,028 people across the country.
Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector's interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes.
We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.
More information about the Agency is available here:
To discover more please watch this film
Our Inclusive Environment
We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.
We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.
We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.
Job description
Our Finance Directorate is changing, we're undergoing a transformation to ensure we're helping support and shape the direction of the Agency in the future. We're working towards a vision of being Trusted experts at the heart of the agency's decisions making; catalysing delivery, not just keeping score.
The role holder will help drive our financial data, ensuring decisions across the agency are supported by robust and timely management information. They will help to develop and embed a culture of strong financial management across the organisation, by ensuing management information is available when it's needed.
They will work closely with Finance Business Partners, Financial Control and the wider agency in their role. They're commitment to continuous improvement, automation and efficiency will help to ensure our finance team's effective delivery of service.
Key Responsibilities:
* Ensure the integrity of transactions on financial systems, ensuring good controls and checks are in place to maintain accuracy
* Use the management reports to provide meaningful and insightful analysis for senior managers and decision makers
* Undertake all month end activities, including journals, budget profiling and challenging the accuracy of forecasting
* Provide explanations for significant changes in forecast and actuals; provide updates on issues and risks to senior managers
* Produce high quality reports and insightful management information for senior managers
* Cleanse and prepare data for analysis and reporting, addressing any inconsistencies or errors.
* Working closely with Finance Business Partners to provide suitable reporting for Agency stakeholders
* Supporting the integrity and accuracy of the financial ledger by regularly reviewing and reconciling data.
* Ensuring Purchase Orders are processed accurately and on time
* Support and facilitate accurate cash forecasting
Person specification
The desired candidate will have:
* Good interpersonal and communication skills, including building and maintaining networks and relationships.
* Developed collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across organisation e.g. Finance Business Partners, governance, customers
* Ability to effectively negotiate with stakeholders
* A collaborative approach to problem solving
* A commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.
Essential Criteria:
* Intermediate Excel
* Solid understanding of Management Accounting
* Familiarity with complex financial ledger software and data tools
* Experience in handling and analysing financial data from large financial systems
* High level of accuracy and attention to detail in data management and reporting.
* Basic project management skills to manage tasks and priorities effectively within deadlines
Desirable Criteria:
* Advanced Excel/PowerBI skills for data manipulation
* Previous experience working within a government agency or public sector organisation.
* Ability to perform financial analysis beyond data management, including variance analysis and financial performance metrics
* Actively pursuing a CCAB body/CIMA Finance qualification
Desirable Qualification:
* Level 4 qualification in Accounting
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Changing and Improving
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Management Accounting
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £33,015, UK Space Agency contributes £9,564 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
UK Space Agency offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, flexible working and compressed hours.
Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.
A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test and Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 2nd September 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement (maximum 750 words), behaviour examples (maximum 250 words each) and a number of technical skills.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The CV should include job history, qualification details and previous skills and experience. The CV is for information and will not be scored.
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.
The Sift will be assessed on Personal Statement, Behaviours and Technical Skills.
The Interview will be assessed on Behaviours and Technical Skills.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour Changing and Improving. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and Interview Dates
The sift is expected to take place week commencing 3rd Sept 2025.
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 15th Sept 2025.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Interview location: MS Teams.
Further Information
This post is advertised as a Fixed term or Loan contract for a period of 12 months.
Civil Servants:
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
UK Space Agency Employees:
You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy, this includes applying for a new post during an existing temporary posting. Please note that if applying for a temporary post within UK Space Agency or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).
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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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 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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
Any move to UK Space Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 9 months from which further appointments can be made.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms directly. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre- 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 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email
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 Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
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)
* 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
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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 .
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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : Ewan Storie
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints