Army Headquarters Andover, SP11 8HT We are passionate about Smarter Working and believe that a combination of flexible working practices, digital technology and modern workspaces will give you the opportunity to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, while ensuing you deliver your outcomes effectively and efficiently – we expect you to know where to be to have the most impact, balancing your individual needs with that of your team and the organisation. However, recognising the benefits of face to face working, especially for new joiners, there is an expectation that you would be in the office at least 60% of the time (3 days a week). Job Summary The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 12,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. We are currently recruiting experienced finance individuals to support the management of the Financial Operations Team within Field Army, ensuring that Financial Operations is effective and complementary of other finance processes. The post-holders technical knowledge, insight, and ability to work constructively with people at all grades will make them a valued contributor to the decision-making process and a champion for change. The post-holders will need to establish and develop effective working relationships with contributing teams and individuals across the Field Army, Army and Defence. These positions are advertised at 37 hours per week. Please be advised that the Army is conducting a review of its current Finance and HR Operating Models. At the time of advertisement this post is deemed to have an enduring requirement and it is not anticipated that this post will be likely to change in the immediate future, however, is in scope of ongoing reviews. Job Description You are expected, through Management Reporting to produce the monthly financial reports to meet the business area and Finance Business Partner’s needs. Ensuring that financial reporting is accurately completed both within corporate reporting systems and for input of accounting entries to support decision making. Typical Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To: Providing insight to the Business, Finance Leadership Team, and wider Finance teams Producing standardised reports/dashboards for monthly financial reviews and Annual Budgetary Cycle screenings, along with supplementary information to the Finance Business Partner and Finance Leadership Team as appropriate Although team members may support specific Business area(s), all team members will be expected to be flexible and cover Business areas as required Routine Requirements Ensuring the integrity and accuracy of transactions on financial systems, with effective controls and checks in place Ensuring all required information is provided, outputs are accurate and timely and meet the expected standards for: Month end activities, ensuring you and your team complete utilising the correct accounting entries completed in compliance with the relevant internal and wider government policy and a robust audit trail maintained Monitoring, and where appropriate approving invoices, engaging with commercial and suppliers when required to resolve issues Reviewing and undertaking the input of budget profiles into corporate reporting systems, forming the baseline for future progress measurement Corporate system input is consistently achieved for your business area(s) for all aspects of ABC and In Year Management Utilising standardised templates / forms for recurring requests, advising what information is required and enabling efficient review, ensuring this aligns to the required policy where applicable Undertaking financial approvals of low value items, such as working functions, training, and professional subscriptions, supporting your team as required Ensuring compliance with the relevant processes and policies and that an appropriate procurement route is utilised Engaging with the business where evidence for manual accruals is insufficient and flagging issues, by exception, to the appropriate Finance Business Partner All mis-bookings are to be corrected at source, removing any need for future manual intervention. Engaging with Project and Commercial staff to resolve any issues and work towards a right first-time input Reviewing the Chart of Accounts, ensuring the structure remains current and consistent, verifying new requirements as legitimate Undertaking and managing the maintenance of corporate systems access for all Finance Staff Continuous Improvement Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously strive to improve the service provision Supporting the solutions to issues highlighted during internal or external audit, ensuring that you understand the guidance provided to promote embedding the lesson(s) learnt Delivering your area of responsibility Management of team members, motivating and coaching to enable effective delivery Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt Supporting development and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers Working within set parameters, dealing with, and taking decisions on day-to-day issues. Referring to senior staff or Subject Matter Experts on matters of policy or novel, complex issues You are expected, through Management Reporting to produce the monthly financial reports to meet the business area and Finance Business Partner’s needs. Ensuring that financial reporting is accurately completed both within corporate reporting systems and for input of accounting entries to support decision making. Routine Requirements Ensuring the integrity and accuracy of transactions on financial systems, with effective controls and checks in place Ensuring all required information is provided, outputs are accurate and timely and meet the expected standards for: Month end activities, ensuring you and your team complete utilising the correct accounting entries completed in compliance with the relevant internal and wider government policy and a robust audit trail maintained Monitoring, and where appropriate approving invoices, engaging with commercial and suppliers when required to resolve issues Reviewing and undertaking the input of budget profiles into corporate reporting systems, forming the baseline for future progress measurement Corporate system input is consistently achieved for your business area(s) for all aspects of ABC and In Year Management Utilising standardised templates / forms for recurring requests, advising what information is required and enabling efficient review, ensuring this aligns to the required policy where applicable Undertaking financial approvals of low value items, such as working functions, training, and professional subscriptions, supporting your team as required Ensuring compliance with the relevant processes and policies and that an appropriate procurement route is utilised Engaging with the business where evidence for manual accruals is insufficient and flagging issues, by exception, to the appropriate Finance Business Partner All mis-bookings are to be corrected at source, removing any need for future manual intervention. Engaging with Project and Commercial staff to resolve any issues and work towards a right first-time input Reviewing the Chart of Accounts, ensuring the structure remains current and consistent, verifying new requirements as legitimate Undertaking and managing the maintenance of corporate systems access for all Finance Staff Continuous Improvement Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously strive to improve the service provision Supporting the solutions to issues highlighted during internal or external audit, ensuring that you understand the guidance provided to promote embedding the lesson(s) learnt Delivering your area of responsibility Management of team members, motivating and coaching to enable effective delivery Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt Supporting development and embedding the use of standardised processes to deliver a consistent output to customers Working within set parameters, dealing with, and taking decisions on day-to-day issues. Referring to senior staff or Subject Matter Experts on matters of policy or novel, complex issues Person specification Essential: Strong communicator, able to communicate at all levels Good presentation skills Ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing priorities Ability to develop collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders and teams Experienced planning and organisational skills in a fast-paced financial environment and experience of delivery and meeting tight deadlines within changing priorities Level 4 qualification in accounting such as Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) or Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB)/Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or currently working towards such training Desirable: Prior financial experience Qualifications Level 4 qualification in accounting such as Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) or Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB)/Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or currently working towards such training Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Leadership Making Effective Decisions Changing and Improving We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Communicating and Influencing Leadership Making Effective Decisions Alongside your salary of £36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance. Other Benefits For Army Civil Servants Include: 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service Highly competitive pension scheme Personal and professional development of skills Alternative working patterns for many roles Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle Enhanced parental and adoption leave 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities Learning and Development Free parking Access to on-site gym We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role. A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career. The post does not offer relocation expenses. External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period. Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts. Any move to MOD 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments. MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. At application you will be asked to provide a CV and personal statement of no more than 500 words demonstrating your suitability for the role against the essential criteria. At sift you will also be assessed against your CV, personal statement and the following Behaviours - Communicating and Influencing Leadership Making Effective Decisions Applications will be sifted using all elements listed above, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on the lead Behaviour only, which is Leadership. At interview you will be assessed against the following Behaviours - Changing and Improving Delivering at Pace Leadership Making Effective Decisions Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed but these will be held in person at Army Headquarters, Andover. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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. 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. 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. 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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). 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 : Nikki Franklin Email : Nikki.Franklin469@mod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3@mod.gov.uk Further information Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.