Job Summary
Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work at the forefront of current policy making decisions? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero. Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive
We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
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 D&I Strategy.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/pqUhdr3L72
You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/
Job Description
We are looking for up to 3 Senior Financial Reporting Accountants to take up interesting and challenging roles providing accounting expertise to support the Department and its Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs), contribute to the Department’s delivery of the Core and Group Annual Report & Accounts, and support the production of the Whole of Government Accounts return.
The roles sit within the Financial Reporting and Financial Accounting Teams which are responsible for delivering the DESNZ Group Annual Report and Accounts and a clean audit to a pre-summer recess timetable. This means that roles in the team centre on providing technical accounting advice, delivering high quality financial reporting, improvements to our operational finance processes and consolidation of accounts from DESNZ Arm’s Length Bodies, all in line with HM Treasury’s Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Successful candidates will need to develop excellent working relationships with Finance Business Partners, Finance Managers, contributors to the Annual Report, and Finance colleagues in Arm’s Length Bodies. There will also be a need to engage with the National Audit Office (NAO) to provide robust evidence and assurance for our accounting processes and transactions.
The successful post-holder will be able to deliver at pace, in support of departmental objectives, acting as the focal point for technical accounting and system queries, and provide timely and consistent advice in often complex areas of Government Finance. They will make effective decisions in providing sound guidance on the application of International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (as interpreted by HM Treasury in the Financial Reporting Manual), to ensure the Core and Group accounts are free from error.
Person specification
Key responsibilities for the roles will vary but may include:
* Providing expert leadership across Financial Accounting and Reporting issues, including specific accounting advice under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and IAS).
* Ensuring that all aspects of the accounts production process are consistent with HM Treasury guidance and specifically the requirements of the FReM.
* Build responsive working relationships with Arm’s Length Bodies and internal stakeholders to ensure submission of accurate financial data on time, with fully evidenced and agreed accounting judgements, liaising with the National Audit Office as required on planning and arising issues.
* Engaging with the National Audit Office to ensure that the audit process runs efficiently and effectively.
* Lead elements of the preparation/consolidation/production of DESNZ’s Annual Report and Accounts (ARA), ensuring compliance with the Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) and IFRS.
* Lead in-year consolidation exercises as required, ensuring accurate group-level eliminations and adjustments. Working with a diverse array of stakeholders to ensure that we apply technical accounting concepts accurately.
* Close collaboration in support of directorate objectives and improvements in ways of working, including Finance Business Partners, sponsorship teams, those in Arms Length Bodies, and HM Treasury.
* Support the production of Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) returns and other statutory reporting requirements as required.
* Confident leadership of staff members and assigned areas of expertise, deputising for G6 where required, directing workload and supporting the wellbeing and development of staff.
As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.
Essential Criteria
Skills and Qualifications
* Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIPFA or CIMA) or partially qualified and committed to qualifying within a reasonable timeframe.
* Strong technical knowledge of IFRS and government financial reporting requirements.
* Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
* Strong communication and relationship building skills, including the ability to explain complex financial issues to non-specialists.
* Navigating complex departmental governance to deliver finely tuned judgements under time-pressure.
* Building capability and influencing change beyond team boundaries.
* Excellent Excel and presentational skills.
Experience
* Experience of applying/advising on application of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
* Expert knowledge of application of IFRS/IAS in Government.
* Involvement in the process of consolidation or auditing of financial statements in Central Government / public sector.
Desirable Criteria
* Preparation or audit of Central Government or public sector financial statements.
* Knowledge of the WGA cycle from a Central Government departmental perspective.
Qualifications
Full or Part completion of CCAB or CIMA Accountancy qualification
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Delivering at Pace
* Leadership
* Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £55,105, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £15,963 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
* A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
* Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an 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.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behavioural statements.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to describe how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as set out in the advert. If you are applying as a part qualified accountant, please also specify your successfully obtained stage in the accountancy qualification.
Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
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.
Sift and interview dates
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
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 may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero 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.
DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
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 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 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) (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.
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).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 : Gemma Lowe
* Email : gemma.lowe@energysecurity.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : desnzresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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 DESNZrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. 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