Job summary
Head of Financial Control
Grade 6 - £65,302 - £78,805
Remote with travel to regional hubs as and when required
Permanent Contract
This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is seeking a Head of Financial Control to join our Finance Senior Leadership Team. The successful candidate will play a critical role in the finance function, acting as the primary resource for technical accounting and control improvement processes.
Our Finance Directorate's aim is to provide UKHSA with efficient, effective, and economic financial services to enable the organisation to achieve its strategic goals, as well as taking the lead on numerous general activities. You will be accountable for leading the improvement agenda relating to our financial systems, reporting, and data capabilities. You will also be responsible for developing and supporting the implementation of financial procedures, strategies, policies, and solutions to help the organisation and its leaders operate a best practice delivery of its financial controls.
Main duties of the job
As Head of Financial Control, you will assume a leadership role supporting our Financial Operations and Control functions covering Financial Accounting (including statutory reporting and auditing), Counter Fraud, Cash, Asset, and Tax Management, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. You will be responsible for advising Directors and other senior staff to foster a culture of sound financial probity and compliance.
This role reports to the Deputy Director of Finance Operations and Control and plays a critical role in being the organisation's primary resource for financial reporting and financial compliance.. .
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working - this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our offices, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home. UKHSA have office locations across the UK.
This role can be based at one of our UKHSA offices/locations (Leeds, Manchester, Totnes, London, Mildenhall, Horsham, Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, Harlow, Liverpool, Fareham, Gloucester, Newcastle and Birmingham) with opportunities for an element of working from home.The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business needs and in line with departmental policy.
*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*
Working Pattern - Flexible Working, Home or Remote Working, Full time
About us
For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Range of health and wellbeing support
Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK
Job description
Job responsibilities
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Leading on matters related to financial control
- Representing the Deputy Director at meetings and events both within and external to UKHSA if required.
- Developing and supporting the implementation of financial procedures, strategies, policies and solutions to help the organisation and its leaders operate a best practice delivery of its financial controls
- Providing expert financial advice to Directors and other senior management staff
- Provision of guidance and interpretation of UKHSA financial policy, including the continuous improvement of such policies as aligned to best practice.
- Provision of technical accounting advice in relation to the implementation both of new standards, and existing standards in relation to any new services provided by UKHSA.
- Review of existing accounting approaches to ensure current technical stance is appropriate for existing services provided by the organisation.
- Support the Financial Control and Improvement Programme currently on-going, including managing projects to improve financial controls, including but not limited to asset reviews and IFRS 16 module implementation.
- Work with the Head of Financial Accounting as required to support the audit providing technical accounting papers and leading on complex technical issues from an audit perspective.
- Preparing and running training as required for both finance and non-finance staff to ensure they are appropriately trained in relation to financial and technical accounting.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Please see job description attached for full list of duties and responsibilities
Essential Criteria:
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1500 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:
Essential
- A qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) with post-qualification experience and evidence of professional development.
- Expert technical accountant, with experience implementing new accounting standards and reviewing extremely complex and judgemental accounting areas and devising the appropriate accounting approach.
- Experience facilitating audits.
- Experience preparing policies and procedures relating to financial control.
- Confident running training sessions for groups of up to 50 people, across a wide range of grades and experience levels.
- Well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands and experience of troubleshooting within a financial control environment.
Desirable
- Experience within audit firms (public/private sector)
- Experience of a science-based organisation
- Experience of writing and presenting papers to governance committees
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria please do provide evidence of how you meet this.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 INTERVIEW
This competition will involve an interview by video.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Candidates will also be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 510-minute presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidates experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.
The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate. The following behaviours will be used at the interview:
- Delivering at pace
- Changing and improving
- Collaborating and partnering
You will also be asked a number of technical questions which will relate to the post
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 30th November 2023 unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Shortlist: 5th December2023
Interviews: from 12th December 2023 onwards
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)
Nationality requirements
Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rulesThis job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of theEuropean Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Security clearance level requirement
This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Please Note
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.
Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Complaint process:
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email:Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Leading on matters related to financial control
- Representing the Deputy Director at meetings and events both within and external to UKHSA if required.
- Developing and supporting the implementation of financial procedures, strategies, policies and solutions to help the organisation and its leaders operate a best practice delivery of its financial controls
- Providing expert financial advice to Directors and other senior management staff
- Provision of guidance and interpretation of UKHSA financial policy, including the continuous improvement of such policies as aligned to best practice.
- Provision of technical accounting advice in relation to the implementation both of new standards, and existing standards in relation to any new services provided by UKHSA.
- Review of existing accounting approaches to ensure current technical stance is appropriate for existing services provided by the organisation.
- Support the Financial Control and Improvement Programme currently on-going, including managing projects to improve financial controls, including but not limited to asset reviews and IFRS 16 module implementation.
- Work with the Head of Financial Accounting as required to support the audit providing technical accounting papers and leading on complex technical issues from an audit perspective.
- Preparing and running training as required for both finance and non-finance staff to ensure they are appropriately trained in relation to financial and technical accounting.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Please see job description attached for full list of duties and responsibilities
Essential Criteria:
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1500 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:
Essential
- A qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) with post-qualification experience and evidence of professional development.
- Expert technical accountant, with experience implementing new accounting standards and reviewing extremely complex and judgemental accounting areas and devising the appropriate accounting approach.
- Experience facilitating audits.
- Experience preparing policies and procedures relating to financial control.
- Confident running training sessions for groups of up to 50 people, across a wide range of grades and experience levels.
- Well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands and experience of troubleshooting within a financial control environment.
Desirable
- Experience within audit firms (public/private sector)
- Experience of a science-based organisation
- Experience of writing and presenting papers to governance committees
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria please do provide evidence of how you meet this.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 INTERVIEW
This competition will involve an interview by video.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Candidates will also be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 510-minute presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidates experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.
The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate. The following behaviours will be used at the interview:
- Delivering at pace
- Changing and improving
- Collaborating and partnering
You will also be asked a number of technical questions which will relate to the post
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 30th November 2023 unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Shortlist: 5th December2023
Interviews: from 12th December 2023 onwards
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)
Nationality requirements
Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rulesThis job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of theEuropean Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Security clearance level requirement
This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Please Note
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.
Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Complaint process:
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email:Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- A qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) with post-qualification experience and evidence of continuing professional development.
- Expert technical accountant, with experience implementing new accounting standards and reviewing extremely complex and judgemental accounting areas and devising the appropriate accounting approach.
- Experience facilitating audits.
- Experience preparing policies and procedures relating to financial control.
- Confident running training sessions for groups of up to 50 people, across a wide range of grades and experience levels.
- Well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands and experience of troubleshooting within a financial control environment.
Desirable
- Experience within audit firms (public/private sector)
- Experience of a science-based organisation
- Experience of writing and presenting papers to governance committees
Person Specification
Essential
Essential
- A qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) with post-qualification experience and evidence of continuing professional development.
- Expert technical accountant, with experience implementing new accounting standards and reviewing extremely complex and judgemental accounting areas and devising the appropriate accounting approach.
- Experience facilitating audits.
- Experience preparing policies and procedures relating to financial control.
- Confident running training sessions for groups of up to 50 people, across a wide range of grades and experience levels.
- Well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands and experience of troubleshooting within a financial control environment.
Desirable
- Experience within audit firms (public/private sector)
- Experience of a science-based organisation
- Experience of writing and presenting papers to governance committees
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
