Description Job Description Do you have great communication skills with experience of influencing stakeholders and maintaining strong working relationships? We are looking for someone who has good experience of working within a financial environment, using financial planning experience to Engage with relevant colleagues across the organisation to work effectively together to deliver corporate financial exercises. Supporting key financial reporting processes, contributing to the budget monitoring and monthly financial reporting, enabling senior officials to make informed decisions based on timely and high quality information. The Inquiry is investigating the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The Inquiry will establish the facts about the devolved response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to identify what lessons there are for the future. We want to learn from the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. People in Scotland have suffered as a result of COVID-19. The Inquiry will examine what was done to face the challenge of the pandemic. The Inquiry will report on what worked well, areas where things could have been done better, and make recommendations. The Operations to Shared Services and Programme Management Team provide a wide range of support services to all departments within the Inquiry. The main areas that team cover are finance, procurement, business management, executive and management support, property, training, IT/systems and programme management. This role falls in the Finance Team which currently consists of a B3 (Finance Manager) who manages the whole team, 2 Assistant Finance Managers (Including this post) and 1 Finance Assistant. This post is to support the Finance Manager and the existing Assistant Finance Manager with an increase in finance work in the Inquiry. Responsibilities Contributing to the timely and accurate completion of budgeting monitoring and reporting exercises and provide management with robust information and explanations to assist them in making informed decisions. Provision of high quality monthly financial reports to senior officials, influencing and challenging budget holders, assisting them to make informed decisions. Supporting the provision of regular, high quality financial information and analysis, developing and using knowledge and expertise of local business and policy issues to challenge returns and provide advice to resolve issues. Provide financial advice and assistance to stakeholders, and build and maintain effective working relationships with business areas. Contribute to the completion and quality assurance of input to corporate financial exercises in accordance with corporate timetable. Ensuring working papers provide a full audit trail and are retained and easily accessible during the audit process. Engage with relevant colleagues across the organisation to work effectively together to deliver corporate financial exercises. Responsibilities Qualifications Accounting qualifications desirable but not required for this specific post. 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: Financial Management and Reporting - Practitioner Stakeholder Management and Communication - Working Analysis and Use of Evidence - Practitioner Delivery and decision making at pace - Working You can find out more about the skills required here: Login Experience: Enhanced analytical skills using a variety of tools to develop informed options, make evidence recommendations and support informed decisions. Behaviours: Making Effective Decisions (Level 3) Communicating and Influencing (Level 3) Working Together (Level 3) You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here. How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 10th February 2025 however this may be subject to change. Qualifications 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. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. 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.