Head of Finance Operations - Newport About the job Job summary Please note: Applicants should review all aspects of this advert to ensure a thorough understanding. If reviewing via a screen reader, please note that the Job Description, Benefits and How to Apply sections have been emphasised The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. IP touches everything that makes modern life more enjoyable, easier, safer, and prosperous. Our work gives researchers, inventors and creators the confidence to invest their time, energy and money in doing something new - making life better. It\\\'s an exciting time to be thinking about joining us as we push forward with our ambitious transformation programme to create a more modern and effective IPO. We will explore new and innovative ways to improve our customer-focused services in order to support and accelerate UK innovation. We are currently looking for a qualified accountant with strong technical skills and leadership experience to join us as our Head of Finance Operations (Grade 7 equivalent). This is a crucial role predominantly responsible for the delivery of our statutory reporting requirements and associated management accounts processes, procedures and controls. You will also operate as an integral part of the Finance directorate\\\'s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), responsible for the collaborative identification and delivery of the directorates business plan objectives. Working location This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport office. The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office. Job description The effective leadership and development of the Finance Operations team (7 people). Oversight of the management accounts process, ensuring transactional data is recorded and reported in an accurate and timely manner. Lead on the production of the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA), ensuring the ARA document is updated for any changes to the FReM and accounting standards. Production of the plan and supporting timetable to deliver against the demands of the National Audit Office and statutory reporting requirements. Ensure effective financial controls are in place and align with International Financial Reporting Standards and government spending policies. Identify and implement changes to reflect new or updated accounting standards. Deliver the Whole of Government Accounts in line with the HMT timetable. Ensure the Fixed Asset Register is accurately controlled and maintained. Ensure that the VAT return is accurately completed and submitted in a timely manner. Support and lead as appropriate on Continuous Improvement activities. Take an active role as an SMT member, ensuring team activities align to the directorate\\\'s business plan objectives. Person specification Please refer to job description. Qualifications The successful candidate must be a CCAB (or equivalent) Qualified Accountant. Behaviours We\\\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Leadership Managing a Quality Service Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Leadership Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of £64,079, Intellectual Property Office contributes £18,563 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. When working at the IPO you can also expect: A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups, find out more by looking at Intellectual Property Office (IPO) (diversityjobsgroup.com) A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office For more information about what\\\'s on offer at the Intellectual Property Office please review our IPO benefit pack attached to the bottom of this advert. Please note that benefits may be subject to change. 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. Additional details on security and vetting Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check and if successful you must also hold, or be willing to obtain, a higher Security Clearance. For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, depending on the level of clearance, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. For this role the successful individual will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a minimum 5 years in order to meet the relevant security clearance. Further information on the vetting process can be found at United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) If you have questions regarding this or are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact Recruitmentipo.gov.uk How to apply Candidates to note: In order to capture your employment history please complete the employment history box under the \\\'Your CV\\\' section of the online application form. All communications will be electronic therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder Sift An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements: Behaviours When completing the application form, please ensure your examples cover the specific criteria listed under each of the following behaviour headings, providing no more than 250 words per example. Leadership Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role. Manging a Quality Service Ensure adherence to legal, regulatory and security requirements in service delivery. Experience When completing your 500 word Personal Statement, please ensure that you cover your experience of leading (or working in) a team to deliver high quality, timely and unqualified financial accounts. Please note : any wording submitted over the specified word count will not be assessed. Applicants should take care to ensure they\\\'re within the allocated word limit when submitting their application. Interviews If invited to interview Behaviour and Strengthbased questioning will be used. Behaviours The above behaviours will be assessed at interview along with the below: Communicating and Influencing Delivering at Pace Strengths Strengths are the things that we do regularly, do well and that motivate us. We have selected the Strengths that are relevant for this role from the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary. You will be assessed against these during your interview using strength-based interview questions. Please note: Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation Interviews for this role will be carried out in person at our Newport Office. IMPORTANT: CVs sent direct to the IPO will not be accepted. If you require job-specific information, please contact: Name: Mark Warren E-mail: Mark.warrenipo.gov.uk For further information around the Civil Service recruitment process, please visit our civil service careers page - IPO - Recruitment Support, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk) Applicants to note: This post is being advertised to Internal, across Government and external candidates at the same time. Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Should you have any queries or require any assistance in please contact the IPO Recruitment team at Recruitmentipo.gov.uk prior to the closing of the post. In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text. If you require an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know via ; recruitmentipo.gov.uk For more information on the IPO\\\'s terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached at the bottom of this advert. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. 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. 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) .