The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the Department for economic growth and supports businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. DBT’s scope is unique, and you would be working for a team responsible for establishing the finance function and ensuring business continuity across all aspects of finance, including financial management, financial reporting, internal controls, financial governance, business processes and systems.
Financial Accounting, Reporting and Control Team (FARCT) lead on the production of DBT’s financial accounts, DBT’s relationship with the National Audit Office (NAO), HMRC and providing advice on compliance with HM Treasury and Cabinet Office controls. The team are critical in establishing and embedding high quality financial accounting controls practices and processes in DBT, within and beyond the Finance team.
FARCT plays a critical role within the Department’s Finance and Business Services Directorate with responsibility for ensuring compliance with financial standards and best practice, delivery of statutory reporting, oversight of key financial controls, VAT compliance, cash management. It is a high-profile team which also provides advice on the accounting, budgetary and tax implications of new projects and programmes.
The positions, which report to Senior Financial Accountants, will be expected to be flexible to take on varying roles in the team and will be exposed to all aspects of the Department’s financial accounting and reporting. You will be required to share your financial accounting expertise with stakeholders across the department and contribute to the assessment of business cases and investment decisions, and working with finance professionals in DBT’s partner organisations, to ensure both financial accounting and budgeting implications are clearly understood.
FARCT is looking for an outstanding, self-driven and enthusiastic finance professional with the required experience, skills, and personal qualities. You will be a results-driven, collaborative player, with excellent attention to detail and with the ability and communication skills to build good working relationships at all levels across the DBT family.
DBT will provide you with the opportunity for a diverse, exciting, worthwhile career and support you with training and development.
Responsibilities of the team:
* Overall primary objective is to deliver the Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) and completion of the interim and final audit exercises each year.
* Financial Reporting: Production of the Departmental Group accounts, consolidating over 19 partner organisations with the Core Department. Provide expert accounting advice and information used to inform key decisions to wider finance teams within the Department’s and partner organisations’ stakeholder management.
* Financial Accounting: Maintain the integrity of the Core Department’s ledger, working across teams to ensure that the Department group accounts are prepared and provide accounting and technical advice to the wider Department.
Responsibilities are varied but will include:
* Managing and quality assuring financial and non-financial information submissions, collected through the commissioning process at interim and year-end.
* Contribute to the group consolidation, production of key statutory financial reports (including Whole of Government Accounts – WGA) and notes to the accounts.
* Collaborating and working with the wider finance community, and over 19 external partner organisations to mitigate accounting risks so that the Departmental Accounts are free of material errors.
* Building relationships and working closely with the audit (NAO, GIAA) team, managing the audit timetable, provision of audit evidence and sample requests to ensure successful laying of the accounts.
* Managing the Client Liaison Schedule and overall accounts production timetable in line with group and parliamentary timescales.
* Providing accounting advice under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) guidance to a variety of partners around the Department.
* Supporting the Senior Financial Accountant as an advisor for accounting matters (e.g., GL discrepancies) and making sure that all known accounting issues are dealt with in a timely and planned manner.
* Preparing accounts and financial statements for DBT minor bodies.
* Driving improvements to the accounts production process to ensure the Department’s accounts achieve best practice in complying with all current accounting and legal reporting obligations.
* Line management of HEO grade staff to assist in production of the Accounts and other work to support the Finance team, ensuring sufficient development opportunities are provided.
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