UK Research and Innovation
Salary: £45,272 per annum (dependent on skills and experience).
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Purpose of the role
1. Oversee the consolidated programme funding model for the Horizon Europe Guarantee.
2. Work with colleagues to ensure that forecasting for current and future years is robust and evidenced based noting the unusual nature of the programme.
3. Agree annual Opex budgets with DSIT for the delivery of the Horizon Europe Guarantee.
4. Manage the quick and reliable recasting of costs (Opex).
5. Manage the monthly financial reporting cycle of the programme including Opex.
6. Produce the monthly dashboard monitoring agreed KPI and providing narrative to support out turn and responding to stakeholder queries, including DSIT colleagues.
Key Areas of Accountability
Leadership / teamwork / collaboration
1. Build & maintain good working relationships with internal & where appropriate, external partners, developing & influencing a strong network to facilitate effective working relationships.
2. Deal effectively with challenging situations & consult at a higher level when necessary.
3. Adaptable & flexible approach to work; able to effectively multi-task & adapt to frequently changing priorities & circumstances.
4. Understand & respond to regular processes as commissioned by UKRI or DSIT.
5. Act as a role model to members of the finance team by promoting a team-based culture; motivating employees to deliver consistently high levels of performance & continuous improvement.
6. Provide constructive ideas for improvement in processes & procedures that would deliver further efficiencies & service enhancement.
7. To deputise for the more senior staff on a range of issues, if & when required.
Delivery / programmes / projects / process
1. Manage an analyst to help build financial models to support major financial decisions in respect of Horizon Europe and successor programmes – including translating forecasts into allocations across the life time of the Guarantee.
2. Work with the Management Reporting Team, Financial Control & Finance Business Partners to ensure that processes and controls can be put in place to manage reporting, forecasting and the ring fenced budget and leading on giving guidance to the finance function on how to manage the accounting of expended funds and forecasts including supporting the financial control team on year end financial statements and NAO interactions.
3. Identify areas where there are potential duplications of effort and cost and ensure these are addressed and modelled out so as to achieve maximum efficiencies in delivery.
4. Provide insight to help senior management to understand the financial planning and underlying assumptions, strategy and risks and make recommendations to improve the robustness of processes and controls to build in better governance, oversight and control of financial aspects of operation the Guarantee.
5. Work closely with colleagues at DSIT to maintain a shared forecast for Horizon Europe whereby all parties have sight of, understanding of and have signed up to the basis of the forecast and assumptions that support this in terms of grant holder optimism bias, slippage and underspend.
Other
This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties & responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with their line manager & may be asked to carry out any other delegated duty or task that is in line with the post.
Essential skills, qualifications & experience
1. A numerate undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification (S).
2. Fully Qualified Accountant (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA) or equivalent experience (QBE) (S).
3. Demonstrable experience of working with other HM Departments or organisations to create collaborative financial models (S).
4. Experience in working in financial & data analysis roles in complex organisations (S).
5. Experience of working with, manipulating, managing, & analysing large & complex data sets (S).
6. A good working knowledge of Microsoft Office: Excel (Pivot tables, lookups, etc.), Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (essential) (S & I), Access, Power BI & other data analysis tools (desirable).
7. Previous experience of Oracle &/or other accounting systems (desirable).
8. Understanding & experience of working with public sector finance & governance frameworks (I).
9. Experience working in a Research & Innovation policy area (desirable).
Skills & abilities:
1. Confident explaining complicated financial models and assumptions with DSIT and exploring implications of different potential policy decisions on the funding outcome (I).
2. Self-directed; taking ownership for your own performance & achieving the outcomes expected for the role & able to prioritise workload as necessary & to work to demanding deadlines (I).
3. Strong numerical, analytical & critical thinking & problem solving skills, with ability to distil complex & often incomplete management information into the key elements required to deliver projects & influence decision making at a strategic level (I).
4. Effective problem solving skills using logic, as well as imagination, to make sense of a situation & come up with an intelligent solution. Ability to actively anticipate potential future problems & act to prevent them or to mitigate their effects (I).
5. Excellent verbal, written, report writing, communication & listening skills with the ability to articulate complex concepts & analyses into clear, easy-to-understanding presentations to senior partners to ensure decisions are made effectively & using the right information (S & I).
6. Ability to work effectively & collaboratively under pressure (I).
7. Effective team worker, able to support colleagues & work flexibly on their own initiative (I).
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
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