Army Finance Senior Executive Officer

Location

Army HQ, Andover: We are passionate about Smarter Working and believe that a combination of flexible working practices, digital technology, and modern workspaces will give you the opportunity to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, while ensuing you deliver your outcomes effectively and efficiently – we expect you to know where to be to have the most impact, balancing your individual needs with that of your team and the organisation. The Army is operating a hybrid working balance which states 60% (3 days a week) of time in the Andover office to meet business requirements.

About the job

Job Summary

The Army has 9,000 civil servants in 300 locations and The British Army comprises of 112,000 experienced, committed, and highly skilled Regular and Reserve soldiers. The British Army protects the United Kingdom’s interests at home and abroad, providing a safe and secure environment and is supported by the civilian workforce. Army HQ Andover is where the Army is commanded from and the Chief of the General Staff has the responsibility for preparing, training, and equipping the forces under his command for operations worldwide.

The Director Resources is responsible for planning and leading the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) and ensuring that decisions at the highest level of the Army are taken with full understanding of their financial implications. We will provide you with an exciting and worthwhile career supporting the Armed Services and will actively encourage and support further training and development.

This position provides the challenge and the opportunity to shape the current and future needs of Infrastructure for Army and pan Defence Training capability. Reporting to the Senior Finance Business Partner you will have the opportunity to help shape and deliver a living and working environment fit for a winning Army and the society we serve. As part of the Finance Team, you will be responsible for financially managing the financial programme In Year in support of delivery of the Army’s Command Plan in pursuit of its strategic objectives.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. You will be required to work on a hybrid basis at Army HQ meaning 3 days per week in Andover office (60% of your time in office) in line with changing priorities.

Please be advised that the Army is conducting a review of its current Finance and HR Operating Models. At the time of advertisement this post is deemed to have an enduring requirement and it is not anticipated that this post will be likely to change in the immediate future, however, is in scope of ongoing reviews.

Job description

We are currently recruiting for an experienced finance individual to lead and manage the delivery of the Financial Operations Team, ensuring that Financial Operations are effective and complementary of other finance processes. The post-holder's technical knowledge, insight, and ability to work constructively with people at all grades will make them a valued contributor to the decision-making process and a champion for change. The post-holder will need to establish and develop effective working relationships with contributing teams and individuals across the Army and Defence.

You are expected, through Management Reporting, to produce the monthly financial reports to meet their business area and Finance Business Partner’s needs. Ensuring that financial reporting is accurately completed both within corporate reporting systems and for input of accounting entries to support decision-making. Typical responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Providing insight to the Business, Finance Leadership Team, and wider Finance teams

• Providing the consolidated financial position at various levels within the organisation. Utilising information obtained from Finance Business Partner reviews to provide commentary, subject to the relevant endorsement.
• Maintaining and producing standardised reports/dashboards along with supplementary information to the Finance Business Partner and Finance Leadership Team as appropriate.

Routine Requirements

• Delivering the required information ensuring outputs are accurate, timely, and meet the expected standards for month-end activities, ensuring your team utilise the correct accounting entries completed in compliance with relevant internal and wider government policy and a robust audit trail maintained.
• Corporate system input is consistently delivered for your business area.

Continuous Improvement

• Dedicating time to sharing best practice and ideas for refining standardised processes and procedures.
• Seeking feedback on the services provided, and continuously striving to improve the service provision. Promptly address any key issues that arise ensuring that processes or ways of working are adapted accordingly, and customers are informed where there is an impact.
• Managing issues highlighted during internal or external audit, engaging relevant stakeholders to enable corrective action.

Delivering your area of responsibility

• Management of team members, empowering, motivating, and coaching to enable effective delivery.
• Supporting individual’s personal development and careers, ensuring you and the team make time to develop themselves and their peers.
• Being open to challenge and new ideas, sharing of knowledge and experience, encouraging others through building a supportive team environment.
• Ensuring the team are getting the basics right at the first attempt.
• Exercising sound judgement and interpretative ability, and application of innovative thought to derive novel solutions.
• Seeking advice, referring upwards as required, where problems are particularly complex or have wider implications.

Person specification

• Highly numerate with a record of success in a financial management role with excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Experience of leading a team with excellent people management skills with the ability to promote team cohesion, adapt to changes and improvements.
• Experience in leading and/or influencing organisational change.
• Ability to work flexible and adapt to changing priorities.
• Strong communicator, able to communicate at all levels, and excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to develop collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders and teams.
• Highly developed planning and organisational skills in a fast-paced financial environment and experience of delivery and meeting tight deadlines within changing priorities.

Essential:

• Level 4 qualification in accounting such as Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) or Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB)/ Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or currently working towards such training.
• Working in the Finance community over an extended period.

Qualifications

• Level 4 qualification in accounting such as Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) or Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB)/Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or currently working towards such training.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,480 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

As a civil servant working alongside the Army, you will be part of a forward-looking organisation with inclusive workplace policies, excellent career prospects, and a job that makes a difference.

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Benefits for Army Civil Servants include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role including the opportunity to further develop Climate Change and Sustainability experience within a project and programme delivery environment.
• A dynamic and innovative working environment that offers flexible working options.
• A working culture that encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Highly Competitive Pension Scheme.
• Flexi-time scheme.
• Alternative working practices.
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days leave per year.
• Highly competitive pension scheme.
• Personal and professional development of skills.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• An excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced parental, and adoption leave.
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities.
• Local site benefits such as free parking, on-site gym facilities, shop, café and the opportunity to join and use one of the on-site messes.

Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 27th September 2024

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.