The posting
Job Description
Job description Reporting into the Head of Finance, you will lead a Finance Business Partnering Team consisting of approximately 6 members of staff and deliver key finance business partnering and management accounting to the Transport Scotland Directorates who are responsible for our public bodies, including rail and ferries.
A suitable candidate will bring strong finance experience (as set out in the technical/professional skills outlined below) and a proven track record leading collaborative teams.
This role sits within the Finance and Corporate Services (FCS) Directorate which is one of eight directorates within the agency. FCS consists of four distinct functions – Corporate Services, TS Finance, Sponsorship and Transport Portfolio Finance.
Responsibilities • Strategic Leadership – effective leadership, oversight and strategic and operational support to your Finance Business Partnering Team in the provision of management accounting support, financial and commercial advice and guidance to your allocated Transport Scotland Directorates. • Decision Support - Work with colleagues across the agency to develop and provide professional financial and strategic advice to support the achievement of objectives within available resources, bringing constructive challenge and influence to ensure robust decision-making. • Commercial Finance – support with commercial finance to assist Transport Scotland Directorates with high profile financial and contractual negotiations and transactions. • Financial Control and Assurance - Ensure delivery of core finance processes, compliance with policy, and effective risk management. Maintain delegated authority for financial matters and provide assurance to senior stakeholders to support with budgeting and long term financial planning. • Cross Finance Support – Support the Portfolio Finance team, stakeholders and Ministers by engaging in the budget setting process, contributing to the development of applicable documents and advice for Transport Scotland. • Deputise for the Head of Finance or Director of Finance & Corporate Services as appropriate in matters relating to finance business partnering and management accounting.
Responsibilities
Qualifications
The successful candidate must be fully CCAB qualified with up to date CPD and relevant post qualified experience in accountancy environment
Proof of qualifications will be checked at the assessment stage.
Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on. The Success Profile will include the Professional / Technical skills, Experience and Behaviours.
Technical / Professional Skills: 1. Government Finance – Working. • Government Finance Guidance - Standards as set out within guidance documents including handbooks, advisory documentation, accounting treatment handbooks specifically for government organisations, such as the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), Consolidated Budgeting Guidance (CBG), the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) etc. • Government Financial Management - Management of financial matters, allowing government organisations to be more efficient, more resilient, and make better decisions, supporting organisations delivering on Value for Money Responsibilities. • Government Financial Reporting - Activity related to the application of the FReM and other statutory reporting requirements, including technical accounting guidance for the preparation of financial statements. • Understanding of Accounting Officer Responsibilities - The accounting officer responsibilities outlined in the SPFM, understanding of Accounting Officer tests and use to manage resources and finances across government. • Supporting the PAC Agenda - Understanding and application of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) process, clarity on roles and responsibilities. Awareness of their remit and how it applies across your organisation and government finance. • Understanding the Role of Audit Scotland - Understanding the role and remit of both Internal and External audit processes. • Understanding Taxation - Accurate recording of transactions and treatment of financial records in accordance with relevant taxation law. 2. Budgeting, Forecasting and Costing – Practitioner. • Understanding of Budget Guidance - Clear on budget process including required inputs, outputs, performance indicators and timescales for preparation to ensure that the organisation fulfils its statutory and regulatory obligations according to Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, professional accounting standards and other standards as necessary. • Budget Management - Work closely with the business to manage and prepare the budget submissions, support monitoring, conducting analysis and updating assumptions, including taking a forward view to support planning of activities. • Understanding of Forecasting - Knowledge of the forecasting mechanisms including frequency of preparation and depth of detail in collaboration with stakeholders adhering to deadlines. • Understanding Costing - Process of recording costs with the correct accounting treatment with associated drivers in the production, analysis and use of information for decision-making in the organisation. Using cost centre analysis to determine under/overspend. Working with stakeholders to drive decision making. 3. Strategy – Practitioner. • Strategic Financial Analysis - Identifying and analysing options and assessing their feasibility and operational effects. Providing the intelligence to support strategic financial planning. Ensuring that business solutions are aligned with strategy, business goals, and user needs. • Strategic Financial Insight - This is the process of articulating the organisation's Financial strategy, sense of identity and direction, why the organisation exists, for whom and what the stakeholders require from a financial perspective. Utilising the strategic analysis to support making informed decisions about future direction and develop finance strategies that align with goals and objectives. 4. Risk - Working. • Risk Management - The ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders to identify, analyse, manage and report on risks. • Using Risk Management to Influence Performance - The ability to work with those responsible for performance to identify risks and their potential impact, in order to influence decisions, support delivery of objectives and improve outcomes. • Delivery and Oversight of the Risk Management Framework - The ability to communicate and effectively embed Risk Management Frameworks, including ensuring that policies, processes and supporting data are up to date and subject to regular review. • Understanding the Risk of Fraud - The ability to understand an organisation's structure, role(s) and external context in order to provide appropriate advice and build a strong risk culture at all levels. • Management of a Risk Function - The ability to lead a risk function with a clear vision for organisational risk management as an essential part of good governance and delivery of organisational objectives, including the use of risk appetite statements
You can find out more about the skills required, here: Finance Profession Capability Framework.xlsx
Experience 1. Highly effective leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate and collaborate effectively with a range of staff and stakeholders.
2. Strong commercial finance experience, with the ability to provide high quality advice to Senior Leaders and to negotiate with stakeholders.
3. Strong background in finance business partnering, management accounting or strategic finance, with the ability to communicate and explain complex financial concepts to non-finance.
4. The ability to think and act strategically and make links across policy and organisational boundaries to achieve positive outcomes.
Behaviours:
- Leadership - Level 4
- Seeing the big picture - Level 4
- Communicating and influencing - Level 4
Find out more about Success Profiles.
How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1500 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and (Presentation). Assessments are scheduled for w/c (TBC) however this may be subject to change.
Recruitment Principles As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
Qualifications
About us Transport Scotland is the national transport agency, seeking to deliver a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Transport Scotland is accountable to Parliament and the public through Scottish Ministers, with a budget of around £4 billion per year. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Government's focus on increasing sustainable economic growth, and transport investments and policies have major impacts on the economy, people, and the environment.
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 and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role.
Transport Scotland staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location.
Security checks Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).
You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, and read about the Government Vetting Charter, or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.
Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.
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.
Sponsorship Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.
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.
For more information on this role, please contact Gillian Aiken by email at [email protected]
