Financial Accountant

Overview

MI5

Financial Accountant |
Location: London or Cheltenham
Salary: London: £47,677 or £49,065 (dependent on experience)
• Cheltenham: £45,331 or £46,739 (dependent on experience)
Flexible working: due to its sensitive nature this role is office-based and home-working will not be possible. We value a good work-life balance and offer part-time (minimum 4 days), compressed hours, and flexibility around start and finish times. Full time hours are up to 37 hours, depending on location.

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe.

A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

Our finance teams are vital to this mission. They keep our spending on track and make sure everyone has the financial insight they need to do their best work.

The Financial Accountant role is diverse, with opportunities across several office-based teams. As part of the recruitment process, we’ll get to know you and assess which area best reflects your strengths and interests.

• Financial Analysis — You could join this area where the team provides key insights that guide decision-making across the organisation. Responsibilities include managing key month-end activities, ensuring reports are accurate, maintaining strong controls of financial systems, using management reports for insightful analysis for senior managers, managing all month-end activity, approving journals, supporting budget profiling and producing forecasts. You’ll explain significant changes in forecasts or actuals where needed and build collaborative relationships with stakeholders, while potentially leading a small team.
• Financial Accounting and Reporting — Interpret data and carry out analysis that gives senior managers the assurance they need, ensuring the right information reaches the right people. Gather supporting information in line with accounting standards, query and challenge data, and document information clearly for audit purposes. Analyze monthly balance sheet reconciliations, interpret financial data for the annual report and accounts, complete the NAO disclosure checklist and escalate issues when needed.
  
  Communicate clearly how data aligns with standards and maintain strong controls to keep information accurate.
• Financial Operations — Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, expenses and cash management services. Develop a detailed understanding of financial objectives, transactions and business areas, bring structure to delivery, ensure operations can respond to different needs while following standard guidelines, promote excellent customer service, manage internal controls, monitor performance against targets and become a trusted expert. Advise business units on financial processes, support transaction-processing services, assess changes, maintain data integrity in the finance system and oversee audit requests, working closely with clients to spot opportunities for improvement.

To apply, you must be part-qualified in ACCA, CIMA or equivalent, with demonstrable experience in a similar role in the public sector. Ideally, you’ll also have some supervisory experience. You’re organized, positive, eager to keep learning, enjoy teamwork and innovation, and are motivated by making an impact. You enjoy solving problems with colleagues, build strong relationships and negotiate with key stakeholders.

You bring a genuine interest in finance and feel confident working with figures and spreadsheets.

To be considered part-qualified, you’ll have completed the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills modules of ACCA and ideally be studying towards Strategic Professional, or you’ll have completed the Operational and Management…