Senior Financial Analyst

Location

Coventry (CV1 2WT
), Darlington (DL1 5QE
), Manchester (M1 2WD
), Sheffield (S1 2FJ
)

Location

Coventry (CV1 2WT
), Darlington (DL1 5QE
), Manchester (M1 2WD
), Sheffield (S1 2FJ
)

About the job

IMPORTANT - This vacancy is using the Civil Service Numerical and Verbal tests. The deadline for completing these tests will be 2 working days before the advert closing date. Further information is available in the 'selection process details' section of this advert.

This position is an opportunity in the Funding and Financial Oversight (FFO) Directorate. FFO ensure the right amount of money goes to the right providers at the right time and is spent in the right way. We lead on issuing funding across the Education Sector and developing the financial and governance framework used by academies and post-16 education providers to manage and report on their spending;

identifying institutions at risk of financial failure, providing expert financial assessment and advice; and where necessary undertaking investigations into financial irregularity.

The role is within the Intervention Support team within Specialist Restructuring, a high-calibre team of qualified and part qualified accountants whose primary focus is on providing expert financial advice through the effective analysis and interpretation of financial information of organisations delivering education.

The roles primary focus will be on further education colleges within a wider remit covering all education providers.

As a Senior Financial Analyst, roles and responsibilities will include:

• Undertaking reviews into providers with financial concerns, dissect complex evidence, analysis of recovery plans and providing advice on management accounts and financial forecasts to identify and evaluate the level of financial risk.
• Assessing the deliverability of proposed actions to inform providers financial viability.
• Being able to provide expert advice on financial matters including financial underperformance, analysis of recovery plans, management accounts and financial forecasts.
• Commanding respect in the sector and have credibility with senior colleagues internally and with Senior Officers and Finance Directors at external organisations.
• Leading meetings at external organisations, providing challenge and advice on the financial position of organisations as required.
• Being able to hold difficult conversations with senior members of staff in a professional manner.
• Scrutinising and evaluating complex financial cases.
• Acting as a national link between FFO and the DfE teams on all things relating to financial intervention.
• Working as part of a small team of specialists on key cases, where providers require proactive engagement to reduce risk of financial difficulty.
• Contributing to the wider management of the FFO team, including through leading roles in corporate activities and risk management.
• Acting as a national link between PMO and the ESFA territorial teams on all things relating to financial intervention.
• Delivering presentations and training as required to a variety of stakeholders.
• Undertaking project work as allocated.
• Writing concise papers with clear recommendations for senior staff.
• Being able to travel nationally with occasional overnight stays.

• A background in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, accounting, or financial audit.
• Experience of being collaborative and working effectively with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders’
• The ability to persuade and influence senior grades and stakeholders.
• Sound analytical skills and good judgement to inform your decisions or when providing opinions or advice to others.
• The ability to provide expert advice to colleagues on financial issues.
• Excellent report writing and interpersonal skills.
• Have the ability to manage multiple tasks and be able to prioritise where necessary.
• Be professionally qualified - holding an accountancy qualification (i.e. ACCA; CIMA; CIPFA); part qualified is essential
• Excellent in the use of MS Office 365.

• Be fully qualified in an accountancy qualification (i.e. ACCA; CIMA; CIPFA).

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview in the event of a tie break situation at interview, to make an informed decision.

Candidate will be partly qualified in an accountancy qualification (i.e. ACCA; CIMA; CIPFA).

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions