AMS PSR

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a Financial Accountant - (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract working on a hybrid basis with an expectation of 2/3 days at either Porton Down, Salisbury or Portsdown West, Fareham

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence, as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

To do this we have an annual budget of almost £40 billion and a workforce comprising 193,000 people, almost 59,000 of whom are civilians. We currently manage more than £11 billion of spend every year.

Our work really matters; we offer engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services we provide. We employ people in many different roles and in many locations across the UK and abroad. We have jobs in policy, finance, HR, IS/IT, commercial and project management and all the types of jobs you would expect to find in a government department, or indeed in the private sector. We also employ doctors, dentists, teachers, police, fire service, quantity surveyors, and engineers to name a few. There are many opportunities to develop and progress both within MOD and across the wider Civil Service, whether you’re a permanent appointee or an interim.

As a Financial Accountant - (Inside IR35) your main responsibilities will be:

• Generation and submission of quarterly VAT returns by MOD deadlines (for consolidation into their VAT return to HMRC).
• Liaising with the external audit team as the administrative point of contact for our Interim and Final audits, maintaining comprehensive workings and reconciliations to support them.
• Supporting the preparation of our various MOD Returns.
• Supporting our delivery and operational finance teams with accounting, policy and VAT issues liaising, where required, with our colleagues in MOD Head Office and the Financial Management Policy and Accounting (FMPA) team.
• Maintaining our Assurance Framework and guiding the finance community on assurance activities across the function.
• Preparation of statutory financial statements in accordance with the HM Treasury’s Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
• Process Stewardship of our financial processes and coordinating activity to refresh our process content on the Themis Management System.
• Providing quality oversight and assurance of financial information, actively encouraging innovation and improvement both within the finance community and with wider influence.
• Identifying and supporting improvements to business processes, considering organisation effectiveness and not just short-term savings.
• Working with our Systems and Reporting team to continuously improve processes and outcomes for our community and our stakeholders.
• Ensuring the finance team maintains its objectivity, impartiality, independence and integrity in adhering to professional code of ethics, applicable accounting and reporting standards and other corporate policy / guidelines

Essential:

• SC Clearance
• CIMA, ICAEW, ACCA or other CCAB body
• Evidence of producing financial statements
• Understanding financial statutory accounts.
• Financial accounting expertise.
• Keeping up to date with financial reporting requirements (IFRS, FReM).
• High delivery focus and integrity.
• Competent with Microsoft Excel.
• Good working relationships internally (cross-functional and other finance staff), and externally (auditors, MOD, etc.) - Audit liaison.
• Effective communication in various mediums, including presentation of complex data, at all levels of the organisation.
• Personal resilience in dealing with non-negotiable timescales and conflicting priorities.
• Leading, owning and delivering successful accounting outcomes.
• Influencing without line management authority and building strong relationships with senior colleagues.
• Undertaking financial analysis quickly and accurately.
• Working to tight deadlines.
• Understanding current reporting / presentation tools and techniques

Desirable:

• Public Sector Experience
• Experience of using Oracle Fusion
• Advanced Excel

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the MOD guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Covenant 

MOD guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following “this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.