About this job

The UK Space Agency’s finance team has an exciting opportunity for a management accountant to join us as we expand the team to meet the requirements of a growing Agency and UK Space industry.Working in a small finance team supporting senior management, the post holders will gain experience in a wide array of financial aspects from treasury management to preparation of our published accounts as well as exposure to EU Exit related activity. The budget for the UK Space Agency in 19/20 currently stands at c.£450m.

The post holders will work collaboratively to provide financial challenge and support across the Agency and may be asked to undertake other duties in addition to those listed below.

Responsibilities

Reporting to an SEO Management Accountant, Duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting the Management Accountants in the preparation of budgets, the coordination of the monthly forecasting process and analysis of financial performance against targets;
• The management of key delivery budgets (to be agreed on recruitment) detailed below, including budgeting, forecasting, analysis and reporting ;
  • The Agency Admin budget. This includes salary, training, accommodation, IT, HR services amongst other things (£c.4m p.a)
  • Payroll, Contractors and cross departmental staff recharges. Working closely with HR to maintain a dynamic cost model of staff costs for the Agency based on up to date FTE data.
  • Travel and Subsistence including dip test assurance checks against the current travel policy, ensuring the policy is up to date, trend analysis with the aim to seek greater efficiency and the monthly distribution of quality MI to directorates
• Analysing the accounts and the preparation of adjustment journals via Oracle and in line with extant financial accounting policies;
• Coordination of delegation letters and maintenance of the Agency’s scheme of delegations;
• Assist the Financial Accountant with NAO queries on management information;
• Line Management of the EO Finance Assistant who will be supporting the Management Accounts function.

Profile

Essential:

• Highly numerate individual with strong analytical skills;
• Good knowledge of Excel;
• Excellent written skills and an ability to explain complex financial information to non-finance audience;
• Ability to communicate across all levels;
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills to influence senior management as well as senior programme leads or technical experts;
• Significant experience of working in a finance team;
• Ability to work on own initiative and under pressure with competing demands to tight deadlines;
• Ability to work proactively to anticipate issues and develop options/solutions in order to prevent escalation;
• Proven interpersonal skills with an ability to work within own team as well as with colleagues in other parts of the organisation;
• Willingness to learn and provide support within the wider finance team.

Desirable:

• CCAB qualified / part qualified or can demonstrate qualification by experience;
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and accounting systems;
• Demonstrable experience of using management information to support and improve overall operational delivery;
• Experience/knowledge of Oracle financial system, Purchasing Module and General Ledger Module;
• Experience of working within a central government department and/or a Shared Service Centre environment;
• Experience of having had line management responsibilities.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Experience of working as part of a finance team.