Description
*Financial Accountant - up to £400/day - DEFRA - 6 months - Reading*
Security clearance (SC): MUST hold (or be willing to undergo) a Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and Disclosure Scotland (DS) check.
This is an exciting opportunity for a Financial Accountant within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Key responsibilities will include (among others): budget management and planning; provision of procurement advice and conducting expenditure reviews.
The ideal candidate will have a strong command of financial processes and procedures, as well as civil service experience within a similar role.
Key tasks and deliverables:
*Manage the delegated budget.
*Ensure compliance with finance and procurement policies.
*Provide procurement advice.
*Manage finances, assets and payroll reconciliation.
*Identify and gain agreement for measures to deliver budget efficiencies through either cost-savings, re-allocation of financial resources or external sourcing of services.
*Ensure regular review of expenditure takes place.
*Assist and support budget holders to scrutinise their own budgets.
*Production of monthly, quarterly and annual financial accounts, forecasts and budgets as required.
Essential skills and experience:
*Ability to lead on complex financial calculations and provide clear reconciliations
*Ability to maintain clear auditable records and communicate them and proposals to resolve issues to managers
*Ability to work flexibly across a range of financial accounting tasks and activities
*Ability to work with external auditors to resolve audit queries
Desirable skills and experience:
*Experience of civil service in a similar role would be ideal
*An understanding of government finance would be beneficial