Senior Finance Officer Required

Department: Government Finance Team
Role: Senior Finance Officer
Location: London
Salary: Up to £375/day Inside IR35
Duration 3 months initial likely to extend to 12-18 months

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Finance Officer to join our Government Finance team. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to support and lead continuous improvement activities aimed at enhancing internal financial processes and modelling, to achieve outcomes defined by the Head of Finance. You will work with senior colleagues to deliver key financial activities and support high-level government initiatives, including the Spending Review.

As a Senior Finance Officer, you will play a crucial role in managing day-to-day budgets, forecasting financial requirements, and tracking the whole life costs of projects. You will work collaboratively with HR leads, senior directors, and project teams to ensure resource planning aligns with financial forecasts and business plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance internal financial processes and modelling.
• Collaborate with colleagues to define and achieve key financial outcomes.
• Contribute to the Spending Review process and support management of day-to-day budgets.
• Work with HR leads to ensure financial forecasts are aligned with resource plans.
• Oversee the management and allocation of R&W budgets and contribute to business planning activities.
• Track and manage the whole life costs for each project, ensuring alignment with financial expectations.
• Support the preparation of business cases (OBC/FBCs) for key projects.
• Contribute to the financial reporting for the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP), including quarterly and monthly reporting.
• Provide essential support for annual financial business planning and forecasting processes across central government.
• Assist in the closure of annual accounts and ensure compliance with financial regulations and reporting standards.
• Provide ongoing support, guidance, and advice to directorates and project leads on financial matters.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Extensive experience in a central government finance role, with a strong understanding of financial reporting standards.
• Proven experience in the development and implementation of cashflow and sensitivity models.
• Experience with the implementation of new grant schemes in central government.
• Advanced skills in managing and analyzing data from multiple sources, with proficiency in Microsoft products to automate processes and improve efficiency.
• Strong experience in maintaining a complex balance sheet, ensuring robust controls, and managing reconciliations.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships across various teams in UK Government and with external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accounting professional (eg, ACA, ACCA, CIMA), or equivalent qualification with relevant and recent experience.

Personal Attributes

• Willingness to work at pace and independently in a fast-moving and challenging environment.
• A "can-do" attitude with the ability to proactively support work and colleagues beyond your immediate remit.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to challenge in a constructive and engaging manner.

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