Finance Systems Accountant

The Financial Control Division (FCD) is a friendly, dynamic, and fast-paced team working at the heart of UK Export Finance. We are responsible for ensuring that effective financial control processes are in place. We coordinate the Department’s estimates, budgets and forecasting processes. We produce accurate and reliable monthly management accounts, annual accounts, and other published financial information. We manage the UKEF bank accounts, purchase ledger, fixed asset registers and the general ledger. We advise on accounting treatments, own the UKEF accounting policies and are working with others across the organisation and beyond to implement large-scale changes in our accounting policy, systems, and processes to operationalise IFRS 9 and IFRS 17.
Our friendly and collaborative team is growing to support a larger number of UK Exporters. Not only has the demand for UK Export Finance products significantly increased since the pandemic, but the business is operating in a more uncertain market than it has seen in a long time meaning activity on claims and recoveries is also increasing. It’s therefore an exciting time to join us as we support a business that is at the heart of delivering government export and trade policy to build the UK economy back stronger. We are also in a unique period of transition as we prepare to implement IFRS 9 and IFRS 17 accounting standards that will affect how we account for nearly all our front-line business. This will offer the successful applicant a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience, and indeed, help shape and contribute to this fundamental shift that involves implementing wide-reaching new processes and new finance systems, including a new general ledger and a
calculation Engine., In recent years, UKEF has expanded both in terms of the number of products offered and of volume and the total value of transactions. In addition, UKEF is preparing to implement significant changes to its reporting policies and processes because of the implementation of two new reporting standards (IFRS 17 and IFRS 9).
To support these changes, the IT infrastructure used to record and manage UKEF business is due to undergo large-scale change and expansion over the next few years with the implementation of new systems and the automation of more processes.
The primary responsibility of the Senior Finance Systems Accountant is to support the implementation and configuration of Aptitude and the interaction of it with the other new systems and processes; he/she will develop, support and maintain the new processes and procedures used to produce the monthly and quarterly management and yearly financial accounts; he/she will support and manage the data flows (via interfaces or manual) between Aptitude and various other systems and the General Ledger.
In the longer term, the successful candidate will maintain and provide ongoing support to this expanded portfolio of systems used to manage billions of pounds worth of transactions each year.
Main Activities
The primary purpose of the Finance Systems Accountant is to manage and maintain the finance systems, specifically Aptitude Comply solution but with the opportunity to cross-train with other Finance and Reporting applications.
The role will have oversight of full Aptitude i.e. AICE (Aptitude Insurance Calculation Engine), AAH (Aptitude Accounting Hub) or AC (Aptitude Calculate) and management and user issues.
The roles will shadow the implementation team and will sit between the Project and BAU teams to support both the developers and the SMEs, during the configuration and development and till the go-live, at which point they will take charge of the new BAU systems.
Responsibilities:
+ Work shadows the development team to document any changes to the Aptitude configuration.
+ Liaise with SMEs and end users to make sure all requirements have been captured and passed to the project team and acted upon;
+ Making sure requirements have been met and thoroughly tested;
+ Document the daily, weekly, and monthly to-be finance systems tasks as they are developed;
+ Managing and maintaining:
o Master data;
o Setting up users and supporting users with queries;
o Metadata;
+ Monitor and manage any interfaces and resolve errors;
+ Reconcile the various systems to ensure accurate and complete data integrations;
+ Support the development and maintenance of the new controls, policies and procedures;
+ Support the development and maintenance of the new reporting environment;
+ Work with Finance and other Business teams to resolve data processing discrepancies in a timely manner;
+ Support the continuous development of Aptitude and make sure its configurations is efficient and all calculations are working as expected.
This list is not exhaustive, you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business need., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Can you describe your involvement in a software (ideally a finance system) implementation or data migration or a process that you have been involved with.
+ Technical Questions
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
+ Can you describe your involvement in a software (ideally a finance system) implementation or data migration or a process that you have been involved with., This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
We are assessing candidates using Success Profiles (see Appendix 1) and across the whole process we will assess your Experience, Technical, and Behaviours as highlighted below.
The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.
All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.
+ Qualification
o 5 GCSE passes (including Maths and English) at Grade 4, C, or above; or equivalent or relevant demonstrable experience.
+ Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 500 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.
+ Technical Question
o Can you describe your involvement in a software (ideally a finance system) implementation or data migration or a process that you have been involved with.
For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against
1. Experience - CV and Statement of Suitability
2. Technical Question - 250 Words
o Can you describe your involvement in a software (ideally a finance system) implementation or data migration or a process that you have been involved with.
In the event of a large number of applications at sift, we will pre-sift on the following:
1. Technical Question (250 words)
1. Can you describe your involvement in a software (ideally a finance system) implementation or data migration or a process that you have been involved with.
If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview; this will include the following assessment:
1. Behaviours / Experience - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all two behaviours highlighted and your experience.
2. Technical
1. Questions around Database queries.
Candidates may be invited to a second interview in the event of 2 or more candidates scoring the same; this will include the following assessment:
1. Technical
1. In depth questions around Database queries.
Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

+ 5 GCSE passes (including Maths and English) at Grade 4, C, or above; or equivalent or relevant demonstrable experience. (A), + High attention to detail, numerate, analytical and have strong organisational skills. (A, I)
+ Good IT skills including MS Office and medium to advance Excel. (A)
+ Trained user of data intelligence and query tools such as SQL, Power BI, Power Query or equivalent tools. (A, I)
+ Must have the ability to take ownership of tasks and lead processes to successful completion. (I)
+ Ability to clearly explain and interpret financial data for various audiences. (A)
+ Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines. (A, I), + Previous involvement in system projects or experience with system transitions. (A, I), o Level 4 AAT (A)
o Level 4 equivalent part qualified with CCAB, CIMA or equivalent. (A)
+ Digital, Data and Technology
o ITIL service management
o Agile PM basic, + Previous experience as Dynamics administrator or similar role.
+ Any experience of Power BI and Coda Financials or other General Ledgers would be an advantage.

Alongside your salary of £39,035, UK Export Finance contributes £11,308 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%