Job Purpose
The delivery of strategic projects across the finance directorate, working closely with stakeholders from across the University. To play a key role in the development and provision of central FP&A activities. To play a leading role in providing a comprehensive, effective and efficient management accounting service across the University. To provide high quality technical support across the University through insightful analysis and issue resolution. To support and develop enhanced liaison between the central Finance Office and Colleges, ensuring accurate, timely, relevant and reliable information allowing delivery of a customer service focus. To continuously improve processes and procedures to support efficient and effective operations within a strong internal control environment.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Project Work
Lead project work within the Finance team as requested by the Director of Finance, Deputy Director of Finance and Head of Management Accounts. This includes leading initiatives involving internal teams and external advisors to deliver strategic University wide projects related to process improvement and implementation of the University strategy. Provide specialist financial support and advice to project boards as required, preparing detailed business cases and other financial planning and analysis for senior management, challenging and testing the data provided and ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of reports. Actively contribute to all relevant project meetings and working groups.
2. Financial Planning & Analysis
Lead strategic business partner working across the organisation, providing analytics that deliver actionable insight to help improve organisational decisions. Producing trend analysis and predicative analytics, monitoring KPIs and identifying the cause of unexpected variations. Building and maintaining financial models/dashboards to support volume/mix analysis to support strategic discussions on the size and shape of the University, cost to teach analysis and other cost and income related analysis. Develop and maintain robust financial data and leverage this to provide sound business and financial management information to senior leadership including identifying strategic action plans to ensure our return on investment. Develop and maintain financial models to assist in target setting processes and support budgeting, forecasting and scenario planning activities.
3. External Management Reporting Requirements.
Support on the preparation of external reporting information such as HESA, TRAC and SFC. This will require working closely with the Deputy Head of Management Accounting and the core Management Accounts team. This will include collating, reviewing and interpreting data for submission to ensure accurate and presented in accordance with issued guidelines and timelines. Consideration will also need to be given to identifying year-on-year movements, areas of process improvement and system automation opportunities.
4. Financial Management Reporting Service
The role holder will provide direct support to the Director/ Deputy Director of Finance for ad hoc requests and expert analysis to support decision making and development of strategy. This will include sourcing, analysing and evaluating financial information from across the University, using insight and expertise to draw conclusions and make recommendations. Present findings and recommendations to inform and support strategic decision making at Senior Management Group, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, Court and to external stakeholders. The role holder will also consolidate, review and challenge the monthly results and forecasts and prepare the monthly reporting pack for review with the Finance Office Directorate, ahead of publishing to Senior Management Group.
5. Process Efficiency and Effectiveness
The role holder will be expected to play a key role in optimising the service that the Management Accounting team provide to the College Finance teams and remove duplication and wasted effort. They will have a clear understanding of the needs of the customer base and will work to provide an effective service level delivery. In doing so they will be expected to work closely with College Finance staff and Financial Accounting staff to ensure that management reporting and the underlying data integrity and processing is delivered in a controlled, effective and efficient manner utilising a standard corporate process. The role holder will also be expected to continually review and identify opportunities for enhancing the information provision whilst improving the efficiency and automation of the report preparation.
6. Other Duties
Attend meetings as required and deputise for the Deputy Head of Management Accounts.
Provide information as required under Freedom of Information Requests.
Provide high quality and specialist advice & guidance on financial information and university policy.
Promote financial awareness and a culture of financial accountability across the department to ensure financial sustainability is central to all business activities.
Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential:
A1 Knowledge/experience of financial & management accounting procedures.
A2 Knowledge/experience of Financial Planning and Analysis activities.
A3 Chartered Accountant or Equivalent, or qualified by experience, with up-to- date knowledge of policy & procedures.
A4 Comprehensive knowledge of business processes.
Skills
Essential:
C1 Ability to apply intellectual rigour and analytical insight to support qualitative decision- making.
C2 Highly effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to challenge assumptions and practices with diplomacy.
C3 An ability to demystify complex financial concepts for non-financial colleagues.
C4 Resilient and able to effectively deal with ambiguity and able to maintain momentum in the face of obstacles/setbacks.
C5 Ability to prioritise workload to deliver to tight deadlines and manage competing demands from various stakeholders.
C6 Advanced skills in the use of Microsoft packages such as Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint; and accounting software packages.
Experience
Essential:
E1 Extensive post qualification experience in financial and management accounting within a large, complex organisation.
E2 Experience of working with and influencing at various levels across the organisation including senior management.
E3 Successful track record of working with non-financial managers to drive improvements in decision-making and financial performance.
E4 Significant practical experience of using computerised finance systems.
E5 Proven track record in a large complex environment.
Desirable:
F1 Experience of PowerBI / TM1 Planning Analytics.
Terms and Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £48,350 - £56,021 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and open ended.
Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https: // www. gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https: // www. gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https: // www. gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https: // www. gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https: // www. gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
Vacancy Ref : 142730 Close Date : 03-Apr-2024 23:45