Education Authority Northern Ireland
Budgetary Support Officer - (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate - 2 posts
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JOB DESCRIPTION
REPORTS TO:
Budgetary Support Manager, (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate
RESPONSIBLE FOR:
The Senior Admin Officer – Budgetary Support will assist in the development and progression of leading, managing, and developing financial reporting processes and procedures for EA directorates and services as an integral part of a finance business partnering team.
They will develop meaningful data analysis and reporting across key budgets and will engage with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control. As a key member of this team, the post holder is accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement.
JOB PURPOSE
The post holder will be responsible for assisting and leading, managing, and developing effective data analysis and financial reporting processes and procedures across directorates and services. As a key member of the team, the post holder will be accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement. The post holder will be expected to provide strong leadership and direction in the development of relevant EA finance policies, engaging with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control, and compliance with relevant legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
The post holder will build and maintain clear lines of communication within and across the Service and establish effective working partnerships with relevant external stakeholders and service user groups as appropriate.
In acting as an integral member of the team, the post-holder is required to fully contribute to all Finance Business Partnering Service issues related to the corporate plan, operational business plan, service development proposals, savings proposals, and risk register to ensure that the Directorate operational plans support the overall strategic direction of EA and the achievement of its objectives in line with its vision, mission, and values.
The post-holder will contribute to the achievement of the EA’s overall corporate objectives. The post-holder will be responsible for providing advice, support, information, and guidance to relevant EA Directorate colleagues.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Service Specific
- Contribute to the delivery of management accounting activities, including the preparation and delivery of timely, accurate, and insightful monthly management accounts.
- Work within the Finance Business Partnering Team to support budget holders to set and monitor their budgets, within the context of the annual and spending review planning cycle and savings delivery plans.
- Work in close partnership with Directorate budget-holders and the Financial Reporting team to provide accurate, timely, and comprehensive management accounting information to enable robust forecasting.
- To develop processes to coordinate the submission of returns to DE to ensure compliance with the DE EA Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.
- To oversee the implementation, maintenance, and administration of processes and procedures which ensure excellent support to service users.
- To provide operational, administrative, and financial advice and support within the service and to other Directorates.
- To liaise with Service users and identify areas for improvement in financial reporting in line with EA’s strategic objectives.
- To embed new and tested processes in day-to-day business.
- To develop staff guidance on financial reporting and compliance.
- Ensure specific projects and tasks allocated have been completed to the standards required.
- To contribute to monthly and, where necessary, year-end reporting requirements to ensure compliance and accurate records are maintained within deadlines.
- To build relations and collaborate with budget holders in other Services and Directorates, ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality financial insights and support.
- To assist with the evaluation and review of existing procedures and recommend changes to achieve continuous improvement.
- To prepare responses to information requests including Ministerial questions, Committee papers as required.
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Management
- To ensure good financial management as appropriate in accordance with all relevant financial policies and standards and performance management of the finance reporting systems.
- To develop staff within the service and encourage staff involvement and engagement in the strategic development and operational delivery of the service.
- To regularly monitor ongoing administrative needs to support the data analysis and financial reporting needs of the organisations and future challenges.
- Represent the Directorate on working groups or meetings as appropriate.
Management and Staff Development
- To work closely with the Finance Business Partner and Deputy Finance Business Partner to assist in the service leadership and direction ensuring that corporate, directorate, and service performance standards are achieved.
- To ensure efficient and effective internal communication with staff in the service.
- To assist in establishing and providing suitable programmes of finance training to assist in financial management.
- To provide day-to-day management of officers as appropriate and undertake all duties associated with line management as appropriate.
- To support ongoing restructuring of the service and continuously improve the service to ensure delivery against performance targets, and to ensure that best value for money is achieved.
Developing Partnerships
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Directorate, and in other Directorates as required, modernising existing systems and developing new processes and systems, ensuring effective liaison with relevant stakeholders.
- To develop links with other EA officers across the directorates in relation to service user requirements.
- To work closely with partner organisations, the Finance Business Partner/ Deputy Finance Business Partner /Head of Service/Assistant Director/Director and colleagues to benchmark services and lead/manage and monitor change.
- Respond to external queries and correspondence on relevant issues and provide relevant reports or other information as required.
Developing Strategy, Policy, and Guidance
- To work with the Finance Business Partner and Deputy Finance Business Partner to establish, maintain, and communicate a clear and compelling strategic direction for the service.
- To assist in the development and progression of leading, managing, and developing data analysis and financial reporting processes and procedures for high priority areas as identified by senior management.
- To assist in the development of relevant EA finance policies, including engagement with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and governance, and compliance with relevant legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
- To assist in ensuring EA’s compliance with Managing Public Money NI and the DE EA Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.
- To assist in the development and implementation of processes to collate input to annual budget exercises and coordinate directorate and service financial analysis line with DE requirements.
- To contribute to the development and implementation of other related new policies in line with strategic direction.
- To contribute to the management of the Service, supporting ongoing restructuring of the service.
Other Duties
- Liaising with EA Finance Directorate Business Services on internal and external audit recommendations.
- To assist in year-end reporting requirements, including coordinating year-end finance information to ensure compliance and accurate records are maintained.
- Liaising across EA teams on queries, reporting concerns to management, and ensuring timely response.
- To collaborate across services to successfully deliver high-quality business and finance support.
- Support arrangements for continuous improvements to ensure delivery against performance targets.
- To work with the Functional Leads to identify and manage key strategic risks impacting on the delivery of teams, Directorate, and EA objectives.
- Keep up to date on new financial reporting and analysis requirements.
- Represent the Directorate on working groups or meetings as appropriate.
- To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and scope of the position as directed by the line manager.
- To assist Functional Leads, identify, and manage key strategic risks impacting on the delivery of teams, directorate, and EA objectives.
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This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity, and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS
- You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
- You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
- The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
- Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
- Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
- In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
| Factor | Essential Criteria | Method of Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifications/Experience | Hold a Bachelor’s Degree (UK Qualification and Credit Framework Level 6) or an equivalent or higher qualification and have two years’ relevant experience* OR Have five years’ relevant experience* | Shortlisting by Application Form |
| *Relevant experience is defined as: Experience gained in either one of the areas listed below: a) Financial planning and |
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