Head of Finance & Corporate Reporting

We are recruiting for the position of Head of Finance & Corporate Reporting for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

As a senior leader in the organisation, you will bring expertise in your field along with a proven ability to lead and inspire teams. You are someone who thrives in dynamic environments, embraces innovation, and is committed to creating long-term, values-driven impact.

Reporting to the Director of Finance & Corporate Services, the successful candidate will lead the Finance, Performance, Procurement and Risk teams, setting direction, managing workflows, assuring quality and staff engagement.

Financial planning, reporting, good governance, and expert advice is at the heart of decision-making. The role holder will have responsibility for financial planning, budgetary management, forecasting, and reporting on outturn to the Board and to senior management as well as ensuring the proper control and assurance frameworks are in place.

You will work closely with the strategy team to deliver our annual plan and external performance reporting. This is a high-visibility role working with budget managers and advising senior staff therefore the ability to communicate well in person and in writing, and to manage relationships will be key to success.

Key Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of this role are but not limited to:

• Supporting the Director to lead and set strategic direction in the effective delivery of services and support functions and take forward change management programmes as required.
• Setting strategic direction, leading, managing and motivating the team to develop a culture of service delivery and business partnering, with a strong focus on continuous improvement.
• Maintaining and continuously improving controls and processes within the team and across the Commission for effectiveness, value for money and efficiency as well as promoting transparency, value for money, risk management and accountability across all expenditure.
• Ensuring the timely and accurate production of monthly management accounts and statutory accounts, forecasting and budget returns, etc.
• Ensuring effective budget and cash management, including accurate monthly profiling, effective performance management and monitoring.
• Working with the Strategic Communications team to link budgetary and business planning.
• Collaborating with the Strategic Communications, Investigations and Legal teams to ensure forecasts of volumes, durations and costs of investigation/ streams of work are integrated.
• Developing and maintaining long-term financial forecasts. Contributing to spending review processes and other fiscal events as required.
• Supporting decision-making with investment appraisal, development of business cases etc.
• Developing robust financial efficiency/ savings plans and monitor implementation.
• Management of the Performance Management function and ensuring regular performance, compliance and risk reporting to the senior management team and Board.
• Management of the Procurement function and overseeing the procurement pipeline and current procurement activity and ensuring adequate commercial and contract management arrangements are in place.
• Contributing to the identification of key strategic priorities that will impact on the organisation within the corporate and risk management frameworks.
• Providing strategic leadership in risk management and ensuring that operational financial risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated in line with the corporate risk register.
• Driving the development of financial/ corporate systems, policies and processes to ensure they are efficient, fit for purpose and support corporate requirements.
• Ensuring that the Annual Report & Accounts are presented accurately and in accordance with established timetables and standards.
• Attendance at Board, Audit & Risk Committee, and other governance bodies as appropriate.
• Acting as the key liaison point with the Sponsor Branch, Northern Ireland Office on financial matters, external auditors (NAO), internal auditors and others as required.
• Ensuring audit report recommendations are implemented on a timely basis that lessons learned are communicated effectively throughout the organisation.
• Maintaining a sound system of internal control including ensuring compliance with corporate policies and governance requirements.
• Preparing the business plan and managing the delivery of divisional objectives.
• Taking the lead on corporate projects as required.
• Ensuring compliance and best practice in relation to: audit and risk; holding and processing information; data protection, GDPR, the use of corporate electronic systems; freedom of information and environmental regulations.
• Reviewing and ensuring effective staffing structures are in place with the appropriate levels of skills and expertise.
• Fostering an environment and culture that delivers excellence in all activities.
• Managing and supporting staff to deliver high-quality work, ensuring clear objectives and effective workload prioritisation.
• Leading on staff development through coaching, feedback, and identifying training needs to build team capability.
• Creating a positive, collaborative team culture that encourages learning, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Deputising for the Director as and when required.