National Crime Agency (NCA)
Senior Finance Officer - Payroll and Pensions
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Belfast, Bristol, Warrington
Job Summary
Serious and organised crime may feel far removed from our everyday lives, but it kills more people than all other national security threats combined. The NCA sits at the heart of the UK's response. We tackle those that pose the greatest risk to our safety and security. We operate proactively at the high end of high risk, undertaking investigations to bring offenders to justice.
Information About The Command
Corporate Business Services (CBS) is led by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the NCA and enables the operational capability of the NCA to protect the public from serious and organised crime.
The command includes Business Services, Commercial, Concordis Programme, Estates and Finance. Together, these functions ensure the NCA's activity is financially and commercially compliant, helps achieve value for money and improves the Agency financial capabilities and performance. CBS also aligns the NCA estates strategy in promoting a safe, secure and compliant estate with delivering a fit for purpose vehicle Fleet in line with a sustainability and fleet strategy.
Information About The Business Area
The Finance team provide effective and timely financial and management reports, in line with business requirements and both statutory and regulatory duties, including supporting documentation to audit standard, ensuring that NCA complies with general accounting standards and internal corporate governance requirements. The Finance Management Team also help Commands develop budget and savings proposals to inform the negotiations on future budget delegations.
Role Summary
We are currently seeking to recruit a Senior Pensions Officer to supervise the Agency's Pension Function. Your role will provide key service delivery enabling and supporting the Agency to respond and combat serious and organised crime.
This is a key role to support the overall provision of a payroll and pension administration service for all directly employed NCA staff. The Payroll and Pensions Team sits within Finance, but are visible across the NCA and have direct, regular contact with officers across the agency where building successful partnerships is key. If you like to be challenged and enjoy working in a dynamic and busy environment, then this could be the job for you.
Job Description
The post holder will manage the existing finance systems team ensuring the systems are maintained and supported with all regulatory tasks completed. They will ensure that the systems support the business through maintained policies, planning, performance, training, service delivery and governance. They will play a vital role providing business support for the existing finance system applications (iPOS and SUN Systems).
The role involves working closely with the line manager and other internal and external stakeholders to help deliver system enhancements and be a key visible leader on the Agency's transformation to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.
The post holder will play an important role in producing accurate and timely financial and management information, by ensuring the finance systems are capable of delivering the service required by the Finance department. The management of information is key to the role, in order to ensure data is supported by clear, audit-ready documentation and in line with relevant public sector guidance such as Managing Public Money.
This is a key role to support the overall provision of a payroll and pension administration service for all directly employed NCA staff.
- Ensure that pension systems are maintained to provide an effective service in line with Agency timelines and statutory regulations.
- Build good working relationships with both internal and external partners, including Capita.
- Manage and direct resources to ensure work is completed within agreed timescales/financial constraints in line with NCA policy.
- Accurately record financial transactions with appropriate evidence in place.
- Ensure financial controls and a full audit trail is maintained in provision of Pensions.
- Support and deputise as necessary for the Payroll & Pensions Manager.
- Ensure the quality, secure handling and dissemination of data/information, maintaining confidentiality, sensitivity and a duty of care in line with Agency policy.
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Duties And Responsibilities
- Manage and direct resources to ensure work is completed within agreed timescales/ financial constraints in line with NCA policy.
- Provide advice on all aspects of pay and pensions.
- Ensure that payroll and pension systems are maintained to provide an effective service in line with statutory regulations.
- Support and deputise as necessary for the other G4 officers and the G3 pension/payroll manager.
- Supervise Research, development, collation, co-ordinate and disseminate management information including, policies, reports, briefings and business plans and communications as appropriate.
- Assist in the Development of policy, reports, procedures and assist in the management of the data systems across the business area.
- Assist in the development and maintenance of effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and foster collaborative working.
- Support to integrate a new ERP system.
Person specification
- Strong numerical skills - The ability to quantify and manipulate financial data.
- Strong analytical skills - Able to analyse data from multiple sources.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office - Good Excel skills relating to analysing data, information and statistics from a wide range of sources
- Technical understanding of finance systems - Good technical knowledge of accounting processes, policies, statutory requirements and internal controls.
- Finance policy within public sector - Good knowledge of Finance policy within public sector
- Customer Service Experience - Able to communicate with internal and external stakeholders
- Line Management - Developing individuals in a payroll pension operational environment
- Ability to translate pension / payroll legislation into policy
- Deep understanding of payroll & pension legislation
Essential Criteria
You must meet the essential criteria and evidence this within your application to be considered for the role.
Qualifications, Membership And Licences
CIPP qualification or detailed knowledge/experience of Payroll and Civil Service Pension Schemes
Any applications from candidates not meeting this eligibility criteria will not progress.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £47,049, National Crime Agency contributes £13,630 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other Benefits Include:
- Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
- Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
- Housing schemes - Key Worker status
- Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway, Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
- Staff support groups/networks
- Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
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Further information is available on the NCA Website.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
How We Will Assess You
Your application will be assessed against the following:
Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:
- Organisational skills/experience of working to tight timelines, work prioritisation and managing competing job demands.
- Experience of analysing data, information and statistics from a wide range of sources.
- Advanced knowledge of PAYE and occupational pension scheme administration.
A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.
Longlist
In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.
Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
For Guidance On The Application Process, Visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding
Assessment 1
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
Success Profiles at Assessment
Behaviours
- Managing a quality service
- Working together
Technical
- Organisational skills/experience of working to tight timelines, work prioritisation and managing competing job demands.
- Experience of analysing data, information and statistics from a wide range of sources.
- Advanced knowledge of PAYE and occupational pension scheme administration.
Assessment Outcome
Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In The Event Of a Tie At The Assessment Stage, Available Roles Will Be Offered In Merit Order Using The Following Order:
- Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
- If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised
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