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Accountant
Cuntasóir

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The Accountant has responsibility for a range of functions including the oversight of accounts payable and accounts receivable teams, the preparation of monthly journals, trial balance reconciliations, VAT returns and monthly forecasting and variance analysis.

Accountant
Cuntasóir

What we're looking for

The main duties and responsibilities of the post are:

  • Supporting the Senior Finance Office Management Team in the effective management of the Finance Office and maintaining a positive working environment;
  • Managing a team of staff to plan, organise, co-ordinate and monitor the provision of efficient and effective Financial Services to the Assembly Commission, managers, staff, Members and Parties;
  • Supervising the weekly accounts payable processes for secretariat administration costs or Members claims and completion of the suppliers’ payment run;
  • Preparing monthly prepayment and accrual journals;
  • Assisting either of the Senior Accountants with producing monthly general ledger control account reconciliations. This includes but is not limited to reconciliations of the bank accounts, the net pay control accounts, pension liability control accounts and the VAT control accounts, by analysing transactions and investigating costing errors and unreconciled amounts;
  • Administration of the monthly internal management accounting processes. This includes but is not limited to running the monthly budget reports and analysing expenditure and variances in advance of monthly meetings and where appropriate producing revised forecasts for inclusion in the management accounts considered by the Secretariat Management Group (SMG);
  • Producing high quality, reliable, accurate and timely financial information for internal and external stakeholders. This includes monthly management accounts with detailed variance analysis;
  • Assisting with the preparation of the Interim and Annual Report and Resource Accounts as required. This includes but is not limited to preparing and posting journals, analysing expenditure reports, reconciling balance sheet accounts and ensuring all postings and analysis are completed in a timely manner;
  • Administration and maintenance of the financial accounting system and purchase ordering systems, including access control, updating financial tracking information and assisting the team with resolving queries, or assisting end users with operational issues.
  • Line management of a small team of clerical supervisors and clerical officers;
  • Providing a quality assurance role for the work of the team, ensuring information and guidance issued is accurate and complies with policies, current legislation or HMRC best practice;
  • Managing information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements;
  • Assisting with the preparation of FOI responses, by running reports, collating, analysing and verifying data held in the accounting system;
  • Managing a number of key contracts, including but not limited to the insurance brokering contract, the banking contract, or software maintenance contracts.
  • Maintaining an up-to date understanding of current public sector accounting requirements under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) regime and ensuring continual professional development is undertaken for the qualifications noted below;
  • Interpreting and applying a number of key corporate policies, ensuring guidance is up to date and that the policies are correctly applied by the team and claims are compliant. Assisting with policy development;
  • Complying with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements; and
  • You may also be required to carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.
Find out more and apply now
What we're offering
  • Salary range: £37,181 - £38,296
  • The standard working week is 37 hours, excluding meal breaks (42 hours gross). Working hours will be dictated by the mode of operation of the Assembly and may involve work into late evenings and on occasions, at weekends and on public holidays.
  • In addition to the usual public and privilege holidays, there is an annual leave allowance of 25 days, increasing incrementally by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days. Please be aware that a major influence in determining when leave can be taken will be the parliamentary timetable.
Find out more about employee benefits
Essential Criteria

Applicants for the post must, by the closing date for applications have:

1. Successfully completed the professional examinations and be a full current member of one of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies listed below:

(a) The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants;

(b) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland;

(c) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland;

(d) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;

(e) The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; or

(f) The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

2. At least one years’ post* qualification experience of preparing financial or management accounts for a public, commercial or voluntary sector organisation in accordance with the IFRS regime as adopted for the UK;

3. Experience using Microsoft Office packages, to include MS Word, Excel and Outlook.

Additionally, applicants should demonstrate experience of either 4(A) or 4(B).

4. A) At least one year’s experience of monitoring budgets and reporting on the allocation of resources for a public, commercial or voluntary sector organisation;

OR

B) At least one years’ experience of maintaining and developing core IT financial and/or management accounting systems to assist with the monitoring of budgets and the reporting on the allocation of resources;

* “Post-qualification” experience will be deemed to have commenced from the date on which applicants are admitted to full membership of one of the professional bodies referred to at 1 above, having fully satisfied all the criteria for membership.

Shortlisting Criteria

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

Experience of assisting in the development of policy including research and analysis of relevant best practice, legislation and case law.

Quick Q&A for this job...​

The salary range is £37,181 – £38,296. This is an Assembly Grade 6 position. 

The Finance Office offers a range of financial services to the Assembly Commission, the Secretariat, Members and Parties.  The Office sits within the Corporate Services Directorate and is responsible for the following functions: accounts receivable, accounts payable, budgeting, financial and management accounting, statutory reporting, payroll, processing of all Members claims as laid out in the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016 (as amended) and the operation of a central travel desk.

The successful candidate will be accountable to a Senior Accountant.

The successful applicant will be based in Parliament Buildings, Belfast.

Completed application forms must be submitted by 12 noon on Monday 07 February 2022.

The Selection Process

There are five elements within the Recruitment and Selection Framework:

Experience – the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Ability – the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard. 

Technical – the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours –the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

Strengths – the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.

The elements which will be assessed for this role will be Experience, Technical and Assembly Skills and Behaviours and the selection method(s) that will be used are detailed below. Further information on the Recruitment and Selection Framework are included in the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post. 

The selection panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this post. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed in the Job Specification will be applied. The selection panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion and/or to only invite those who score highest in the shortlisting criterion to the next stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.  

The interview will address the information contained in the Job Specification and will assess elements of the Recruitment and Selection Framework.

Interviews are planned for week commencing 14 March 2022.

Further information on the Recruitment and Selection process is available in the Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance on the Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Accountant
Cuntasóir

Below you will find everything you need to apply for the position.

Read all the information about the job and the associated guidance related to working in the Assembly:

You are now ready to complete the online application:

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Please note the application form will be unavailable on Saturday 22 January 2022 due to maintenance on the system.

If you are unable to access the form during this time please try again later.

The deadline for applications expired at 12 noon on Monday 07 February 2022.

Further Information

If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Human Resources Office on 028 90 521446/028 90 521741 or email [email protected].

Visit our website for further information about the Assembly.

Good Luck

Apply Now

Please note the application form will be unavailable on Saturday 22 January 2022 due to maintenance on the system.

If you are unable to access the form during this time please try again later.