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Information systems manager
Bainisteoir Córais Faisnéise

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The Information Systems Manager (ISM) post will play a pivotal role in supporting the Assembly Commission to embed its new integrated Finance, Payroll, Human Resources (HR) and Purchase Order/Procurement system.

Information Systems Manager
Bainisteoir Córais Faisnéise

What we're looking for

The main duties and responsibilities of an Information Systems Manager are:

System Administration and Maintenance

  • Maintenance: To schedule all housekeeping tasks and processes in relation to the various modules and ensure they are running at optimum performance levels;
  • New modules: Ensure that any new modules are built, tested and implemented, within scoped parameters and in line with Assembly Commission security profiles and GDPR legislation;
  • Upgrades: In consultation with the Finance and HR Offices, schedule and test all related upgrades and arrange periodic database copies to the test and development sites;
  • Troubleshooting: Act as the first point of contact for any queries in relation to the system, to log necessary calls with the system provider, and keep users up to date on queries raised;
  • Contributing to Contract Management: To be the first point of contact with the system provider for any issues. Managing the day-to-day relationship including the booking of consultants, where required, and monitoring delivery of consultancy work/support; raising and escalation of any cases for supplier action, monitoring the progress of these to completion.  Monitor the relevant contract key performance indicators and provide this information to the overall Contract Manager;
  • Subject matter expert: Working with the Finance and HR Offices, drive the development of business and technical processes by acting as the subject matter expert on the various modules and their capabilities. This will require being fully up to date and knowledgeable of relevant Finance and HR Assembly Commission policies and procedures; International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); and all policies relating to the payment of Members’ salaries, allowances and expenses, in order to ensure that system processes and workflows are aligned to these;
  • Continuous process improvement: To continually review the Finance, Payroll and HR processes, ensuring they are fit for purpose, and providing recommendations and/or solutions to the relevant Office on ongoing or potential issues in order to deliver efficient and effective ways of working. Recommend new features or changes to configuration/workflows based on best practice and user feedback, recognising areas of the solution that are underutilised or inefficient and present solutions for improvement;
  • Risk management: Maintain a system risk register ensuring all risks and issues are monitored and managed effectively; ensure any new processes designed and implemented have had privacy impact assessments to meet GDPR and other legislative requirements;
  • Information Asset Officer: Undertake the role of Information Asset Owner for the information held in the system; ensure privacy notices are reviewed and up to date, that procedures follow best practice in terms of handling data in line with GDPR requirements; ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Assembly Commission’s policies.

 

Data Integrity

  • Database Management: Take responsibility for database management for system records, such as live suppliers / catalogues / elements / users, etc.;
  • Change verification: Protect the integrity of the system data by ensuring only authorised changes are carried out;
  • System and user audits: Conduct data audits and data cleansing exercises, user audits, and security access audits.

Training

  • User guides: Create and maintain documentation for Finance, Payroll and HR processes, ensuring it is relevant, easy to follow and is kept up to date;
  • Training: Take responsibility for all system training materials, ensuring all new users are given the necessary training on the system and that regular refresher training is provided to all Assembly Commission staff; which may be face to face, or via the development and maintenance of eLearning courses. Training will also need to be provided to Members, Members’ support staff and Party support staff as required.

Reporting

  • Data extraction: Produce meaningful management information reports for senior managers and the Finance and HR Offices, both on an ad hoc and scheduled basis to enable strategic and management decisions;
  • Advice and Assistance: Provide assistance to the Finance and HR Offices to enable them to produce reports/audit reports as required;
  • Presentation reports: To design presentation material suitable for delivery at external/stakeholder meetings;
  • Report / Dashboard creation: In consultation with the Finance and HR Offices, develop the reporting outputs from the system, including editing/creating new reports and building dashboards, taking responsibility for report data quality (control totals for reports, all reports having the same definition of terms used, etc.).
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What we're offering
  • Salary range: £37,925 - £39,062
  • 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

Essential Criteria:

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications have:

1. A minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience of the administration and maintenance of Finance, Payroll and HR systems. The experience must include:

a) Building and modifying workflows within the systems including testing and implementing changes;

b) Supporting the review of Finance, Payroll and HR processes on the systems leading to greater efficiency;

c) Extracting and creating Finance, Payroll and HR related reports from the systems, for the purpose of statutory reporting; budgeting, variance analysis or accounting;

d) Maintaining a Chart of Accounts and general ledger structures;

e) Acting as the first point of contact for user queries and raising issues with the system suppliers for action;

f) Training staff and other relevant stakeholders on each of the systems.

2. A good understanding of IFRS and their impact on financial processes and reporting.

3. A good understanding of HMRC employment tax regulations and statutory reporting requirements.

4. A good understanding of HR good practice and current Northern Ireland employment legislation.

 

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

  • Have attained an accounting qualification equivalent to Accounting Technician or above; OR
  • Have attained a BTEC Level 3 Award in Payroll Techniques or equivalent and at least 1 years’ experience of processing payroll for a minimum of 100 staff.
 

Quick Q&A for this job...​

The salary range is £37,925 – £39,062 . This is an Assembly Grade 6 position.

There is one permanent position.

The Information Systems Managers will work in the Finance Office, part of the Assembly’s Corporate Services Directorate.

The successful candidate will be accountable to the Head of Finance.

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

Completed application forms must be submitted by 12 noon on 6 June 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, 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 27 June 2022.

The selection panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary. 

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.

Information Systems Manager
Bainisteoir Córais Faisnéise

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 Wednesday 6th April 2022 between 19:00 – 09:00 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 6 June 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 recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.

Visit our website for further information about the Assembly.

Apply Now

Please note the application form will be unavailable on Wednesday 6th April 2022 between 19:00 – 09:00 due to maintenance on the system.

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