DIO Finance Assistant

at  Ministry of Defence

JOB SUMMARY

The DIO Finance Accommodation team are responsible for financial management of all areas of the retained DIO Accommodation delivery area budget of c£1.1Bn (RDEL and CDEL) covering Service Family Accommodation within the UK and the European Support Group. Management of key finance processes, including In-Year Management, the Annual Budgeting Cycle, assurance, and approval of new commitments, ARAc returns and Audit queries. Management of IFRS16 for the Anningtons Lease and Bulk Lease Hires. The team are also responsible for managing Contributions In Lieu of Council Tax, SFA/SLA and sub-let income, Defence Accommodation Stores, Housing PFIs, the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and the Modernised Accommodation Offer.
DIO Finance operates a flexible working model whereby individuals may be required to transfer to another role. This may be in response to critical vacancies or for the individual’s personal development. These moves will not require a change to an individual’s duty station.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

ROUTINE REQUIREMENTS

Ensuring all required information is provided, outputs are accurate, timely and meet the expected standards for:

• Liaising with budget managers monthly to analyse, scrutinise and submit a robust forecast in line with departmental policy and submission timeframes.
• (Electronic Procurement Card) ePC Manager check and process valid requests for changes in functional delegation, increases in single transaction limits, and monthly credit limits
• Month end activities, ensuring its complete utilising the correct accounting entries and completed in compliance with relevant internal and wider government policy and a robust audit trail maintained.
• Monitoring, and where appropriate approving invoices, engaging with commercial and suppliers when required to resolve issues.
• Undertaking the input of budget profiles into corporate reporting systems, forming the baseline for future progress measurement.
• Undertake critical analysis of financial systems to ensure the data is accurate and up to date to facilitate input being consistently achieved for your business area(s) for all aspects of ABC and IYM.
• Utilising standardised templates / forms for recurring requests, advising what information is required and ensuring this aligns to the required policy where applicable.
• Ensuring compliance with the relevant processes and policies and that an appropriate procurement route is utilised.
• Engaging with the Business where evidence for manual accruals is insufficient and flagging issues, by exception, to the appropriate Finance Business Partner.
• All misbookings are to be corrected at source, removing any need for future manual intervention. Engaging with Project and Commercial staff to resolve any issues and work towards a right first-time input.
• Reviewing the Chart of Accounts, ensuring the structure remains current and consistent.
• Ensure you and your staff undertake the maintenance of corporate systems access for all Finance Staff.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Finance Competence Framework: In Year Financial Management
• Finance Competence Framework: Financial Planning

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Finance Competence Framework: In Year Financial Management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights
Things you need to know

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Accountancy
Finance