AUS (Canberra) - Ministry of Defence (MOD) Finance Manager, EO

HM Government; United Kingdom; On-site; AUD 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental organization is seeking a Finance Manager in Canberra, responsible for financial planning management, managing a £450K budget, and ensuring timely processing of finance-related tasks. Ideal candidates should have strong accounting skills and experience in government environments. This is a full-time permanent position with a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Learning and development opportunities

22 days annual leave

Qualifications

• Must be capable of achieving SC(O) level clearance.
• Experience in a government department or military environment is desirable.
• Fluent in English, both oral and written.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for financial planning and management of Defence Section.
• Manage departmental budgets totaling £450K.
• Prepare monthly financial reports.

Skills

Self-Starter

Accounting background

Problem-solving skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong administrative skills

Good desk research skills

High level experience using Microsoft Office

Experience with OneDrive and SharePoint

Education

No specific degree required

Job description

AUS (Canberra) - Ministry of Defence (MOD) Finance Manager, EO

Recruiter HM Government

Location United Kingdom

Salary AUD 94,773.00 per annum + 12% superannuation

View Vacancy - AUS (Canberra) - Ministry of Defence (MOD) Finance Manager, EO

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)

Job Subcategory

MOD (Ministry of Defence)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

The MOD Finance Manager is primarily responsible for the financial planning and management of a busy and high-profile Defence Section with country and regional responsibilities. The position is also the subject matter expert when advising on administration and allowances of British Military personnel working within the British High Commission, embedded in the Australian Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force, which has approximately 90 serving military and defence civilian personnel at any one time along with their families. The position reports directly to two senior officers in the Defence Section and has line-management responsibility for one subordinate administrator.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

• Imprest Management. Account operator, responsible for the running of the British Defence Liaison Staff (BDLS) and British Defence Staff (BDS) delegated budgets in accordance with current regulations.
• Manage a budget with various accounts totalling circa £450K and a local Imprest account, with a turnover of £1,500,000.
• Manage the delegated budgets, advising the Defence Adviser of the quarterly targets, under and overspends.
• Manage the MOD's online financial database 'ESCAPADE', working closely with the BDLS/BDS Advisers to ensure entries are completed in a timely manner and are accurate to the agreed budget.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) for MOD allowances.
• Advise BDLS/BDS and Exchange Officers of allowances in accordance with current regulations.
• Process claims in a timely manner.
• Work closely with the MOD Human Resources Administration Officer to keep the arrivals and departure brief up to date in accordance with current regulations.
• Liaise with the Department of Home Affairs on special case visas.
• Prepare monthly financial reports as part of the monthly close down procedure and send to the UK.
• Liaise with the Global Admin Unit (GAU) based in the UK for pay and allowance queries.
• Cover aspects of the Office Manager's role in periods of absence.
• Other tasks as directed by the Office Manager and Air & Space Adviser.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

Delegated Budget Manager.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Self-Starter; must be able to work at a fast pace to a high standard.
• Accounting background; training will also be provided.
• Must be able to take initiative using judgement, strong problem-solving skills, and displaying resilience.
• Excellent interpersonal skills - ability to deal with difficult situations with tact, empathy and diplomacy and a high degree of confidentiality when required to achieve desired outcomes.
• Strong, proven administrative skills with an eye for detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Good desk research skills and excellent writing skills.
• High level experience using Microsoft Office.
• Experience with OneDrive and SharePoint.

Language requirements:

Language: English

Level of language required: Fluent, both oral and written.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• Previous experience working in a government department or military environment.
• Administrative, HR and financial qualifications.

Required behaviours

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

Application deadline

20 August 2025

Grade

Executive Officer (EO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week

38

Region

Asia Pacific

Country/Territory

Australia

Location (City)

Canberra

Type of Post

British High Commission

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

AUD

Salary

AUD 94,773.00 per annum + 12% superannuation

Type of Salary

yearly

Start Date

29 September 2025

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Salary is at AU$ 94,773 per annum (paid out monthly), plus 12% superannuation and annual leave loading.

Appointment is subject to an AFP records check and UK security clearance.

Open to Australian citizens, and New Zealand, Canada, UK, or US passport holders who hold a valid visa with permission to work and reside in Australia (this also includes dependants of UK based diplomatic officers posted to Australia). Due to the role responsibilities and requirements, the successful applicant must be capable of achieving SC(O) level clearance. Applicants must possess the appropriate passport and visa as part of the pre-employment requirements. Please note that achieving SC(O) clearance may take about 8 weeks.

Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General and its Consulates is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Australian employment law. Interstate applicants will be required to meet their own travel and relocation expenses.

The British Government supports flexible working practices for all employees. Within the Australia Network of posts, employees are supported by the Flexible Working Policy. Any flexible working arrangement is to be agreed between the line manager and successful candidate.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The Australia network offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities, including job-specific training as necessary and broader learning linked to the FCO Diplomatic Academy.

There are opportunities to job-shadow other staff, and the successful applicant will be encouraged to take part in broader British Consulate General activities.

The British Consulate General is committed to providing all staff with learning and development (L&D) opportunities and we will work with you to develop your own L&D plan.

Working Patterns:

The jobholder will be expected to work full-time in the High Commission office though some flexibility can be agreed on timings and expectations.

The overall package includes the standard 14 days of public holidays that the UK in Australia Network works to as well as 22 days annual leave.

Any other information (or specific local post requirements):

This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a high-performing team in the British High Commission, managing Defence personnel embedded across Australia, delivering an increasingly important strategic relationship. The Defence Section is made up of a mixture of military and civilian staff. For the right person, this post offers a fascinating and rewarding insight into UK, cross-government and Defence business.

Advertised start date is provisional and subject to completion of reference and security checks.

Additional information

The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification."

Your application must be submitted before 23:55 AEST-Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/ GMT +10) on the day mentioned in the above field "Application deadline"

Applications must include a current CV. Kindly omit any personal information such as name, birthdate, address and contact #.

All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a 'reserve list'. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate".

Advertised start date is provisional and subject to completion of reference and security checks.

Kindly check your application centre or email regularly for any update on the status of your application.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and building a culturally diverse workplace. We actively encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Our culture of inclusion is underpinned by our excellent staff networks which cover disability, faith and belief, gender equality, social mobility, age, race, LGBT+, and how to be an ally.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

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