Financial Accountant (Product)

NS&I; North East; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A government-owned financial institution is looking for a Financial Accountant - Product Accounts in North East England to ensure financial governance in public sector accounting. The ideal candidate will manage statutory Product Accounts and assist in financial controls, delivering accurate financial assurances. Strong technical financial accounting skills and relevant qualifications are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Experience in financial accounting and year-end accounts preparation.
• Ability to interpret and apply new accounting standards.
• Experience in financial control frameworks and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning and coordinating year-end product accounts.
• Support the timely production of statutory accounts.
• Provide financial assurance and analysis on product accounts.

Skills

Financial analysis

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving skills

Advanced Excel skills

Education

Qualified Accountant (ICAEW, ICAS, CAI, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA)

Job description

Location

Durham, North East England, Lytham St Anne's, North West England, Glasgow, Scotland, Southwark, London (region),

Job summary

NS&I is looking for a Financial Accountant - Product Accounts to join our friendly, knowledgeable finance function. We are a small, collaborative team working at the heart of NS&I ensuring the principles of financial governance in the public sector are upheld.

Reporting to the NS&I Financial Control Manager the role holder will provide financial control and reporting for over £240 billion of customer investments. You will work closely with our outsourced accounting operations partners and a range of internal and external stakeholders including HM Treasury in respect of the National Loans Fund.

As Financial Accountant - Product Accounts you will support the delivery of NS&I’s statutory Product Accounts for presentation to Parliament with an unqualified audit opinion before summer recess, ensuring compliance with international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and financial reporting requirements as stipulated by the government financial reporting manual (FReM).

You will provide high levels of assurance to senior NS&I managers on all NS&I’s retail products through reviews, analysis and financial assurance on financial reporting and back-office accounting operations carried out by our outsourced accounting providers. In addition, you will ensure that effective financial controls remain fit for purpose and are in operation for all aspects of product accounting. You will also ensure that funds flowing between the National Loans Fund and NS&I are properly managed through oversight of treasury management operations.

This is an excellent opportunity to work across NS&I as we transform our business, providing comprehensive accounting support, advice and guidance for NS&I’s retail savings products, whilst supporting robust value-adding decision-making and the delivery of NS&I’s strategic objectives.

Job description

Statutory Accounts

• Assist in planning, negotiating and co‑ordinating the year‑end timetable for Product Accounts with key stakeholders, including auditors and NS&I’s outsourced accounting operations provider.
• Support the timely production of NS&I’s statutory Product Accounts, in accordance with IFRS accounting standards, the government financial reporting manual FreM and statutory requirements for presentation to Parliament with an unqualified audit opinion prior to summer recess.
• Support the Product Accounts year‑end audit process, including the completion of assigned working papers to a high standard and within the timetable agreed with Auditors.
• Provide information and responses to queries raised by Internal and External Auditors in a timely manner.
• Perform year‑end financial assurance, reviews and analysis on Product Accounts financial reporting carried out by the outsourced accounting operations provider, including providing feedback, challenge and suggestions for improvement where appropriate.
• Support the timely production of NS&I’s interim Product Accounts, and the interim audit process.

In‑Year Reporting

• Assist in planning and co‑ordinating the delivery of monthly Product Accounts financial reporting packs from the outsourced accounting operations provider.
• Review, analyse and assure the monthly Product Accounts prepared by the outsourced accounting operations provider, identifying issues, obtaining explanations and following up queries to resolution.
• Prepare monthly financial reports including the preparation of management accounts and supporting narratives.
• Monitor funding and defunding movements for all products and investigate any unusual or unexpected activity.
• Prepare daily cash forecasts of movements in the National Loans Fund (NLF) monthly and monthly NLF Account Statements for HM Treasury.
• Support the reconciliation of numbers reported in the product accounts to other business reports as and when required.
• Support the preparation of finance performance information, and risk registers, ensuring information is accurate, timely, and identifying areas for improvement.

Financial Control and Assurance

• Actively assist in managing all aspects of Product Accounting, acting as a key point of contact between NS&I and outsourced accounting teams.
• Assist in the delivery of financial assurance, working closely with outsourced accounting teams to review, interpret and analyse financial information and to identify and report risks.
• Support the maintenance of a fully documented product accounting financial control and assurance work programme, to provide assurance on the effectiveness of product accounting controls including identifying opportunities for further improvements.
• Review and assure Product Accounts financial information prepared by the outsourced accounting operations provider, paying particular attention to customer interest calculations and reviewing reconciliations.
• Support the development of accounting guidance, ensuring new accounting standards and legislative requirements are applied and followed by the outsourced accounting teams.
• Actively participate in regular planning meetings, to identify and resolve any issues.
• Actively represent the Financial Control team in supporting retail product projects as required.
• Review project proposals, assessing accounting impacts, and provide robust and appropriate advice.
• Assist the incident management team on product accounting issues when required.
• Act as champion for Product Accounting across NS&I and the outsourced product accounting teams, including reviewing and challenging any relevant proposals or issues arising.
• Support the review and assessment of third‑party financial statements as required.

Treasury Management

• Support the efficient operation of product bank accounts, ensuring that authorisations are kept up to date.
• Act as an authorised signatory for NS&I’s bank accounts, ensuring appropriate controls over access rights are maintained.
• Monitoring Product Account bank charges, including checking supplier invoices and Atos volume projections and supporting the preparation of monthly accruals.
• Actively monitor the effectiveness of Treasury Management policies, develop and refine as appropriate.
• Monitoring funding and defunding operations.
• Periodically review floats held at Bank of England and provide advice / recommendations for change where necessary.

Relationship Management & Team working

• Establish a strong network with NS&I colleagues and outsourced accounting operations providers, acting as a key contact for product accounting issues.
• Support the review and improvement of information requirements with other NS&I Finance teams and outsourced accounting operations providers to ensure data meets NS&I requirements in the long and short term and that there is one shared version of the truth.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, suggest practical changes to deliver improvement and practice, and be open to change.
• Work flexibly, co‑operatively and collaboratively with other finance colleagues to ensure the finance service covers its entire responsibility and meets the needs of the organisation and stakeholders.
• Provide cover and support for other finance team members to ensure continuity of transaction processes within finance.
• Respond to ad hoc queries as and when they arise.
• Deputise for the Financial Control Manager in their absence.

Person specification

Essential experience

• Experience of working in financial accounting, including experience of assisting with the preparation of year‑end accounts and the ability to effectively engage with auditors.
• Experience in interpreting and applying new and revised accounting standards to financial statements.
• Experience of analysing, interpreting and explaining highly complex financial information in non‑routine situations to senior managers and non‑finance colleagues.
• Experience of identifying and managing risk and controls around financial systems and processes including identifying options for mitigation and improvement.
• Experience of financial controls and operating a financial control framework to ensure the integrity of transactions.
• Experience of managing own workload, and that of others, delivering multiple priorities within tight and often changing timescales.
• Experience of working in Financial Services
• Experience of working in a high transaction volume environment
• Experience of reviewing financial policies and procedures

Required qualifications

• Qualified Accountant (ICAEW, ICAS, CAI, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA) with significant relevant post‑qualification experience.

Essential skills

• Highly numerate with excellent financial analysis, investigative and problem‑solving skills.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively as part of a team and build effective relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills, with excellent communication, report writing and presentation skills.

Essential technical knowledge

• Strong technical financial accounting skills including up‑to‑date knowledge of IFRS accounting standards.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

For more information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button below