Financial Analyst

Office for Students; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A higher education regulatory body in Bristol is seeking a Financial Analyst to provide insights through financial analysis. The selected candidate will work with diverse data sets, engage stakeholders, and contribute to regulatory decision-making. Ideal candidates should have a finance background and strong communication skills. The role offers a salary range of £45,536 - £46,701 plus benefits including a pension.

Benefits

Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Flexible working options

Diversity and inclusion focus

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant or equivalent finance background is required.
• Strong communication skills for non-experts are necessary.
• Desirable experience in financial analysis and the higher education sector.

Responsibilities

• Undertake financial analysis based on complex data.
• Write evidence-based assessments for regulatory decisions.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders for decision-making.

Skills

Qualified or part-qualified accountant

Ability to communicate complex financial issues

Ability to understand and identify risks in financial performance

Ability to work collaboratively

Experience in financial analysis

Education

Degree in finance or accounting

Job description

Financial Analyst

£45,536 - £46,701 + Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

Bristol

About us

The Office for Students (OfS) exists to ensure that English higher education offers the best experience and the best value - for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good. It is the independent regulator of higher education in England – we regulate higher education on behalf of all students. Our vision is that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.

Job Summary

Would you like a finance role without the same monthly accounting processes again and again? Then this role in our Financial Assessment team might be the role for you! You will learn and apply the OfS' approach to assessing the financial viability and sustainability of higher education providers, joining a high performing team of accountants that help and support each other and the wider directorate to get the work done. You will enjoy a variety of work, where each assessment is different and no month is ever the same!

The main purpose of the role is to undertake financial analysis based on complex data supplied by the regulated providers, information available about them in the public domain and the general knowledge regarding macroeconomic conditions in which the providers operate, to make judgements on their financial strength. This analysis is key in supporting the OfS’s regulatory decisions, so the postholder will write evidence-based assessments that are intelligible for non-experts, and deliver crucial financial insight and recommendations to decision-makers.

The role therefore requires engagement with internal stakeholders, but it also involves interactions with external stakeholders, when necessary to support the decision making. In addition the role will provide an opportunity to input into improving the systems and processes that deliver services to providers.

Key person attributes to fulfil this role are

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant (or equivalent finance background)
• Ability to communicate complex financial issues effectively, orally and in writing
• Ability to understand, interpret and identify risks in financial performance in diverse types of organisations
• Ability to reach and convey reliable and challenge-proof judgements to non-specialists on the basis of complex and imperfect information
• Ability to work with high levels of complexity and ambiguity
• Experience and expertise in financial analysis is desirable
• Experience of higher education sector or in another regulatory role is desirable
• Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly in a complex environment to deliver the team’s functions

Enablers

Knowledge and Learning

• Maintains a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the regulatory context for the OfS’s work and shows desire to continue their learning.
• Maintains the professional knowledge necessary to deliver the team’s financial assessment functions

Planning

• Works collaboratively with others to resolve competing demands, and copes with changing priorities in a flexible and proactive way
• Identifies risk to plans and delivery
• Demonstrates a readiness to contribute to decision-making and to take the initiative and originate action in circumstances where norms are already established
• Continually volunteers for new work and projects.
• Demonstrates ability to work under pressure or to tight time scales.

Communication

• Provides written financial assessments and is able to verbally explain financial matters to non-financial colleagues.
• Provides actionable technical and professional feedback to colleagues on financial assessment matters
• Writes in a clear and concise manner, using appropriate grammar, style and language, which is tailored for the reader. Writing will set out financial assessments in a way that evidence-based, intelligible for non-experts, and provides confidence to decision-makers
• Communicates clearly and fluently to individuals and small audiences, using appropriate style and language, and with good presentation skills

Relationships

• Demonstrates a confident and co-operative style and deals effectively with people at all levels to build positive working relationships
• Maintains credibility with other teams in the directorate and with external contacts
• Maintains effective work behaviour in the face of setbacks or pressure and remains calm and professional in such circumstances

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do. We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

At the OfS, we recognise that flexibility can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two or three days in a typical week.

To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working, apply to this role.

Closing date for applications: 12 Noon Monday 17 November

Interviews: Monday 24 November