Management Reporting Manager

ACCA Careers; North Tyneside; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Defra, a government department, seeks an experienced finance professional to join the Management Reporting team. You will lead a team of Senior Management Accountants and deliver robust management accounting support, translating financial data into clear insights for senior leaders.

You will help deliver timely monthly reports and support budgeting, forecasting, and finance transformation including self-service reporting and a new Finance system.

Qualifications

• Substantial Finance Function experience with strong financial practices.
• Fully or part-qualified (CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent with management accounting background.
• Proven experience leading a diverse team to meet deadlines and deliver accurate work.
• People-focused leadership to foster trust and collaboration across the team.
• Strong relationship management with stakeholders across the organisation.
• Ability to communicate and challenge stakeholders for explanations of variances.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Senior Management Accountants team; set objectives and measure performance.
• Understand audience needs to ensure management reporting meets end-user requirements.
• Deliver prompt, accurate management reports and translate data into meaningful outputs.
• Provide variance explanations and clear summaries for senior management.
• Conduct insightful analysis of financial information to identify themes and dependencies.
• Maintain awareness of the overall financial position of the organisation.

Skills

Finance function

Management accounting

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Coaching and leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Office 365

Data analysis

Education

CIMA/CIPFA/ACCA/ACA

Tools

Office 365

Job description

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Location

Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Warrington, York

Job Summary

About the job

In the Defra group, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards.

We are looking for an experienced finance professional and leader to join our Management Reporting team within the Defra Group Finance function. You will have responsibility for providing high quality, accurate and robust financial management and insight. Through analysing data and applying value added skills to tell the story of the financial position, you will help corporate leaders and budget managers to make well-informed business decisions.

The role also plays a key part in Defra’s finance transformation, contributing to the shift to more digital, self-service ways of working and supporting the transition to a new Finance system.

Job Description

You will be responsible for producing and presenting the monthly financial reports to the senior leaders within Environment Agency. You are responsible for providing effective leadership to your team of Senior Management Accountants to deliver a robust and influential management accounting service. You will have a good understanding of the financial position at a strategic level and the wider operating environment to provide insight and highlight the key issues, risks and opportunities to the budget holders and Finance colleagues. To do this you will need to build a good understanding of their business area and the key delivery risks, while embedding a culture of self-service and digitally enabled finance operations

Key Responsibilities

• You will provide effective leadership including the management and development of the Senior Management Accountants. This will include setting objectives, actively and effectively communicating, managing performance, and creating an inclusive environment where people feel valued, respected, safe to challenge and where contribution is recognised.
• You will need to develop a detailed understanding of the management reports audience and commission solutions. Continually check the wider internal and external environments to ensure that the management reporting continues to meet end user needs and is presented in a medium to best convey key messages using continuous improvement philosophy/principles.
• You lead on the delivery of prompt, accurate management reports, translating data into meaningful outputs, with a breadth of reporting across internal and external environments.
• You will provide incisive variance explanations and clear summaries/interpretations for senior management. Provide narrative for management reports using compelling and persuasive language to influence and challenge.
• You deliver intelligent analysis of complex financial information, drawing out common themes and understanding linkages/dependencies.
• You maintain a strong understanding of the overall financial position of Environment Agency.
• You undertake scenario modelling and provide a range of options to inform budget holder decisions.
• You oversee the management accounting aspect of the annual budgeting/forecasting cycle and any in-year changes to the budget liaising with Finance Business Partners.
• You work with Finance colleagues to oversee the month end activities, ensuring the ledgers are ready to close and reporting deadlines are met in accordance with the agreed timetables.
• You liaise with Finance colleagues where the need for additional business support or data analysis is required.

Person specification

Essential Skills

• You have substantial Finance Function experience with a good understanding of financial practices and processes.
• You are an experienced finance professional. Fully or part-qualified (CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent experience, with a strong background in management accounting.
• You have proven experience of leading a diverse team, managing multiple responsibilities and deadlines across the team, ensuring that all team members are supported and that work is delivered accurately and on time.
• You are a people-focused leader with the ability to bring out the best in others. You will inspire, empower, and nurture a high-trust, positive team culture built on support and collaboration
• You have well-developed relationship management skills, working with key stakeholders across an organisation.
• You can communicate with and challenge stakeholders to obtain the necessary explanations for variances and movements.
• You have good coaching and leadership skills with the ability to effectively manage a team.
• You have excellent cross-functional collaboration skills to provide a comprehensive, high-quality finance service to budget holders.
• You are confident in using Office 365, with the ability to work with large quantities of data to identify key messages.

Qualifications

Fully or part-qualified (CIMA, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent experience, with a strong background in management accounting.

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form

• Communicating and Influencing

Technical Skills

• As part of the interview process, candidates will be asked to deliver a presentation on the day. This will focus on the theme of communicating and influencing within a financial management context