Person specification

Job Title: Accountant

Attibutes

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable experience in a Finance environment.
• Experience of managing and leading a team.

Desirable

• Knowledge of process improvement and LEAN techniques.
• Experience and knowledge of Public Sector.

Education, qualifications and training

Essential

• Educated to SCQF level 9
• Membership of the Association of Accounting Technicians or part qualification with a Committee of Consultative Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) or equivalent.

Desirable

Membership of a CCAB accounting body.

Skills and knowledge

Essential

• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel.
• A thorough knowledge of integrated financial accounting systems
• Accounting expertise in interpreting and applying accounting standards and guidance and other resource information.
• Experience of working in a business partnering role to support budget managers
• Ability to prepare financial reports.
• Annual Accounts preparation.
• Budgeting and budgetary control.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• Good judgement and decision-making skills.
• Ability to analyse numerical and written information and present results in a clear and concise format.
• Concise and clear oral, written and presentation skills.
• Ability to work under pressure with strict deadlines.
• Planning and organisation skills.

Desirable

• Oracle financial systems experience.
• Experience of a coaching culture and using coaching to support staff.

Key performance outcomes

Effective communication

Essential

• Articulate and positive communicator on a 1-1 basis and in larger groups.
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to adapt communication to suit different audiences.
• Ability to explain complex financial information to a range of audiences including non-specialists.
• Listens to feedback and ideas from others and takes appropriate and considered action.

Impact and influence

Essential

• Demonstrates ability to influence at all levels.
• Ability to give realistic advice, based on relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
• Evidence of building positive relationships, engaging and collaborating effectively with others internally and externally.

Improvement focus

Essential

• Identifies gaps in process and performance and makes appropriate suggestions for improvements.
• Aware of trends and changes and maintains professional knowledge and skills.
• Uses knowledge and experience to gather and consolidate information in order to make appropriate changes and improvements.

Objective decision-making

Essential

• Demonstrates analytical and systematic approach to problem solving.
• Ability to make appropriate and realistic judgments, based on professional expertise, relevant, up to date and verifiable information.
• Ability to analyse complex information.

Planning and organising

Essential

• Involves others where appropriate and optimises resources to achieve desired results.
• Regularly reviews joint goals and targets and reprioritises where necessary.
• Recognises the need to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities.

Team working

Essential

• Contributes to and supports the work and decisions of the team.
• Contributes to the shared vision and purpose and shares this effectively.
• Works collaboratively with a wide range of teams across the Care Inspectorate.

Please note – these are key performance outcomes to be used to recruit into the role.

Job profile

Job title: Accountant

Responsible to: Senior Accountant

Principal working contacts
Head of Finance and Corporate Governance
Finance & Procurement Manager
Senior Accountant
Finance Officers
Transactions Manager
Procurement Officer
Senior Managers in the Care Inspectorate
Internal and External Auditors

Job purpose
Support the Finance and Procurement Manager and the Senior Accountant to deliver a comprehensive finance service to the Care Inspectorate in line with Care Inspectorate policies. This role also supports the provision of financial services to the Scottish charity regular, OSCR.

Key responsibilities

Annual Budget
Supporting the preparation of the annual budget, including reviewing financial plans to ensure high quality budget setting and monitoring.

Budget Monitoring

• Preparing monthly budget monitoring information to budget holders to meet their individual needs.
• Support budget managers with the management of their budgets by providing financial advice and guidance in line with financial regulations and other financial processes to make sure the operational requirements of the Care Inspectorate are met.
• Ensuring financial transactions are properly recorded.
• Developing financial management reports within the financial management system.

Reconciliations and Ledger Control

• Reviewing suspense and control account reconciliations monthly.
• Ensure all month and year end procedures are performed within the timescales agreed with the Senior Accountant.
• Leading on the financial management of specific grant funded projects.
• Managing cashflow and banking arrangements for the Care Inspectorate.
• Prepare monthly grant in aid claims.

Annual Accounts

• Assisting in the production of the Care Inspectorate and OSCR’’s annual statutory accounts. This includes liaising with finance staff, budget holders and auditors, and ensuring all working papers are prepared to a high standard.
• Review monthly analysis to ensure information is accurate for our statutory accounts.

Other tasks

• Prepare draft reports to Senior Managers and Committee.
• Providing financial training and ongoing support to non-finance staff.
• Developing procedures to ensure the integrity and accuracy of financial data.
• Maintaining and developing finance systems and processes including undertaking process improvement and LEAN reviews.
• Preparing or reviewing statutory returns, as required.
• Preparation and submission of quarterly VAT returns.
• Participation in Best Value reviews, including reporting on the findings.
• Supporting the maintenance and development of the financial system.
• Working in partnership with managers and key stakeholders to jointly develop finance plans necessary to support their operational plans.
• Support the Senior Accountant to risk assess applications to register services to ensure that services understand their responsibilities and are financially resourced to establish, maintain and improve service provision.
• Keeping up to date with developments in financial regulations/legislation and best practice, sharing knowledge across the team to ensure continuous development and improvements in the service offered.
• Actively contributing to the wider aims, workload and objectives of the finance function, ensuring that they are consistent with best practice and ensuring the provision of a sound finance service across the Care Inspectorate.

People management

• Lead, manage and provide professional advice to the Finance Officers.
• Support, develop and coach direct reports through regular 1-1 supervision and appraisal and lead on consistent, high-quality practice amongst staff and support development.
• Promote a positive and inclusive working environment which supports continuous professional development.
• Manage the Finance Officers, reviewing work, prioritising and managing workload. Carry out training and development, recruitment and absence management.
• Promote the health, safety and welfare of employees, with responsibility for ensuring that the Care Inspectorate health and safety policies, procedures and practice and legislative requirements are met across the team.
• Carry out your duties in accordance with our Health and Safety policies, procedures, guidance, practices and legislative requirements, taking reasonable care for your safety and that of others who may be affected by what you do or fail to do while at work.
• Promote diversity, equality of opportunity, fairness, dignity and trust, ensuring that these principles are upheld across all areas of service delivery.

Relationship management

• Model corporate behaviour and demonstrate commitment to organisation values.
• Develop and maintain constructive and co-operative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient directorate support.
• Promote the principles of collaborative working throughout the organisation and in all working practices in accordance with the Partnership Agreements with the trade unions.
• Ensure effective working protocols in accordance with the Care Inspectorate’s Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT and Operations function.
• Project a professional image for the Care Inspectorate when dealing with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Care Inspectorate’s aims, vision and values and to the Care Inspectorate’s overall objective of improving care in Scotland.

Other duties
This job profile is a broad picture of the post at the date of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time. Consequently, the post holder will be required to carry out any other duties to the equivalent level that are necessary to fulfil the purpose of the job, and to respond positively to changing business needs.