Finance Manager - HQ

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Agency of the Scottish Government, working in partnership with organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver safe and secure custodial services that empower offenders to take responsibility and to fulfil their potential. We employ over 4500 people in a diverse range of professions across our 13 prisons, Headquarters and the SPS College.

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within SPS Headquarters as we recruit for a Finance Manager to join the Team.  As the finance manager within HQ is to deliver financial support to the functions of a corporate directorate, in this instance estates. The role will work as part of a team of Finance Managers, with line responsibility for associated finance staff. This position helps ensure the integrity of financial data for all HQ directorates and help deliver financial understanding and scrutiny across all levels of the directorate.

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with Directors and their senior management to help deliver financial plans, sharing knowledge and ideas, providing input into not only business as usual but also ad hoc project work and business case build up. The finance manager will confidently share knowledge, ideas and drive forward the finance agenda of strong financial management, risk, accountability and governance.

Your key responsibilities include Financial Management, Financial Reporting, Financial Planning, Project and Programme Management (PPM), People Management, Governance.

About you

If you have the following, we would like to hear from you:

• Possess an HNC accountancy qualification or qualified Accounting Technician (or equivalent) (Essential)
• Experience of working with large volumes of data from an Estates perspective (desirable)
• Financial management- Experience in the management of control accounts and financial reconciliations. Proficient in budget/forecast setting, management and analysis.
• Financial Planning - Experience of accruals and prepayments and variance analysis and understanding. Experience in the use of a Windows based finance package and Microsoft Office applications including Excel and Word.
• Financial Reporting - Experience of report writing and briefing to inform organisational direction and delivery, using a variety of methods and styles.
• Business Improvement - Ability to assess and review information and recognise potential issues and the ability to interrogate and interpret financial/business data that will provide management information and support decision making.

Benefits on offer include (but are not limited to):

• An attractive Civil Service Pension – employer contributions of 27.1% to 27.9%
• Hybrid working policy – supporting flexibility in work arrangements
• Ongoing professional development
• Opportunity for progression
• Annual Leave – 34days rising to 42days
• Sick Pay
• Discounts on High Street stores, supermarkets and restaurants through our partners at Blue Light Card, Edenred and Civil Service Sports Council

For further information on this opportunity, including full job description, person specification, assessment process and to apply, please visit www.sps.gov.uk/careers.