The Role
Post: Finance Officer (Accountancy Services)
Salary: £31,034 per annum
Grade: FRS C
Salary range: £31,034 - £37,256 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: Friday 12 August 2022 at 16:00 GMT
London Fire Brigade is London’s Fire and rescue service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city. Employing over 5000 people across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer 999 calls), fire safety and our non-operational team (our team who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, including IT, Finance, Procurement, and communications team).
About the role
We’re looking for someone with extensive experience of working in an accountancy team who can come in and hit the ground running. You’ll be joining a busy team that is progressing through the year-end in a large public sector organisation. Therefore, we’ll looking for some-one with experience year-end closure of accounts and in working with external auditors. You’ll also have considerable experience in undertaking monthly reconciliations (including Bank reconciliations) and in monitoring and reconciling grant and contributions income, as these tasks will take up the majority of your time. This will be whilst undertaking other routine and ad-hoc duties assigned to you whilst working as part of the team, for example, journal preparation and inputting and assisting in maintaining records in the asset management system. You will definitely need to have the breadth of experience and depth of knowledge to be confident in working with minimal supervision and in producing a high standard of work at all times.
Key Responsibilities
• Responsible for the clearing and reconciliation of the LFC’s General Suspense Account on a monthly basis.
• Assist with the preparation of monthly financial monitoring and reconciliations for control accounts. This may include being assigned specific controls accounts to reconcile.
• Support the work required as part of the Annual Statement of Accounts and lead on tasks as allocated in the closing timetable.
• Support the ongoing development of processes and systems for all areas of financial accounting and the wider finance team processes, as and when required and to include the inputting of journals.
Experience, skills and knowledge
• Experience/background in practical accounting/finance including maintaining and developing computerised financial systems.
• Ability to effectively use a range of IT applications (e.g., Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook and accounting software or similar. Use should be a confident user of Excel with skills at an intermediate level as a minimum.
• Good numerical skills in order to analyse and interpret financial data.
• Awareness of current local government accounting principles and procedures and the demonstrated ability to quickly acquire knowledge of the London Fire Brigade’s accounting systems and financial procedures.
• Ability to manage own workload within deadlines.
Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description. If you are unable to see the job description please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs.london-fire.gov.uk/alljobs/ to access the full advert.
To apply, please complete the online application, provide a cover letter clearly outlining the relevant experience, skills and knowledge you have to successfully perform this role and upload a copy of your up-to-date CV.
Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.
Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.
Assessment Overview
Stage 1
Online application, CV and cover letter (sift). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to stage 2.
Stage 2
Assessment for this role is due to take place week commencing 29th August 2022. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements.
Please note: Should you be shortlisted you may need to be able to conduct an interview over Microsoft Teams (a video conferencing service). You will be asked to provide relevant contact details for that to take place if shortlisted.
Additional Information
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a basic criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences which are not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory. Successful candidates should apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to get a copy of their criminal record and share the original disclosure certificate with the LFC. The check will only show convictions that are not ‘spent’. It will cost the successful candidates £23 (current charge) and usually takes up to 14 days.
Benefits of working for LFB
• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Option Absence Scheme (which can result in an additional 12 days annual leave for staff at this grade)
• Flexible working including job share
• Welfare Scheme
• Use of Brigade Medical Adviser/physios
• Season ticket loans
• Equality Support Groups
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation
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