View Vacancy - AUH - UAE Finance Manager B3(L)

The British Embassy Abu Dhabi has a vacancy for a UAE Finance Manager.

The jobholder will be responsible for the consolidation and delivery of effective financial management for the British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They will provide financial management and strategic advice to the Senior Management Team and will have overall management of budget control for both Embassies. They will also handle the operational delivery of financial services and will have full responsibility for the delivery, production, and analysis of accounting procedures for both embassies.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Day-to-day responsibility for overseeing an approximate annual budget of £7.5million in the UAE; including budgeting and forecasting, liaison with devolved budget holders, reporting variances, and taking corrective actions. Provide advice and guidance on residual finance work and monthly budget forecasting to Devolved Budget holders.
• Strategic support - Ensure the Embassy’s overall Financial Performance Compliance Indicator (FPCI) score is over 95% (green) every month. Review weekly financial reports and action any issues that may impact on the FPCI score. Work closely with budget holders within the Embassy to ensure they are 100% financially compliant.
• Annual responsibility for producing a Medium Term Financial Planning (MTFP) requirement for the UAE; including future forecasting and identifying savings and liaison with devolved budget holders to identify future costing and plans. Ensure the forecast against the budget is as accurate as possible.
• Report accruals to the Finance Hub twice a year based on tangible evidence in accordance with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Accruals Policy. Develop excellent day to day working relationship with FCO central Finance and Procurement hubs.
• Manage the operational delivery of all financial transaction processing and banking services for the UAE post in line with FCO’s financial policy, procedures, and audit controls, as well as the Corporate Services Charter.
• Attributing expenditure to correct department budgets.
• Responsible for the funding requirements of UAE Posts, ensuring that an accurate funding profile for the financial year is in place. Monitor and review bank account balances on a regular basis and advice of any ad-hoc funding.
• Identify, develop, and deliver solutions to continuously improve transaction (invoices and claims) processing, payroll, and banking service efficiencies in both Finance Hubs and Post.
• Production and analysis of quarterly metrics such as Overseas Accounting Returns (OAR).
• Monitor commercial rate of exchanges (ROE) and keep the records in register book. Inform London if the FCO ROE and commercial ROE variance is +/-3% for 2 more consecutive days, and inform all staff once London has taken an action.
• Line management and development of 3 x Finance and Procurement Officers. Ensure all staff management deadlines are met in line with the Embassy’s best practice on staff management. Ensure the team have the right skills to complete their roles and develop their wider corporate services skills to achieve a high-performing Finance Team.

Key competencies required:

• Making Effective Decisions - Being objective; using sound judgement, evidence, and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice and evaluating options before arriving at well-reasoned justifiable decisions. Creating evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions, and aiming to maximise return while minimising risk and balancing social, political, financial, economic and environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.
• Changing and Improving - Being responsive and innovative, and seeking out opportunities to create effective change. Being open to change, suggesting ideas for improvements to the way things are done, and working in ‘smarter’, more focused ways. Creating and contributing to a culture of innovation and allowing people to consider and take managed risks, continuously seeking out ways to improve policy implementation and build a leaner, more flexible and responsive team.
• Delivering Value for Money - Seeking out and implementing solutions which achieve the best mix of quality and effectiveness for the least outlay. Embedding a culture of value for money within the team, and making decisions based on evidenced information and following agreed processes and policies, challenging these appropriately where they appear to prevent good value for money.
• Managing a Quality Service - Effectively planning, organising and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality and efficient service. Being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Creating an environment to deliver operational excellence and creating the most appropriate and cost effective delivery models for public services.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience working as a Finance Manager.
• Holds a formal accounting qualification or is currently pursuing one.
• Able to work independently, apply initiative, problem solve, and work under pressure to meet multiple deadlines and objectives.
• A confident communicator able to deal with all staff and teams within the Embassy, including Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA).
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent numeric skills.
• Experience of accounting or managing budgets.
• Excellent MS Excel skills.