View Vacancy - AUS (Melbourne) - Deputy Corporate Services Manager - Finance, EO (Long Service Leave Cover)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Corporate Services Support

Main purpose of job:

Responsible for management of the British High Commission's financial matters following FCDO guidance (and Australian regulations where appropriate).  This will include working with the Head of Corporate Services, CSM and senior management to provide effective decision support in managing budget and supporting shared services (1HMG) corporate operation platform for Australia Network.  The person is the focal point for Financial Excellence (Purchase-to-Pay, Cash Flow Management, Budget Management, Fixed Asset Management, Account Management, and Audit) in Australia Network.

Key areas of responsibility include owning the forecasting and monitoring of budgets, analysis and preparation of budget information and financial returns.  Provision of a wide range of finance related administrative support including providing guidance, answering enquiries regarding process and policy, working to ensure audit and best practice are followed, and being able to identify problems and review actions needed to improve or correct processes.

This role will also becoming the lead officer at Post (locally) in proactively leading and delivering a broad range of Corporate Services activities in HR, Logistics/Protocol, IT, Security, Transport, Procurement, and Estate supports.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Budget Management/Finance

  • Provide policy and financial advice to senior management and NRC/Board of Management at post (including attending the NRC with the Head of Corporate Services to present budgetary and financial information and making recommendations to address known budget pressures and issues).
  • Budget management operations at post including 
    o    Ensuring robust management of the Network local budget through monitoring, updating and forecasting 
    o    Managing the relationship with Budget Holders in order to build and maintain devolved budget and forecast accuracy
    o    Developing and launch effective periodic budget training across the network to increase budget holders’ awareness and competency and ensure that they understand financial processes relevant to their role
    o    Following and implementing finance policy and guidance. 
    o    Producing and reviewing financial reports, monitoring accounts and preparing activity reports and financial forecasts. Investigating ways to improve the management of the network budget.
    o    In-depth analysis of trends and variances of the actual spend vs. budget and forecast to identify any risks and opportunities and give recommendations for appropriate actions to address them
    o    Budget amendments and forecasting. 
    o    Leading on or contributing to annual processes, including: financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, communications, timetables
    o    Produce monthly FPCI report for HoCS and Corporate Services Manager to show trends. Make recommendations and action process improvements to maintain high performance and resolve issues appropriately within agreed timescales.
    o    Support the HoCS and CSM in ad hoc reward and compensation work.
    o    Ensuring robust audit/management controls are in place, and finance and procurement audit requirements and recommendations are implemented and strictly adhered to.
  • Financial Cash Management and Procurement processes including:
    o    Monitoring balances in local bank and Worldlink bank accounts, arranging for funds to be returned as required; reconciling, managing and monitoring Imprest accounts;
    o    Preparing Cash funding profile and working with Partners across Government and Programme Managers to ensure funding requirements are met
    o    Ensuring that regional Global Transaction Processing Centre (GTPC) team and  Commercial Procurement Group (CPG) in Manila receive the correct documentation from relevant staff for financial and procurement related matters, including  supplier forms, payment requests, and assisting with any queries/issues
    o    Managing outstanding and/or retrospective purchasing transactions ensuring close liaison with GTPC Manila Hub or relevant teams to ensure actions carried out according to FCO guidelines 
  • Build relationships with Finance Business Partners, and global transaction processing teams.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable procedures including budgeting, accounts, FPCI and activity recording for the whole network.
  • Lead on income generation, communications with the Australian taxation office and GST refund processes. 
  • First point of contact for One HMG finance queries. Provide advice on One HMG Platform policy and procedures.
  • Manage or provide advice on finance to our HMG partners including procurement (SMFs etc), Journals, and other accounts and invoicing activities.
  • Complete One HMG change requests to join and leave the platform at post.

Corporate Services:

  • CS lead at Post, providing CS support and services to all staff, including PAG staff;
  • Lead locally on staff inductions including PAG staff;
  • Local lead on all Projects at post, including estates projects;
  • Lead on IT CS support at Post in Logistics/Protocol, IT, Security, Transport, Procurement and Estate;
  • First point of contact at Post and to liaise with HoCS/CSM for any local matters, and
  • Any other tasks given by HoCS and CSM.
  • Strong financial / numerical skills and the ability to assess, interpret and report financial data.
  • Attention to detail and ability to deliver highly accurate work.
  • An effective communicator, both orally and in writing.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills – ability to work closely with team leaders and help senior management drive accountability, deal with any difficult situations with tact and a high degree of confidentiality when required to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Self-starter and proactive –possessed a high degree of working autonomously within the FCDO framework, using strong problem solving skills and displaying resilience. 
  • Good IT and Excel skills, experience in Oracle based systems would be an advantage.
  • Agile and discreet– Flexible and diplomatic enough to deal with various different issues sensitively
Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing
6 June 2023
Executive Officer (EO)
Temporary
38
Asia Pacific
Australia
Canberra
British High Commission
1
AUD
AUD 80,507
19 June 2023

This role advertised is a Temporary, Long Service Leave Cover role to be based in Melbourne.

Salary is at AU$ 80,507 per annum (paid out monthly), plus 11% superannuation.

Appointment is subject to an AFP records check and UK security clearance.

Open to Australian citizens, permanent residents, and partners/ dependents of UK-based diplomatic staff currently posted in Australia.

The Australia network offers a wide range of learning and development opportunities, including job-specific training as necessary and broader learning linked to the FCO Diplomatic Academy. There are opportunities to job-shadow other staff, and the successful applicant will be encouraged to take part in broader British High Commission activities. The British High Commission is committed to providing all staff with learning and development (L&D) opportunities and we will work with you to develop your own L&D plan.

Working patterns:

38 hours per week (excluding lunch breaks).

Your application must be submitted before 23:55 AEST-Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/ GMT +10) on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”

Applications must include a current CV and kindly omit any personal information such as Name, Contact Details, Birthday and Gender.

All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the  next stage.
 
Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.

Advertised start date is provisional and subject to completion of reference and security checks.

Kindly check your application centre or email regularly for any update on the status of your application.

Reminder: Notifications about interviews and the conduct of interview may be subject to change. Please note that given the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 candidates must be prepared to be interviewed via VTC.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.