Finance Analyst HEO – British Embassy

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.

Job Category  

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)

Job Subcategory  

Programme / Project Delivery

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Application deadline:	27 July 2022
Grade:	Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Type of Position:	Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Working hours per week	36 hours
Region	Africa
Country/Territory	Sudan
Location (City)	Khartoum
Type of Post	British Embassy
Number of vacancies	1
Salary	USD 33,561 per year
Start Date	1 September 2022
End Date	31 August 2024

Main purpose of job:

The Finance Analyst role is an excellent entry point into working for the UK Government and to working on development programmes. As a Finance Analyst you will play a key in role in providing oversight, assurance and advice to teams spending UK aid in Sudan. 

You will be part of the Operational Excellence team led by the Deputy Development Director.  Together, you will work with our four programme teams in the Embassy (Humanitarian, Economic Reform, Open Societies and Inclusion, Resilience, Regional and Peace) to ensure value for money is at the heart of UK programming in Sudan. Up to April 2023 you will also provide support on financial management of our operating cost budget, prior to this moving across to the Embassy’s Corporate Services Team.

We are looking for an enthusiastic person with good finance and analytical skills to fill this position.  The successful applicant should have advanced Excel skills; be an excellent communicator in English (written and spoken); and able to work alongside colleagues across a range of grades.

Roles and responsibilities:

Leading on consolidation and quality assurance of key financial information and analysis on our programmes across multi-years, including for example, thematic, sectoral, geographical and portfolio analysis. This will include holding regular meetings and supporting and challenging programme managers on budgets, forecasts, and programme pipeline.  

Preparing, analysing, and discussing periodic and ad-hoc management information (including corporate returns, accounting packs, audit, and assurance follow-up) for stakeholders such as the Deputy Director Development, finance colleagues and programme teams.

Supporting programme teams on due diligence assessments, annual reviews, field visits, spot checks, and engagement with partners.

Assisting the Finance Manager to improve local finance capability of non-finance professionals. This will also include raising awareness on counter fraud, corruption, and risk management.

Supporting the wider work of BEK’s corporate team working to ensure operational excellence, compliance and strong and effective people management including through cover for colleagues and required and playing an active role in cross-office working groups (e.g., our People team).

Key behaviours required for the job: 

• Managing a Quality Service:  Develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence. Work with stakeholders to set priorities, objectives and timescales. Successfully deliver high quality outcomes that meet the customers’ needs and gives value for money. Identify risks and resolve issues efficiently. Involve a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and delivery partners in developing suggestions for improvements. Establish ways to find and respond to feedback from customers about the services provided.
• Communicating and Influencing:  Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact. Encourage the use of different communication methods, including digital resources and highlight the benefits, including ensuring cost effectiveness. Ensure communication has a clear purpose and takes into account people’s individual needs. Share information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work, encouraging others to do the same. Ensure that important messages are communicated with colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests.
• Working Together:  Encourage joined up team work within own team and across other groups. Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support. Invest time to develop a common focus and genuine positive team spirit where colleagues feel valued and respect one another. Put in place support for the wellbeing of individuals within the team, including consideration of your own needs. Make it clear to all team members that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Actively seek and consider input of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Changing and Improving:  Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes to use fewer resources. Use technology where possible to increase efficiency. Encourage ideas for change from a wide range of sources. Clearly explain the reasons for change to colleagues and how to implement them, supporting individuals with different needs to adapt to change. Encourage an environment where colleagues know that they can challenge decisions and issues safely. Take managed risks by fully considering the varied impacts changes could have on the diverse range of end users.

Also expected to demonstrate the following technical competencies:

Reporting and control: provision of information to support and advise on policy development, provision of management advice and supporting the business to deliver their objectives.

Decision Support: collate and provide management information as well as offering some advice and support on analyses and interpretation of the data.

Operational finance: demonstrate a good knowledge of accounting processes and doing or overseeing transactional work such as posting or approving journals, performing/ reviewing reconciliations, etc. 

Risk management and counter fraud: demonstrating an understanding of programme and organisational risks and controls.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience in a finance role with similar or related responsibilities is essential.
• Experience of working collaboratively with business or programme managers as well as with other finance staff to provide an accurate financial position, along with robust forecasts.
• Have the confidence and enthusiasm to present complex financial information to a diverse audience including non-finance colleagues. Ability to understand end users’ needs and provide the information in a way that takes this into account.
• Able to review current systems in place and make recommendations that will improve the quality of service received by end users.
• Ability to manage conflicting workloads in order to achieve tight deadlines, adhering to the finance annual timetable and responding to ad-hoc requests as required.
• Have the courage to make changes to improve efficiency and challenge the basis of decision making.
• Can demonstrate strong analytical skills with attention to detail to produce financial analysis. Can draw on advanced excel skills in order to produce this.
• Fluent in English

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

Applicants hold or are studying towards a qualification with one of the five Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies [CCAB] i.e. ACCA, CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAI, ICAS; or CIMA, or AAT; or someone who has undergone a period of equivalent structured training and accreditation in a specialist area of finance. 

Required behaviours  

Changing and Improving, Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together

Other benefits and conditions of employment  

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The British Embassy Khartoum is committed to a supportive and creative learning and development agenda, situated within the wider People Plan for 2022. We care about our staff and their aspirations, and want to help develop them.

The successful candidate will have access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities including FCDO-specific communications training. This is in addition to large number of training course offered locally by the British Council, FCDO e-learning and opportunities for on-the-job learning and mentoring. There are also a large number of corporate agendas which the job holder may like to engage with – from wellbeing to the country-based staff association.

We offer support for professional accountancy training.

Working patterns:

Sunday – Wednesday 8:00 – 4:00, Thursday 8:00 – 2:00

This is a full time role and we have core working hours; but BEK encourages flexible working. Staff can apply for flexible working arrangements. 

Additional information  

• Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
• Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
• The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
• The current legacy DFID Terms and Conditions of Employment will apply to all internal locally employed staff on promotion and new entrants subject to local employment labour law.
• Candidates may need to apply for a valid certificate of good conduct when applying and should be no older than 6 months.
• All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
• The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to:

• The British Embassy does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.
• Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

• Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
• Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
• Please log into your profile on the application system on a regular basis to review the status of your application.