What youll do

• You will lead the finance and business support service in support of our mission and vision.
• You will manage budgeting and financial control of the Forestry England unit turnover (pay and non-pay) of circa £17 million p.a.  
• You will pay a lead role in development of the District Business Plan, particularly the finances
• You will provide regular finance reporting and use your knowledge and experience to help us to review and continuously improve our financial position.
• You will lead the finance and business support team of 9 staff, take an active part in the districts senior leadership team and build collaborative and supportive relationships with operational colleagues, the national finance team and other finance managers.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where youll work

The role is based at South Forest District office in Kings House, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, with the opportunity of some blended working. Some travel will be necessary within the District to engage with the team and their work, with occasional longer journeys for national Finance meetings.

lead the finance and business support service in support of our mission and vision
manage budgeting and financial control of the Forestry England unit turnover (pay and non-pay) of circa £17 million p.a
play a lead role in development of the District Business Plan, particularly the finances
provide regular finance reporting and use your knowledge and experience to help us to review and  continuously improve our financial position
lead the finance and business support team of 9 staff, take an active part in the districts senior leadership team and build collaborative and supportive relationships with operational colleagues, the national finance team and other finance managers
report directly to the FMD taking an active role along with other heads of function in realising the districts vision developing the business, supporting business improvement, change management and projects in the District
provide leadership to the Finance & Business Support team and develop the strategic direction of the service
line manage the Finance Manager, Project Manager & Office Manager
support corporate governance and foster a culture of effective cross functional working across District team
build collaborative and supportive relationships with operational colleagues, the national finance team and other District finance managers.

Management Accounting
support the district in continuously improving its financial position within the context of Forestry Englands strategic objectives
lead on the submission of annual business plans, ensuring operations and resources are appropriately matched and apportioned
build a culture of strategic direction, cross functional collaboration, delivery accountability & celebrating success

You will work with the Finance Manager to:
ensure timely and accurate submission of monthly management accounts and forecasts work with the Finance Manager to build collaborative and supportive relationships with budget managers across the district, supporting them in accessing and interpreting financial data
monitor the financial performance of district business partners
support sound business and financial decision making across all functions, and provide financial performance analysis supporting short, medium and long-term planning
provide professional judgement and advice on financial and business improvement initiatives

District Plan Coordination & Monitoring
Play a key role in the production and updates of other cross functional District Plans including:
delivery plan
investment and external funding projects and pipelines
district Risk Register
emergency Response Plan
district Strategy
business Sustainability

And any other task reasonably requested by your line manager. 

Essential professional and technical experience
providing financial information to support decision making
budgetary control
analysing financial performance and identifying income and cost drivers
analysing variances and forecasting
identifying and supporting the delivery of organisational efficiencies and/or cost reductions
experience in financial report writing including supporting commentary
a high level of skill in using Microsoft Excel and competence with other Microsoft Office products.
experience with financial systems
a proven track record in leading teams of staff & managing contractors, customer and other stakeholder relations
experience of business planning, developing and delivering cross functional strategic plans, and project management as well as successfully integrating a collaborative approach to team working
experience of budget management, financial monitoring, and cost control
full UK drivers license 

Desirable professional and technical experience
experience of developing investment business cases
experience in managing procurement and knowledge of legislation around financial and procurement 
regulations

Qualifications
Essential
fully-qualified in accountancy with a recognised IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) member body (e.g. AAT, ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAS, IFA), or significant relevant experience equivalent to that level of qualification

Benefits 

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every years service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.

Job contact :

• Name : FC Recruitment Team
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]