Assistant Finance Manager

Job description

Are you passionate about using financial insight to drive effective decision-making at the heart of government?

Working across five Directorates within DG Economy, this post supports a wide range of financial management, analysis and reporting processes, enabling senior officials to make informed decisions based on timely and high quality information.

Key activities include supporting the monthly budget monitoring & financial reporting process, undertaking monthly workforce planning data collation, analysis & reporting and playing a key role in Oracle finance system implementation and management across the DG area.

The post sits within the DG Economy Finance Unit as part of the Jobs and Wellbeing Economy Directorate, but provides financial management support across the entirety of DG Economy.

We work closely with a wide variety of business areas across five Directorates and specialist teams within the wider SG in order to develop robust financial management practices, encouraging consistency of approach and achieving high standards of financial accountability, ensuring we are making best used of public funds, appropriately controlling spend and complying with all aspects of SG financial guidance.
 

Responsibilities

• Contributing to DG-wide monthly budget monitoring and reporting exercises, leads the collation and initial review of budget monitoring submissions from business areas, influencing and challenging budget holders to ensure updates are clear and evidence based, thereby providing management with robust information and explanations to assist them in making informed decisions.
• Contributes to the monthly workforce planning process, liaising closely with DG Office and Business Management Units within the five DG Economy Directorates. 
• Responsibility for large scale data management and analysis in order to provide senior leaders with high quality, evidence based information upon which resourcing decisions can be made.
• Supporting the implementation of the new Oracle HR & Finance system within DG Economy, working with stakeholders across DG Economy and specialist teams within Central Finance, Procurement and the Oracle Change Programme to ensure compliance with SG accounting principles and system requirements.
• Contributes to the development, completion and co-ordination of a wide range of DG Economy and corporate financial management processes and commissions, engaging effectively with relevant colleagues across the organisation to ensure high quality information is provided to senior leaders and Ministers. 
• Such activities may include the monthly cash management and expenditure reporting returns, the bi-annual budget transfer process, completion of year-end annual accounts templates and supporting senior management in the annual SG budget planning process.
• Supporting the provision of financial management advice, high quality financial information and analysis and supporting the development and continuous improvement of robust financial management processes and controls across a wide variety of business areas within DG Economy, using knowledge and expertise of local business areas and policy issues in order to provide advice, challenge existing practices and resolve issues.

Success profileSuccess profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Experience

• Enhanced financial management, data management and analytical skills using a variety of tools to develop options, make evidence recommendations and support informed decisions.
• Experience of workforce planning, including working with large data sets and undertaking complex analysis & reporting, in order to support decision making at senior management levels.
• Experience of working with the SG Oracle finance system, including a working knowledge of the Scottish Government Chart of Accounts and the Oracle Procurement Preparer role, managing Contract Purchase Agreements, Purchase Orders and Oracle reporting.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing - Level 3
• Managing a Quality Service - Level 3

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)
 How to applyApply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.
 Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  
 Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
 If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and a secondary assessment. Assessments are scheduled for Mid-September however this may be subject to change. About usThe Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
 Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.
 We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
 Working patternOur standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. This post in based in Glasgow, with attendance in Atlantic Quay 5 expected up to two days per week.
 Security checksSuccessful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide. 
 Equality statementWe are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.
 Further informationFind out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.