Finance, Audit & Risk Manager

Role Purpose

Take a leading role in the accurate and effective management of finance, risk and audit of the BTPA. Lead the budgeting, forecasting and monthly close of BTPA cost centres. Work with business managers across the Authority and BTP to provide assurance through internal and external audit. Develop reports to Members to enable effective engagement with Committees. Drive the risk management agenda with a focus on embedding risk management within the organisation and continuous controls improvement.

Liaises with

• Senior government officials/sponsorship team
• National External Office (NAO) and KPMG
• Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA)
• BTP Finance and Commercial Services representatives
• Chief Officers and heads of department

Accountabilities

Finance and Reporting

1. Develop, monitor and prepare periodic reporting on the BTPA budget of approximately £2.5m.
2. Report progress in the delivery of the budget and highlight any risk areas to the BTPA Treasurer and the Performance and Delivery Committee.
3. Drive a close working relationship between the BTP and Authority Finance teams including the development, allocation, execution and follow up of mutual agenda items.
4. Coordinate the Authority and the BTP in the preparation of the Annual Report and Statements of Account for the British Transport Police Fund, including relevant detailed disclosures. Liaise with BTP Finance department, external auditors and utilise Government guidance to ensure completeness and accuracy of disclosures.
5. Liaise with the DfT to establish reporting requirements to DfT and co-ordination of statutory and non-statutory returns to the DfT and other government bodies.

Internal / External Audit

1. Manage the Internal Audit of the Authority and BTP including developing the annual internal audit plan, reviewing internal audit reports,reviewing/providing management responses to internal audit findings and reporting to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
2. Oversee the external audit of the statutory accounts of the British Transport Police Fund. Working with the National Audit Office and their representatives and the BTP finance team to ensure an effective and efficient audit process

Authority Committees

1. Manage the Audit & Risk Committee throughout the year, including working directly with the CFO on the annual plans, agendas, preparation of reports and papers, and review of minutes.
2. Create dashboards and other monitoring reports for delivery to the Audit and Risk Committee.
3. Manage the financial inputs of the BTP and Authority to the Performance & Delivery Committee and understand their position in the broader context of the organisation’s performance

Risk Management and Controls

1. Work alongside the BTP to continually assess and review the key risks across the organisation, ensuring focus on the higher risk areas including providing input to, and regular maintenance of, the risk register. This covers both operational risk as well as all other strategic risks within the business.
2. Lead the development of a fraud strategy, ensuring organisation-wide adoption and continued focus on fraud prevention.
3. Liaise across the organisation to ensure the annual Management Assurance Report (MAR) is submitted to DfT in a timely and accurate manner. Ensure continued focus throughout the year on the development and delivery of the MAR action plans, and provide independent review and testing of evidence of actions undertaken.

General

1. Build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, across multiple networks.
2. Provide accurate information and reporting to Department for Transport (DfT) on Risk and Controls.
3. The post-holder will be required to make decisions, interpret relevant financial regulations including the ‘Managing Public Money’ framework, use Government guidance and statutory and regulatory accounting frameworks where necessary.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

1. CCAB Minimum Part-Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
2. Experience of audit (internal/external) and risk management processes, including all statutory requirements.
3. Previous experience in building and maintaining strategic and operational relationships, with the ability to influence and assert at all levels.
4. Strong communication skills with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, and be able to present complex reports and information in concise and easy to understand formats.
5. Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
6. Resilient, flexible.
7. High level Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
8. Excellent inter-personal and communication skills.
9. Strong organisational and time-management skills, including the ability to forward-plan and prioritise work to meet deadlines.
10. Extremely motivated and able to work in a small fast-paced and hard-working team.
11. Strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Desirable

1. Knowledge and experience of the police, public sector and rail industry.
2. Experience of working within a governance framework or oversight body.
3. Experience of risk management reporting systems

Location

The post will be located at the Authority’s offices in Camden.

Remuneration package

The full-time salary for the post is based on a seven-point scale from £48,178 to £57,404 per annum, dependent on experience.
Allowances (in addition):

• London Allowance of £2,520 per annum

Other benefits include:

• 28 days leave per annum, rising to 30 days with 5 years’ service
• Police Staff Pension scheme

How to apply

You are asked to submit your application by way of a CV and supporting statement providing clear examples of similar work that you have done under each of the main headings in the accountabilities section. The evidence provided must be specific and focused on your personal involvement, experience and actions. Your supporting statement should demonstrate you have the key qualities and attributes outlined in the knowledge, skills and experience section outlined above.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Sarah McGarel, Chief Financial Officer on 020 7383 3844.