Overview and Context

The Financial Reporting Manager supports the Financial Controller to oversee the successful completion of period end and year-end reporting while maintaining strong financial controls and compliance with regulations. The role’s primary responsibility is to produce IPSA's statutory financial statements, reporting to the Treasury and laying the accounts before Parliament.

The role supports IPSA’s monthly and annual accounting and reporting processes, creating strong financial management, planning and control across the organisation and managing internal and external audits and liaison with statutory and regulatory bodies including HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC), HM Treasury (HMT), Parliament and the National Audit Office (NAO).

This role builds effective relationships across IPSA and works collaboratively with finance teams to deliver effective financial control. The role sits within the Finance function and reports to the Financial Controller.

Key responsibilities

• Managing the production of IPSA's Annual Report and Accounts including the timeliness and compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards of all notes to the accounts, aligned to best practice, standards and regulations. This includes collation of audit file and audit samples as requested by NAO and liaising with printers and Parliament to lay the Annual Report and Accounts in both Houses.

• Maintaining current technical knowledge (e.g. Financial Reporting Standards, Financial Reporting Manual, Departmental Yellow and any other guidance issued by HMT or relevant regulatory bodies) to advise and support the Financial Controller to ensure that all IPSA finances are appropriately administered, processed and monitored and are compliant with current financial procedures and internal controls.

• Working with the Financial Controller and the NAO to ensure that IPSA address any recommendations or that any issues are brought to the attention of the Financial Controller and supporting relevant compliance returns to HMT and HMRC and other bodies, as necessary.

• Responsible for the Online System for Central Accounting and Reporting (OSCAR) with cashflow forecasting and preparing drawdown requests and top-ups of drawdown as necessary, to ensure future adequate cash is available to meet IPSA’s requirements.

• Responsible for maintenance and administration of IPSA users of online banking system (currently NatWest).

• Ensuring the smooth operation of daily tasks, including reviewing and authorising purchases, sales and general ledger transactions. This includes approving journals, daily payment runs, faster payment requests and customer/supplier update requests and periodic supplier payment requests.

• Controlling delegated in-month and month-end activities, financial accounting system data, balance sheet cleansing, variance analysis and accounting procedures to ensure monthly and annual accounts meet audit scrutiny.

• Overseeing and assisting to reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts, including HRMC and Pensions reconciliations and responsible for all accounting for fixed asset and leases and monthly reconciliations of the same.

• Liaising with HMRC in relation to any relevant tax issues. • Playing an active role in reviewing and improving core financial processes and systems to improve the quality of financial reporting and leading improvement projects such as accounting system changes and testing of system upgrades or any new system projects.

• Increasing capability throughout the Finance team, providing advice and training on emerging accounting standards and developing relevant training materials for use across the organisation.

• Undertaking autonomous projects and other ad-hoc pieces of work as well as contributing to wider IPSA projects, as required.

• Reflecting IPSA’s values of staying connected, seeing the bigger picture, being open, doing the right thing and making a difference through all that you do.

IPSA is a learning organisation. We constantly review our work against our strategic objectives, actively seek views from our stakeholders and assess the environment in which we operate so that we can continuously improve. Therefore, the list of key responsibilities may adapt and change over time within the spirit and nature of organisational change and the development of the role.

What we’re looking for

You’ll be a qualified accountant (member of CCAB) with solid experience leading the production of Statutory Financial Statements, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery to external auditors. You’ll take pride in driving and partnering with auditors and key stakeholders to drive a smooth and transparent process that stands up to scrutiny.

With your dynamic technical expertise and knowledge, you’ll support the Financial Controller in maintaining strong financial controls and compliance with all relevant regulations and you’ll work to ensure that IPSA’s finances are robust, compliant, transparent and well-managed. You’ll proactively tackle audit findings and coordinate essential compliance returns. You’ll be confident working with financial systems and be adept at analysing large and complex data sets. You’ll bring a continuous improvement mindset, keen to improve how things are done to better colleagues’ financial awareness, and your flexible approach to work will help you adapt to changing priorities and the needs of others.

You’ll be someone who works well with others, building strong and constructive relationships across the organisation. Most importantly, you’ll reflect IPSA’s values in how you work each day.

The experience and technical level required for the role, along with personal qualities, skills, attributes, and qualifications are listed below.

Essential

• Fully qualified accountant (CCAB), with a commitment to maintaining own professional development.

• Financial management expertise: proven experience of preparing year-end Statutory Financial Statements for a medium-sized organisation (or larger) including experience of being main point of contact for external auditors. Demonstrable experience in maintaining general financial controls environment, balance sheet control account reconciliations, financial management, planning, monitoring and reporting.

• Insight and analytical capability: strong financial acumen, exceptionally strong attention to detail and accuracy and committed to getting it right first time. Thoroughness in completing tasks through concern of all areas involved, with good monitoring and checking processes of work, including that of others.

• Prioritisation and workload management: highly skilled in managing competing priorities and multiple workstreams across teams and functions with a keen eye for version control. Able to work independently and collaboratively, demonstrating initiative and self-awareness.

• Technology: strong IT and data analysis skills, with experience using financial systems to interrogate and interpret complex datasets.

• Stakeholder management and influence: proven ability to build and maintain strong, credible relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including a positive approach to working with the NAO to support efficient audit completion. Able to provide clear, evidence-based financial advice that influences strategic decision making. Strong coaching and feedback skills to help develop colleagues’ financial acumen and awareness.

• Communication and presentation skills: excellent verbal and written communication skills, including report writing. Able to interpret and clearly present complex financial concepts and data into meaningful insights for others, including non-finance colleagues.

• Adaptability, flexibility and resilience: flexible and proactive in responding to organisational needs, changing priorities, and emerging challenges. Resilient under pressure, with a continuous improvement mindset and a constructive approach to feedback and setbacks.

Desirable

• Public sector and regulatory understanding: sound knowledge of the UK public sector financial framework (including FReM), and able to operate confidently within a regulatory or HMT-funded setting.

• Experience of preparing year-end Statutory Financial Statements for a public sector organisation.

• Proven experience in leading or contributing to finance-related continuous improvement and change projects.

Our commitment and values

We’re committed to creating an inclusive, vibrant community and to making IPSA a brilliant place to be.

At the heart of our people philosophy is our promise to engage, enable, and empower every team member to deliver excellence, learn, and develop every day.

Ensuring equality of opportunity is central to this.

With diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and thinking IPSA will continue to operate as a high-performing organisation with a truly diverse and inclusive culture.

That’s why we encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, such as returning parents or carers who are returning from a career break, people who are LGBTQIA+, from Black, Asian, and other ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning differences or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different geographic regions and people from all socio-economic backgrounds, and any other under-represented groups in our workforce.

As well as our Inclusion Panel we have several workplace networks that promote and celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

Our values guide us and we demonstrate them in all our work. These are Staying Connected, Seeing the Bigger Picture, Being Open, and Doing the Right Thing. and Making a Difference. As a values-based organisation, you can expect them throughout the recruitment process and beyond.

Interview timeline

If you're selected for interview this will be virtual and will take place on Microsoft Teams, so you’ll need access to a secure WIFI network and a private space. 

Interview

Our interviews are competency and values-based. We’ll ask you a series of questions designed to help assess your suitability for the role and for IPSA.

The closing date for this role will be 27 July 2025, so we encourage you to submit your application without delay. Shortlisting will take place in w/c 28 July 2025. Interviews will take place 14 and 15 August - please make a note of these dates in your diary as we will be operating a tight interview schedule.

Job description

Please find a downloadable version of the Job Description here.

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