Finance Policy Analyst

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Finance Policy Analyst

Job ID: 49135
Location: Abuja (FCT) or Lagos
Contract Type: Indefinite Contract

Role Purpose - The Job

• The Finance Policy Analyst will support the development of an effective finance policy framework that embeds strong financial control and ensures compliance with external regulatory and reporting requirements.
• The Finance Policy Analyst will ensure that finance policies are consistent with the British Council’s Strategy, objectives and risk appetite. They will proactively work with colleagues delivering change to ensure that effective and proportionate financial controls are embedded as part of the change.
• The purpose of the role is to develop, draft and implement finance policies to support an effective internal control environment.
• They will also work with colleagues in other corporate and operational functions to support the development and implementation of an effective entity-wide control environment and culture.
• They will work with internal stakeholders and outsourced service providers to embed policies and monitor and improve compliance.
• The Finance Policy Analyst will contribute to the development and application of accounting policies to a complex and dynamic international charitable group. They will provide advice to colleagues on financial policy and controls and the application of accounting standards and policies.

Main Accountabilities
Subject expertise:

• Design, draft and implement finance and accounting policies and guidance including drafting chapters of the Accounting Manual.
• Keep up to date with developments in accounting standards, external regulatory requirements, changes to relevant legislation and best practice in financial control and compliance and assess their impact on the British Council.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance and oversight of policies, processes and controls to mitigate sanctions and prohibited transactions risks to an acceptable level.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of compliance monitoring and reporting to ensure that policy compliance can be measured and action taken where non-compliance is identified.
• Review and update existing policies to take account of changes to business processes, delivery models, staffing structures and other changes in internal and external requirements.
• Design and deliver communications and training on financial policies to ensure that relevant users understand their responsibilities. Work with stakeholders, including the training team, to achieve this.
• Ensure that finance policies and guidance notes that are clear and easy to understand for non-finance professionals, and for those whose first language is not English.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of a framework of policies, and processes and controls that support business objectives and ensure compliance with all applicable UK and overseas laws, regulations and reporting requirements.
• Maintain the framework of financial delegated authorities, ensuring that it is periodically reviewed to reflect changes to business objectives, organisational structure and risk appetite. Design and maintain systems and processes to implement the delegations.

Leadership & management:

• Act as a champion for financial controls and compliance, explaining its importance to stakeholders in all parts of the organisation to help embed a culture of compliance.
• Be the representative for finance, particularly relating to policy and controls, at relevant internal stakeholder meetings and deputise for the Head of Global Finance Policy and Compliance when necessary.
• Ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is considered in developing policies, processes and systems and apply EDI policies wherever relevant.
• Use skills, knowledge and expertise to contribute to wider finance developments and transformation projects to support efficient, effective processes that benefit the British Council.

Consultancy, analysis and problem solving:

• Support the financial governance aspects of establishing new subsidiaries, branches and other legal entities globally.
• Provide advice and guidance on the application of financial reporting standards to the British Council’s circumstances and on the implications of changes in accounting standards.
• Respond to queries on the implementation of policies and on related financial reporting, control and governance issues.

Strategy and/or Planning:

• Keep up to date with changes initiated by other areas of the business that impact on finance policies and processes to ensure that the impact on finance policy is considered as part of the change and that appropriate proportionate financial controls are embedded in new processes. This includes reviewing proposed changes submitted to the Finance Governance Change forum.
• Understand the corporate strategy, objectives, and operating environment to ensure that policies are in line with the risk appetite and support efficient processes.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with finance stakeholders, including the Global Processes Owners and Finance Centres of Excellence provider to ensure that policies support revised finance processes and that the impact on process is considered when policies are developed.
• Identify and consult with relevant stakeholders in developing policies.

Service improvement

• Where appropriate, make business cases for and support the implementation of new systems to support compliance and compliance monitoring.
• Lead or contribute to projects to improve financial controls and compliance.
• Work with stakeholders in and beyond finance to identify and deliver improvements in finance processes and controls. This includes ensuring that processes are efficient and follow best practice such as appropriate automation of controls and embedding ‘compliance by design’ making it easy for staff and customers to comply with policies and controls.

Requirements

• You must have the legal right to work in one of the listed countries at the time of application. We are unable to support with visa sponsorship and relocation.

Minimum / essential:

• Applying financial reporting standards to complex circumstances
• Knowledge of UK GAAP
• Flexibility, independence and initiative to perform successfully in a rapidly changing environment.
• Consulting with stakeholders and managing different views
• Identifying and implementing improvements in financial processes and controls
• Excellent drafting skills and ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms
• Excellent analytical skills
• Designing and documenting finance policies, processes and guidance
• Compliance requirements for a large, complex organisation
• Communicating policies, responding to queries and providing training

Education:

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent professional experience is essential.
• A postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional experience is desirable.

Desirable:

• Working with an outsourced finance service provider or shared service centre
• Sharing knowledge and delivering effective communication strategies
• Knowledge of financial reporting and compliance in the UK charity and/or public sector, particularly the Charities SORP
• Planning and delivering projects
• Delivery or support of major finance change programmes
• Experience in the charity and/or public sector
• Experience of group structures and/or international organisations

Professional Qualification and Certification:

• Recognised international accounting or finance qualification (for example, CCAB qualification) or equivalent, such as a relevant degree.