Description

Closing Date: 17-Sep-2024

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.

We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK. We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.
British Council Pay band: 7 ( £30,389 - £37,152) plus London allowance of £3,300 for London based candidates. Candidates based in EU, will be paid equivlent to PB 7 in their location.
Department:  Finance
Contract type: 9 months Fixed Term Contract
Closing Date:  Tuesday 17th September 2024 (23:59 GMT)
Location:  UK Wide (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester or London) or Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Greece or Bulgaria).
You must have the legal right to work in the stated location.  You are not required to relocate.
British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service.  This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.
Role Purpose:
This role is a 9-month contract role to replace the UK Exams FP&A analyst and transition the role from the UK Global Finance Team to the EU Region Finance Team
You  will deliver direct and effective support to stakeholders by providing assurance on the integrity of our financial management reports and confirming the accuracy of our reports on business performance. The role is in charge of analysing and interpreting long and short term financial and operational plans as well as business performance against targets through management reporting, including the analysis and interpretation of financial trends, variance analysis and financial impact assessment.
This post will be part of the FP&A team that may be dispersed across the region. The role may support individual SBUs or geographical groupings, depending on the regional context.
Role Context:
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.
The Finance function is structured along functional lines with the aim of embedding the ‘three lines of defence’ model at its heart, clearly separating the financial control (first line) and risk and assurance (second line) functions, ensuring the integrity of our results and the strength of our controls. This will allow the organisation to focus more easily on business decision making, strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting on the basis of accurate monthly results. The Finance function works in a matrix environment with SBU experts advising the business on FP&A, whilst reporting lines are within the expertise (ie. Reporting to the Regional Head FP&A). The regional team also plays an interface role joining countries with the UK on global initiatives.
Main Accountabilities/Responsibilities but not limited to the following:
Accountable for the analysis and interpretation of long and short term financial and operational plans for the SBU through management reporting, analysis and interpretation of financial trends & the Transition of UK reporting & processes to EU standardised reporting:
Management Accounting, FP&A & Business Partnering:
The post-holder will perform the current month-end accounts preparation and reporting, delivering user-friendly monthly management accounts and ensuring a high level of accuracy on all financial reports working closely with the UK global Operation FPA manager to ensure costs are correctly recorded.
Provide interpretation of financial reports and analysis on performance versus targets, trends, risk escalation and detailed variance review as Finance Business Partner to the UK Exams Director and the UK Exams business leads
Financial modelling to support the business on profitability analysis of current and new products, and the profitability of sessions and delivery methods.
Lead on effective assessment of cost in search of efficiencies, working continuously on the identification of potential economies of scale or cost reduction.
Build a trusted relationship with senior stakeholders to ensure appropriate business partnering.
Strategic Planning, forecasting and budgeting
Deliver the end-to-end quarterly forecasting process ensuring alignment with the UK global and EU regional teams.
Lead on the business use of the planning and forecasting tool to maximise efficiency.
Understanding of interdependencies and sources of finance and non-financial data (such as exams volumes) to ensure the correct production of finance planning and monitoring reports from the system.
Transition Project
Determine the current UK financial processes and the EU financial processes, mapping where they are aligned and identifying differences.
Where processes currently differ between the UK and EU region migrate the business to the EU financial processes to ensure continued standardisation of financial reporting and processes across all of the reporting region whilst minimising disruption to the business.
Implementing the changes required to align the current UK Exams financial processes with EU financial processes to ensure one standard approach of financial records across all EU region countries and the UK to bring the current UK Exams region financial processes and reporting in line with EU exams region.
Migrate UK reporting to EU standardised reporting utilising EU reporting tools
Determine where and how the duties and responsibilities can sit in the EU Finance structure in terms of the resources required post-transition to ensure the best possible quality in reporting, control and business support that is delivered as cost effectively as possible. (Note: financial governance and accounting will continue to remain in UK.)
Role Specific Knowledge and Experience:
Minimum/Essential
Experience in Operational Financial Management and or management accounting
Delivery of results within a complex international structure and reporting to a tight deadline
Experience working in a multinational and multi-cultural organisation, with a complex  International structure
Experience on provision and interpretation of financial information
Part qualified with a recognised accounting body or equivalent master degree in business administration or finance.  Desirable, fully qualified with a recognised accounting body
Desirable
Experience on commercial organization.
Experience working with SAP.
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement
The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment.  We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability.  All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.
We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.
Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org
Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.