Assistant Financial Accountant (Band 5/EO)

Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS.

Job Summary

As Planning, Finance, and Procurement Division (PFPD), our core activities are critical to the effective and efficient way that HSE delivers its strategic objectives. We are the custodian of the system of internal control and ensure effective governance processes are in place. At the same time, we drive the planning processes to ensure we can deliver our regulatory activity with an agreed financial budget and with appropriate mechanisms to monitor and analyse performance against these targets.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within the PFPD Finance function. HSE’s BSR (Building Safety Regulator) division is set to become its own ALB (Arm’s Length Body) with HSE providing accountancy services. You will work within Central Finance, assisting the Senior Financial Accountant in supporting BSR’s audit, the production of the Annual Report and Accounts and other key financial processes.

The role provides the opportunity for the successful candidate to develop a wide variety of finance experience through exposure to a range of accounting queries we see in PFPD. The role will suit an individual who has experience working in a deadline driven and fast paced dynamic environment and enjoys working with financial reporting products such as Microsoft Excel.

We will provide excellent training opportunities which will accelerate your career such as Level 4 or 7 Finance Apprenticeships, on the job support from experienced members of the Central Finance Team and L&D opportunities with HSE to develop your softer skills.

Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Job Description

You will assist the BSR Senior Financial Accountant in, but not limited to:

• Preparing financial month and year-end reconciliations
• Maintaining BSR’s asset register
• Collating and creating journal adjustments
• Ensuring management accounts are produced to deadline
• Liaison with the wider business during the year-end audit to obtain and collate audit evidence
• Support the monthly financial forecast and reporting budgets such as Payroll, Estates and Capital
• Develop your analysis skills using QlikView, Excel and outputs for colleagues to help support decision making
  
  

You will be supported by a direct line manager and the wider finance team.

You will assist the BSR Senior Financial Accountant in, but not limited to:

• Preparing financial month and year-end reconciliations
• Maintaining BSR’s asset register
• Collating and creating journal adjustments
• Ensuring management accounts are produced to deadline
• Liaison with the wider business during the year-end audit to obtain and collate audit evidence
• Support the monthly financial forecast and reporting budgets such as Payroll, Estates and Capital

Develop your analysis skills using QlikView, Excel and outputs for colleagues to help support decision making

You will be supported by a direct line manager and the wider finance team.

Person specification

Essential Skills And Criteria

• Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders both internal and external
• Be self-motivated and well organised and enjoy problem solving
• Ability to work at pace to deliver tight deadlines; with previous experience of working in a fast-paced finance team
• Ability to analyse multiple data sources to enable informed decision making
  
  

There is the expectation that you will attend the Bootle office 2 - 3 days per week.

Qualifications

Hold a AAT, CCAB or CIMA qualification, OR Actively studying towards OR willing to commence studying after taking up post.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
  
  

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Proficiency in double entry bookkeeping and Microsoft Excel.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £31,657, Health and Safety Executive contributes £9,171 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  
  

We invest in our people with;

• Competitive rates of pay
• Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97 %,far more than in the private sector.
• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
• Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
• 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
• Parental leave benefits
• As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards, and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.
  
  

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements 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, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Upon submitting your short application form, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test and a Verbal Reasoning Test. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible, within 24-48 hours is recommended, to allow time to complete your full application.

If you successfully pass the test, you will then be invited to complete the final stage of your application. You must complete the online tests and your full application form by 12pm on 9th February.

If you fail to complete the online tests and full application form before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.’

Application Information

As part of your application, you will be invited to complete an anonymised CV which should include your career history, experience, and qualifications. This is for information only, and will not be scored.

You will also be asked to complete an anonymised Personal Statement, of no more than 1000 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria of the job advert. A 250 word example that demonstrates the lead behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'. 

Application Guidance Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Sift Information

The sift will take place during week commencing 9th February 2026 when you will be assessed on your Personal Statement and the lead behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'

Please note - In the event of a high number of applications at sift we will assess on the lead behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'. Candidates who meet the benchmark for the lead Behaviour, will then be assessed on their Personal Statement.

Interview Information

Interviews will take place in person at our Head Office, Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle L20 7HS Bootle, during week commencing 23rd February 2026 when you will be assessed against the behaviours/experience/technical skills detailed within the job advert.

Sponsorship

This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

Further Information

Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months. There is no guarantee you will be offered a role from our reserve lists, so if you see a vacancy on Civil Service Jobs that you are interested in, we recommend you apply. HSE reserve the right to conduct additional checks, including Google and social media checks, when recruiting candidates into a role within HSE. These checks will be carried out in line with the Civil Service Commission Principles and, if used all candidates will be subject to these additional checks.

From 23rd June 2025, if you are successful at interview, as part of your pre-employment checks, HSE’s Recruitment Team are required to check your details against the Internal Fraud Hub (IFH), using your personal details – name, NINO, and date of birth. If you are included on the database, you will be refused

employment. If you believe that there has been an error in the inclusion of your data and wish to make an appeal, please contact the CO email box internal.fraud@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . Details of the types of internal fraud/dishonesty covered by this process are defined by the Cabinet Office and can be found here Internal Fraud Register privacy notice - GOV.UK

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.

Progression through pay ranges is subject to annual pay awards as permitted within annual Civil Service pay remit guidance and negotiations with Trade Unions.

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example, if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: HR

.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.

Any move to HSE from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;

Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals

nationals of the Republic of Ireland

nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service als

o offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Joe McQuade
• Email : joseph.mcquade@hse.gov.uk
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk
  
  

Further information

If you believe that Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition have not been met, you can raise a complaint by emailing: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk or by writing to HSE at the following address: HR Resourcing Team, 2.3 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact Civil Service commissioners: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecodecomplaints/