Senior Finance Manager

Job description

Do you have excellent attention to detail, strong analytical capabilities and experience of working in a finance team? If the answers to the above are yes, then this exciting opportunity could be for you.

This post is embedded in the National Records of Scotland (NRS) Finance Team, part of the Corporate Services Directorate. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including NRS Senior Management and Budget Managers, to ensure the delivery of value for money outcomes. 

This post is important in providing the necessary support and advice, building strong relationships with customers to support the Scottish Government’s and NRS overall purpose. The post holder will need a proactive and flexible approach to ensure that key strategic priorities are met.

The post holder will work directly to the Programme Finance Lead (C1). 

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of the NRS annual capital and programme budget and in-year budgeting exercises as part of the SG Spending Review cycle.
• Lead the production of the relevant monthly management accounts and investigate and report on significant variances, recommend remedial actions required to deliver a balanced financial position and monitor the implementation of these actions.
• Support effective financial management by providing finance and business support to the Corporate Finance Lead and Programme Finance Lead as well as providing specialist advice to senior managers and budget holders by on key financial management priorities including financial planning and reporting, risk management and capital accounting.
• Supporting the production and publication of the NRS Annual Report and Accounts, ensuring compliance with the relevant accounting policies and engagement with the external auditors. 
• Proactively identify efficiencies in systems and processes, ensuring that financial controls are adequate and continually improving in order to contribute to the delivery of value for money outcomes.
• Line management and mentoring of staff ensuring they have the support, knowledge and skills to carry out their roles effectively. 
• Ensure guidance is adhered to, including the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) and the UK Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM). Reviewing procedures, implementing auditors’ recommendations and providing effective support and delegation of responsibilities and tasks to staff in this area.
• Work flexibly across the Finance Team, taking on a range of other work as required to ensure that priorities are met.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must be fully CCAB qualified (or equivalent) with up-to-date CPD.

Please note: If you fail to demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications as stated above, your application will be automatically sifted out. There is an extra 500 word text box in the application to input your qualification details.

Success profileSuccess profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills:

• Budgeting, Forecasting and Costing - Practitioner Level
• Understanding of International Accounting Standards - Working Level
• Government Financial Management - Practitioner Level
• Working with Data in Finance - Practitioner Level

You can find out more about the skills required, here: Finance Profession Capability Framework Experience

1. Strong financial management experience with the ability to identify, generate and interrogate financial data to support decision making.
2. Excellent knowledge and application of International Accounting Standard and governmental guidance in relation to capital and fixed asset accounting.
3. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a proven ability to explain financial information clearly and concisely, influencing key stakeholders and maintaining strong working relationships.
4. Evidence of people management and interpersonal skills, being credible with staff, creating conditions to build confident and effective teams.

 Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions (Level 3)      
• Communicating and Influencing (Level 3)
• Delivering at Pace (Level 3)
• Working Together (Level 3)

You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Behaviour levels - Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and a short presentation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 24th November 2025, however this may be subject to change.

This role is open to internal candidates and Common citizenship organisations only.

About us

National Records of Scotland (NRS) is Scotland’s record keeper. Our purpose is to collect, preserve and produce information about Scotland's people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

NRS is a Non-Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government & and our staff are part UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week, we offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Equality statementWe are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.  Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further informationFind out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. For more information about the role, please contact Joshua McCreary at Josh.Mccreary@nrscotland.gov.uk