Funding Assurance Officer in Swindon

Salary: £37,841 gross per annum

Reports to: Post Award Manager

Location: Swindon (Hybrid Working)

Contract: Permanent

Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.

Job Purpose

At Innovate UK, project assurance has two important purposes: to ensure appropriate management of public money; and to track and hold project partners to account for maximising the successes, outcomes and impacts of projects we support. The focus of this role is primarily to ensure that the funding assurance framework is adhered to, and project claims are reviewed as per the risk-based approach and that any internal investigations and site audits are conducted as requested by project finance and the wider business.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

The role holder's main responsibility is to provide funding assurance to a portfolio of Innovate UK's projects. The role holder will be responsible for supporting and providing expert advice to internal and external stakeholders across a portfolio of projects within a series of Programmes and acting as a key contact representing funding assurance. This will result in needing to support in resolving often complex, sensitive, and high-profile cases. The role holder may be expected to attend meetings at each of the project phases to represent Innovate UK's interests regarding funding assurance. Having oversight of a project the role holder will be expected to use gathered insights to identify project activity risk. By conducting analysis of claim trends and behaviours together with continuous review of spend profiles/forecasts to identify, understand and manage funding risks. The role holder will need to be able to document key summary of issues and possible mitigations for review/approval where needed including change to participant or project risk ratings. Be available to support on-site applicant audits, where necessary, to investigate unresolved issues identified through financial review by making pertinent enquiries and obtaining the evidence required to ensure a thorough investigation. The role holder may be expected to review and approve Project Change Requests to ensure project costs and claims remain in line with compliance and eligibility requirements. The role holder will be expected to complete a detailed review of project partner financial claims including but not limited to: a validation of supporting evidence to ensure compliance with Innovate UK and State Aid requirements using the risk-based approach. Ensuring claims adhere to the approved eligible costs. Diligent scrutiny of all supporting information records (e.g., timesheets, invoices, goods-in notes, asset register), using appropriate investigative techniques with particular attention to identification of fraud. Effective liaison with claimants to resolve issues identified through financial review by making pertinent enquiries and obtaining the evidence required. In addition to the above the role holder will need to support other ad-hoc business requirements as necessary. This includes contributing to and supporting the delivery process improvements as part of ensuring an efficient, effective funding assurance framework, whilst working with other teams to ensure efficient end-to-end processes for Innovate UK and our customers. This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone with a positive 'can do' attitude as well as the following qualifications and experience.

• Educated to degree-level or relevant equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience of working within a process-driven, service-orientated competitive procurement environment.
• Financial management and analytical review experience with focus on quality and attention to detail balanced with cost-effectiveness.
• Experience articulating complex issues to non-experts.
• Financial acumen and rigor with a healthy level of skepticism
• Audit experience
• Fraud awareness and understanding
• Knowledge/awareness of State Aid regulations

Competencies

All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:

• Thinking and Problem Solving
• Stakeholder management
• Communication skills
• Influencing
• Self-awareness/self-management
• Strategic awareness
• Working with others
• Project management

Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements

Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national travel.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; we encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set out in our role profiles.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments, some of which will be online and others may be in-person. If you have a disability, health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you, we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing further information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.

Employee Benefits

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days' annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Flexible Working

We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.

Pre-employment Screening

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.