Budgetary Support Officer - 3 posts in Dundonald

Primary Location: Antrim-Belfast-Belfast Office

Other Locations: Down-Dundonald-Dundonald Office, Armagh-Armagh-Armagh Office, Antrim-Ballymena-Ballee Centre, Tyrone-Omagh-Omagh Office

Contract Type: Permanent

Duration of Contract/Contract End Date: N/A

Status: Full-Time

Hours per Week: 36

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday

Grade/Scale: Senior Administrative Officer | NJC pts 33 - 36 | £44,075 - £47,181 per annum

Additional Information: Belfast is the main base for the team with some staff based out of the regional centres. Base to be discussed and determined on appointment. There will be an Excel Competency test as part of the interview/assessment process. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend this test on Thursday 18 June 2026 and those candidates that pass this test will be invited to attend interview the week commencing Monday 20 July 2026. Suitable applicants who are not appointed to an immediate vacancy will be placed on a reserve list which will remain valid for one year and may be offered similar appointments across all localities at the discretion of the EA during that period.

JOB DESCRIPTION

REPORTS TO: Budgetary Support Manager, (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate

RESPONSIBLE FOR: The Senior Admin Officer – Budgetary Support will assist in the development and progression of leading, managing and developing financial reporting processes and procedures for EA directorates and services as an integral part of a finance business partnering team. They will develop meaningful data analysis and reporting across key budgets and will engage with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control. As a key member of this team, the post holder is accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement.

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will be responsible for assisting and leading, managing and developing effective data analysis and financial reporting processes and procedures across directorates and services. As a key member of the team, the post holder will be accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement. The post holder will be expected to provide strong leadership and direction in development of relevant EA finance policies, engaging with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control, and compliance with relevant legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.

The post holder will build and maintain clear lines of communication within and across the Service and establish effective working partnerships with relevant external stakeholders and service user groups as appropriate. In acting as an integral member of the team, the post-holder is required to fully contribute to all Finance Business Partnering Service issues related to the corporate plan, operational business plan, service development proposals, savings proposals and risk register to ensure that the Directorate operational plans support the overall strategic direction of EA and the achievement of its objectives in line with its vision, mission and values. The post-holder will contribute to the achievement of the EA’s overall corporate objectives. The post-holder will be responsible for providing advice, support, information, and guidance to relevant EA Directorate colleagues.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Specific

• Contribute to the delivery of management accounting activities, including the preparation and delivery of timely, accurate, and insightful monthly management accounts.
• Work within the Finance Business Partnering Team to support budget holders to set and monitor their budgets, within the context of the annual and spending review planning cycle and savings delivery plans.
• Work in close partnership with Directorate budget-holders and the Financial Reporting team to provide accurate, timely and comprehensive management accounting information to enable robust forecasting.
• To develop processes to coordinate the submission of returns to DE to ensure compliance with the DE EA Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.
• To oversee the implementation maintenance and administration of processes and procedures which ensure excellent support to service users.
• To provide operational, administrative, and financial advice and support within the service and to other Directorates.
• To liaise with Service users and identify areas for improvement in financial reporting in line with EA’s strategic objectives.
• To embed new and tested processes in day-to-day business.
• To develop staff guidance on financial reporting and compliance.
• Ensure specific projects and tasks allocated have been completed to the standards required.
• To contribute to monthly and, where necessary, year-end reporting requirements to ensure compliance and accurate records are maintained within deadlines.
• To build relations and collaborate with budget holders in other Services and Directorates, ensuring the successful delivery of high quality financial insights and support.
• To assist with the evaluation and review of existing procedures and recommend changes to achieve continuous improvement.
• To prepare responses to information requests including Ministerial questions, Committee papers as required.

Management

• To ensure good financial management as appropriate in accordance with all relevant financial policies and standards and performance management of the finance reporting systems.
• To develop staff within the service and encourage staff involvement and engagement in the strategic development and operational delivery of the service.
• To regularly monitor ongoing administrative needs to support the data analysis and financial reporting needs of the organisations and future challenges.
• Represent the Directorate on working groups or meetings as appropriate.

Management and Staff Development

• To work closely with the Finance Business Partner and Deputy Finance Business Partner to assist in the service leadership and direction ensuring that corporate, directorate and service performance standards are achieved.
• To ensure efficient and effective internal communication with staff in the service.
• To assist in establishing and providing suitable programmes of finance training to assist in financial management.
• To provide day to day management of officers as appropriate and undertake all duties associated with line management as appropriate.
• To support ongoing restructuring of the service and continuously improve the service to ensure delivery against performance targets, and to ensure that best value for money is achieved.

Developing Partnerships

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Directorate, and in other Directorates as required, modernising existing systems and developing new processes and systems, ensuring effective liaison with relevant stakeholders.
• To develop links with other EA officers across the directorates in relation to service user requirements.
• To work closely with partner organisations, the Finance Business Partner/ Deputy Finance Business Partner /Head of Service/Assistant Director/Director and colleagues to benchmark services and lead/manage and monitor change.
• Respond to external queries and correspondence on relevant issues and provide relevant reports or other information as required.

Developing Strategy, Policy and Guidance

• To work with the Finance Business Partner and Deputy Finance Business Partner to establish, maintain, and communicate a clear and compelling strategic direction for the service.
• To assist in the development and progression of leading, managing and developing data analysis and financial reporting processes and procedures for high priority areas as identified by senior management.
• To assist in development of relevant EA finance policies, including engagement with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and governance, and compliance with relevant legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
• To assist in ensuring EA’s compliance with Managing Public Money NI and the DE EA Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.
• To assist in the development and implementation of processes to collate input to annual budget exercises and coordinate directorate and service financial analysis line with DE requirements.
• To contribute to the development and implementation of other related new policies in line with strategic direction.
• To contribute to the management of the Service, supporting ongoing re-structuring of the service.

Other duties

• Liaising with EA Finance Directorate Business Services on internal and external audit recommendations.
• To assist in yearend reporting requirements, including coordinating yearend finance information to ensure compliance and accurate records are maintained.
• Liaising across EA teams on queries, reporting concerns to management and ensuring timely response.
• To collaborate across services to successfully deliver high quality business and finance support.
• Support arrangements for continuous improvements to ensure delivery against performance targets.
• To work with the Functional Leads to identify and manage key strategic risks impacting on the delivery of teams, Directorate and EA objectives.
• Keep up to date on new financial reporting and analysis requirements.
• Represent the Directorate on working groups or meetings as appropriate.
• To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and scope of the position as directed by the line manager.

This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS

• You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
• You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
• You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
• The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
• Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
• Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
• In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria.

Section 1 - Essential Criteria

The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.

• Qualifications/Experience
• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree (UK Qualification and Credit Framework Level 6) or an equivalent or higher qualification and have two years’ relevant experience OR Have five years’ relevant experience. Relevant experience is defined as:
• a) Financial planning and strategy;
• b) Budget setting, monitoring and control;
• c) Provision of advice and support to budget holders.
• AND Demonstrable experience of the provision of financial reporting and analysis to budget holders.

Other

• The successful candidate will be required: to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion; OR be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.

Section 2 - Essential Criteria

The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.

• Knowledge
• Demonstrable knowledge of financial reporting techniques and the financial environment within which EA operates.
• Demonstrable awareness of EA’s wide range of stakeholders and ability to engage on complex issues.

• Skills/Abilities
• In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of:
• Ability to communicate effectively and to build and maintain working relationships.
• Good organisational skills and ability to plan, prioritise and manage a busy workload to deliver effective results on time.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and inquisitiveness, work flexibility and resolve complex matters with minimal direction and supervision.
• Evidence of working on own initiative and in collaboration with team environment to achieve team goals.
• Evidence of successfully managing multiple priorities to achieve the expected results on time and to a high standard.

Values Orientation

• Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values.

Section 3 - Desirable Criteria

Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.

• Experience
• Experience in delivering monthly financial reporting and analysis to budget holders.
• Have demonstrable experience in the supervision and motivation of staff to meet challenging targets against strict deadlines.

Our Values

Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.

Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.