Financial Accountant in Edinburgh

Are you interested in playing a key role in delivering the Scottish Government’s flagship activities, directly supporting key financial reporting? This is an excellent opportunity to develop your career as a Financial Accountant within a corporate setting at the heart of the Scottish Government. You’ll be joining an innovative, forward-looking division with a vision to apply global best practice, and a commitment to support all staff to grow their professional knowledge, skills, and experience. This is a pivotal role requiring strong financial control, sound judgement, and the ability to provide clear, expert advice to stakeholders across the organisation. You will play a key role in delivering the annual Consolidated Accounts and in supporting corporate financial exercises throughout the year.

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation and delivery of the Scottish Government annual accounts.
• Coordinate external audit activities and prepare required schedules for consolidated annual accounts.
• Lead, support and line manage finance colleagues to ensure delivery of the team’s priorities, including driving improvements in balance sheet controls and processes as well as supporting further development of contingent liability reporting.
• Provision of accounting and financial management advice to stakeholders on a wide range of finance topics, increasing financial knowledge and capability across the Scottish Government.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with all stakeholders, both internal and external, whilst managing the timing and quality of information.
• Continuous review of processes and capabilities (within own team and of customers), seeking opportunities to improve effectiveness and understanding of the annual accounts and audit processes.
• Ensure integrity of transactions on financial systems, ensuring good controls and checks are in place to maintain accuracy.
• Support changes arising from the implementation of Oracle Cloud, in particular, contributing to the enhanced use of the Financial Consolidation and Close (FCC), and Non-Current Asset sub-modules.
• Produce high quality reports and insightful management information for Senior Managers.
• Ensure that the financial reporting systems, including the Non-Current Asset Register, support the timely and correct completion of financial management reporting, ensuring all reconciliations and other key controls are up to date.

Qualifications

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

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills:

• Working with data in finance – Practitioner Level
• Government finance – Expert Level
• Business and Organisation - Working Level

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing - (Level 3)
• Making Effective Decisions - (Level 3)
• Working Together - (Level 3)

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. 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.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 15 June 2026 however this may be subject to change.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. Our staff are part of the 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.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location.

If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality statement

We 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 information

Find 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. Apply before 23:59 on 1 June 2026.