Finance Analyst

Location: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

About the job:

ICS The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a shared corporate service. It provides corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT). Our team of over 400 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field. We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

The Matrix Programme is a transformation initiative involving 7 Government Departments. It is a unique cross-government collaboration that will unlock simpler, better, and more joined up working by bringing together the systems, processes, and ways of working for key government functions. Over the coming months we will be preparing to roll out Neo, our powerful new HR and Finance technology and service for the Matrix cluster - driving a more modern, digital government. The first Departments will go live in June 2026. Neo is a cloud-based system, powered by Workday that will replace legacy HR and finance technology and offline processes across multiple Government Departments and associated Arm’s-Length Bodies (ALBs). Designed to streamline administrative activities and promote intuitive self-service, Neo is enabling time back to focus on what we value the most – serving the public. Moreover, Neo’s adoption means we are harnessing the power of shared technology at scale. This unified way of working delivers better, more accurate data - eliminating errors, creating one trusted source of truth and accurate reporting. Neo is more than just a new system; it’s enabling us to be data-led, to work smarter, respond faster and deliver services that truly meet the needs of the public.

The Neo Centre Office (NCO) is the strategic service management function for the Neo Service. Hosted within Integrated Corporate Services (ICS), its purpose is to monitor, direct, and advise on the delivery of the Neo service, ensuring it operates efficiently and meets performance expectations. It provides central oversight, enabling consistent service quality, timely issue resolution, and continuous improvement. By acting as a governance and coordination hub, the function ensures alignment with strategic objectives, fosters stakeholder confidence, and supports the seamless delivery of Neo across all relevant departments.

This role provides accounting, budgeting and financial management support for the NCO, providing awareness of drivers of financial performance, supporting accurate forecasting and reporting and engaging in the budget setting process.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collect, analyse and interpret financial data from service providers and provide insight into financial performance, identifying and assessing opportunities for improvement.
• Assist in developing financial budgets and forecasts for Neo services and prepare financial reports and dashboards to aid decision making.
• Conduct variance analysis to compare actual financial performance across the cluster against budgets and forecasts, identifying mitigating actions where necessary.
• Support the accurate allocation of costs across departments/ALBs, including when new services are added to the catalogue or existing services are changed.
• Support the maintenance and updates to the charging model as required, including reflecting changes in expected volumes.
• Support the tracking of benefits against the business case and help to identify corrective actions where required.
• Carry out finance impact modelling as new departments/ALBs onboard to the service and advise on future service apportionment as required.

Essential Criteria:

• Possession of, or active progression towards, a recognised industry-standard finance qualification (e.g. CCAB/CIMA or a Level 4 qualification with AAT, CCAB or CIMA).
• Proven experience in collecting, analysing, and interpreting complex financial data to provide actionable insights into financial performance, identify trends, and assess opportunities for improvement.
• Strong capability in performing variance analysis, comparing actual financial performance against budgets and forecasts, and supporting the accurate allocation of costs.
• Demonstrated ability to assist in developing financial budgets and forecasts, and to prepare accurate and clear financial reports and dashboards.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Team player with strong communication skills, being able to work and engage with stakeholders across all levels.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in conducting finance impact modelling for new initiatives or onboarding processes.
• Familiarity with or experience in supporting the maintenance and updates of charging models.

Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

For more information and to apply, please visit our website.