Senior Finance Manager

Details
Reference number

437902

Salary

£45,974 - £54,431

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

WRA - Finance

Type of role

Finance

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

We encourage flexible and hybrid working. Some office attendance will be required based on business needs. This role is based in our Merthyr or Cardiff office.

About the job
Job summary

We're responsible for Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax. Our work raises revenue to support public services, like the NHS and schools, in communities across Wales. But that's not all, we're also involved with and support future tax design for Wales.

Join a place with purpose

You'll join a team of 100+ talented people from across 14 different professions. Our culture is best described as innovative, collaborative and kind. By working together, we'll deliver a fair tax system for Wales.

Our people

You'll be working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. From Operations, Policy, Digital and Data, HR, Communications to Finance – there's a place for you in our friendly team.

You'll be our greatest asset

You'll be joining an inclusive organisation and be part of a team where you can thrive, be rewarded and heard.

We're recognised as one of the top organisations for people engagement in the Civil Service People Survey. Inclusion and fairness are one of our strongest areas, as well as pay and benefits – our People Survey results say it all

We're also recognised for being innovative and a digital, 'cloud-based' organisation that supports hybrid and flexible working enabling a great work-life balance.

More about working for us, our roles and our Corporate Plan

Job description

The role has been developed to incorporate changes within WRA and its areas of business. This post is expected to take the lead on the preparation of the final accounts and preparation of management reports. These changes are creating new opportunities within the team and new areas for development. It is an exciting time to join WRA as we look to take on Visitor Levy/National Registration in addition to the tax collection.

"Working at the WRA has been a breath of fresh air from day one. It is exciting to be part of a new tax authority in Wales responsible for collecting and managing the first devolved taxes, helping to support Welsh public services. The WRA has provided me with the opportunities to develop and utilise my finance and leadership skills in an organisation committed to supporting the process of delivering a fair tax system for Wales. We are a small, close-knit team of specialist individuals who support each other and the wider organisation to provide the best possible service for our taxpayers. Since joining in 2019, I have never looked back and would recommend anyone looking for a new and exciting opportunity look no further than the WRA."

Stephen Cooper, Finance Manager

Person specification

Key Tasks

• To prepare and manage budgetary procedures and forecasts for the corporate budget including the Spending Review.
• Prepare and manage the in year monthly forecasts and returns
• To be responsible for the preparation/delivery of the performance reporting information in a timely manner for Board/ARAC/TA/AO meetings.
• To continuously work/improve the processes within the finance team.
• To assist G7 with the development and rollout of the payment service owner responsibilities
• Manage and support the Head of Finance to develop accounting policies for the WRA.
• To assist in managing/developing cross functional activities and timetables to ensure the delivery of all reporting activities across both Corporate and Tax finance systems.
• To collaboratively work to ensure the integrity of the accounting processes and procedures in the finance system.
• To ensure that all financial activity adheres to financial regulation, legal and governance requirements for the WRA and that any changes to accounting policy is implemented.
• Prepare input for the draft annual accounts for the WRA and the appropriate Tax Statement for Welsh taxes collected. Responsible for overseeing, collation and submitting of all required evidence. Stakeholder engagement with Audit Wales. To assist in the development and maintenance of the cash forecast process for cash drawn down with Welsh Treasury
• To cover for SEO (systems) as/when required
• To deputise for Head of Finance in times of absence.

Candidate information session

If this seems like a role you'd be interested in, join us for our virtual Candidate Information Sessions. You'll meet the Line Manager, get an overview of the role as well a feeling for what it's like to work at the WRA. We'll also talk through our benefits and provide helpful tips for your application with us. Please register for one of the sessions below:

25 November 2025 at 12.30pm - Register here: Business Wales Events Finder - Candidate Information Session - Senior Finance Officer

25 November 2025 at 4.00pm - Register here: Business Wales Events Finder - Candidate Information Session - Senior Finance Officer

Qualifications

Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies qualified accountant or actively working towards the qualification, with the expectation to achieve full qualification within three years of appointment.

Languages

We've undertaken an objective assessment of the Welsh language skills needed to undertake the duties of this role. For this role:

Welsh language skills Welsh skills are not essential. This means that you do not need Welsh language skills to undertake this role and these skills won't be assessed during the recruitment process. However, we actively encourage all staff to learn, or improve their Welsh language skills and offer a range of opportunities to suit everyone.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,974, Welsh Revenue Authority contributes £13,318 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

What we offer

• 31 days annual leave + Bank holidays, and 2 Privilege days
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Generous employer pension schemes with a contribution of upto 28.97%
• Tusker car scheme
• Vivup Cycle2Work and advances of salary for season Travel Tickets
• Lifestyle Benefits offering discounts on shopping, restaurants and entertainment
• Wellbeing hour each week
• Access to subsidised sports groups
• Generous family-friendly leave policies
• Free Welsh language courses and time off to learn
• Access to a range of staff diversity networks
• Free counselling and support service via our Vivup Employee Assistance Programme and Your Care Health platform
• A thriving culture that's described as innovative, collaborative and kind

Things you need to know
Selection process details

We'll always be clear about how we assess your application, at each stage of the process. This will usually include:

• Assessment of your Application Form and CV against the relevant Success Criteria
• A panel interview (if you're successful at the initial sift stage)
• If any additional assessments are needed for this role, such as a test or presentation at interview, we'll let you know in advance.
• Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted using the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving.

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Leader so we'll ask you if you need any adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process. So that we can support you in a way that works for you, we'll offer a pre-interview accessibility chat to anyone that declares a disability or needs any adjustments. This will take place with someone who is independent of the recruitment process and you won't be placed at any disadvantage as a result of needing adjustments.

Whilst the use of Generative AI (GenAI) isn't prohibited, it must be used carefully and your application must be factually accurate. It should be noted that presenting ideas and experience generated by artificial intelligence as your own, may be considered plagiarism.

A reserve list may be held for this role for applicants that have scored above the appointable threshold at interview. This means that if a similar vacancy becomes available in the next 12 months we may contact you to offer you the role.

Success criteria

Behaviours

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities

Yes

No

Changing and improving

Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes to use fewer resources

Yes

Yes

Working Together

Establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders

No

Yes

Strengths

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Adaptable

You can adapt to variations in work or environment. Your effectiveness is not affected by change. You are flexible and versatile. You act as an advocate for change.

No

Yes

Team Player

You work well as part of a team and strive to ensure the team pulls together and is effective.

No

Yes

Strategic

You look at the big picture. You consider the wider factors and long term implications of decisions

No

Yes

Experience

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Experience of Public Sector finance

Yes

Yes

Technical knowledge

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Knowledge and experience using and improving finance systems to streamline processes and procedures.

Yes

Yes

Qualifications

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies qualified accountant or actively working towards the qualification, with the expectation to achieve full qualification within three years of appointment.

Yes

No

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : WRA Recruitment Team
• Email :
• Telephone :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. See the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles where this is set out.

If you feel your application has not been treated in line with the recruitment principles, and you wish to complain, you should contact the Head of HR.

Email:

If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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