Financial Accountant - IFRS16 Lead

£54,285 - £60,585 (National)

+ £5,000 Accountancy Allowance with relevant qualification

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers.  We are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading ground-breaking programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern and cost-effective real estate service solutions. 

Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours.  We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged, and we’re dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service.  Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. 

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth.  We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

The responsibilities of the IFRS16 Accountant will include:

• Ownership of the GPA’s technical IFRS16 accounting calculations, performing accurate and technically correct IFRS16 calculations for all relevant lease events, undertaking verifications,  validations and checks
• Monthly reporting of IFRS16 financial performance, risks and opportunities (RDEL & CDEL)
• Produce key information to support annual budgets and monthly forecasts for IFRS16. This will form part of SR bidding and Estimates, submissions to Cabinet Office & HMT. Respond to queries arising
• Support systems improvements behind IFRS16 accounting including accounting ledgers for IFRS16 transactions. Working with GPA’s outsourced Property Partner and supporting the development of accounting systems to ensure that IFRS16 accounting is accurate
• As required, supporting the production of GPA business cases/investment appraisals and ensuring that IFRS16 calculations are accurate
• Business partnering across GPA Directorates to ensure that IFRS16 impacts are understood and incorporated into all decision making
• Providing IFRS16 advice to finance and non-finance stakeholders across GPA. Supporting IFRS16 training across GPA Finance. Working towards becoming a subject matter expert on the application and reporting of IFRS16.

Key Skills & Experience 

• A technically strong, confident qualified accountant
• It would be preferable to have experience of IFRS16 technical accounting, particularly in its application to property leases (as both landlord and tenant) - if no prior experience, then the candidate must have a technical aptitude and be prepared to work towards become an expert on IFRS16
• A commercially astute finance professional, capable of translating technical accounting requirements into language that will inform, advise, influence and inspire confidence in financial and non-financial stakeholders.
• A self-starter, comfortable with change and with the drive-to-drive continuous improvement
• Strong leadership skills to lead a team of mixed experience in a challenging and complex environment
• Good communication, networking and negotiation skills, capable of building relationships with both finance and non-finance professionals
• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment, planning, collaborating and delivering through others
• Down to earth, proactive and pragmatic

For more information, please apply using the link, or contact Emma Fuller at our retained search agent, Robertson Bell.

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do. To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.