Finance Support Officer (Sponsorship Available) at UK Health Security Agency

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Job Title: Finance Support Officer
Location: United Kingdom
Salary: £41,983 to £48,128 per annum
Job Type: Full-time & Part-time
Closing Date: 05 January 2026

Job Summary

The Estates, Engineering and Facilities (EEF) Department is responsible for engineering, maintenance, environmental sustainability, facilities services and capital works projects to the site to maintain safe, regulatory and compliant facilities to meet current and future business objectives. The combined departmental budget is in the order of £40M PA.

The department’s function manages and controls a team of staff, both in-house and contracted staff to assure governance in the supply of engineering maintenance to fixed plant and equipment, building maintenance and engineering modifications to uphold the asset value of UKHSA’s Porton Down estate and facilities services to meet EEF’s business plan and the wider organisational needs.

The EEF Dept engages with the site’s stakeholders over current and future facilities, engineering and equipment maintenance requirements to ensure the site is safe and compliant, operational and fully available to meet business needs.

Main Duties of the Job

Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, the Finance Support Officer shall work collaboratively with the EEF team to put financial tools, processes and procedures into practice, maintain internal compliance with UKHSA finance and procedures, and enforce good financial practice within the EEF team.

The Finance Support Officer shall satisfy the regulatory requirements of internal and external auditors and prepare financial management reports, monitor and process payments with supply chain, and support the EEF team with funding for operational and business-critical needs.

Key job objectives include:

• Adhere to the Engineering Policy and maintain compliance.

• Comply with UKHSA financial controls and procedures.

• Support EEF to set financial objectives and targets and to manage and control budgets.

• Manage payment to PMC and supply chain.

• Complete financial reports and contribute to UKHSA end of year accounting processes.

• Communicate proactively and professionally with customers and stakeholders at all levels.

About Us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

As part of the main duties, you will be expected to:

• Lead op-ex budget preparation and work with UKHSA stakeholders to set departmental financial objectives and targets.

• Monitor op-ex budgetary expenditure and seek necessary approval from line manager.

• Provide monthly financial reconciliation reporting to EEF management team.

• Contribute to financial reconciliation and year end account management and reporting.

• Verify invoices and supporting information to facilitate approval processes.

• Facilitate work / purchase order processing and approval processing.

• Lead cap-ex budget preparation and work with UKHSA stakeholders to secure funding in response to asset life cycle replacement plan, forward maintenance plan and any other forecasted cap-ex expenditure initiatives.

• Comply with payment and other financial contractual terms and conditions between UKHSA and supply chain.

• To line manage or supervise colleagues as required.

• Comply with UKHSA financial controls and procedures.

• Comply with UKHSA financial management electronic systems.

• Participate and support internal and external financial auditing of accounts and procedures.

• Compile financial management reports as required.

• Work in collaboration with the Maintenance Manager to maintain a spare parts and stock control system, reconciling expenditure and consumption as required.

• First point of contact for UKHSA and supply chain for all financial matters within the department.

• Work with UKHSA stakeholders, and other contractors and suppliers as required to settle financial disputes.

• Contribute to financial and other meetings as required.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Professional Development

You should pursue a programme of continuous professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, whilst maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements.

You will be expected to identify, discuss and action your own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisals and individual development planning.

You will also be expected to attend internal and external training events and participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Key Working Relationships

Internal

• Head of Estates, Engineering and Facilities

• Head of Site Engineering and Security

• Commercial Leads and Category Managers

• Engineering Quality, Capital Works Programme Manager

• Operations Manager

• Equipment Support Manager

• Financial managers through organisation

• Capital Project Team

External

• Specialist contractors (Fire, security and BMS)

• Porton Biopharma Limited (at all levels)

• Auditors

Essential Criteria

• Financial experience and background in financial accounting, budget management, and financial processing.

• Experience of direct supervising or managing staff.

• Knowledge and experience in using MS Excel and financial management systems and databases.

• Excellent numerical and analytical skills.

• Interpersonal skills, able to build effective working relationships at all levels and between organisations.

• Communication skills with ability to communicate clearly in verbal and written form with direct reports, line manager and other stakeholders at all levels.

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in a highly regulated industry and conversant with financial auditing and compliance requirements, preferably in the public sector.

• Knowledge and experience in financial management reporting.

• Knowledgeable in areas of service contract negotiation, contract management, cost and price management.

• Organisational skills and ability to scan the horizon, anticipating future challenges and mitigating actions.

• Ability to solve problems and summarise financial problems, identify and recommend timely and realistic solutions to your line manager and other senior stakeholders as may be required.

Selection Process

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of:

• an application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

• a 1000 word supporting statement

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.

Longlisting:

• Meets all essential criteria

• Meets some essential criteria

• Meets no essential criteria

Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:
Financial experience and background in financial accounting, budget management, and financial processing.
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

If successful, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, a remote interview may be possible.

Behaviours, strengths and experience will be tested at interview.

Behaviours tested:

• Changing and Improving

• Making Effective Decisions

• Working Together

• Managing a Quality Service

• Working at Pace

Interviews are planned for week commencing 12th January 2026. These dates are subject to change.

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Scientific Campus in Porton Down. Please note that hybrid working is not available for this role.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

The level of security needed is Counter Terrorism Check clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years.

UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting.

Person Specification

Essential — Application form and supporting statement

Behaviours

• Changing & Improving

• Making effective decisions

• Working together

• Managing a quality service

• Working at pace

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country resided in for 12+ months in the past 10 years. Adult dependants are also subject to this requirement.

How to Apply

If you’re interested in this role, visit the official website for more information — click here to apply now.