Budgetary Support Officer - (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate - 2 posts
Company: Education Authority Northern Ireland
Role summary
Budgetary Support Officer - (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate - 2 posts is a role at Education Authority Northern Ireland in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (on-site). Posted 2026-08-25. Experience level: 2-5.
- Job title
- Budgetary Support Officer - (Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate - 2 posts
- Company
- Education Authority Northern Ireland
- Location
- Ballymena, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Work arrangement
- on-site
- Category
- Data Science
- Experience level
- 2-5
- Date posted
- 2026-08-25
You’ll be joining a supportive finance team where you can play a key role in managing budgets and ensuring resources are used effectively to help schools across Northern Ireland. It’s a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working with numbers and wants to make a real difference in the education sector while building a stable career in public service.
Job description
JOB DESCRIPTION
REPORTS TO: Budgetary Support Manager,(Finance Business Partner Team), Finance Directorate
RESPONSIBLE FOR: The Senior Admin Officer – Budgetary Support will assist in the development and progression of leading, managing and developing financial reporting processes and procedures for EA directorates and services as an integral part of a finance business partnering team.
They will develop meaningful data analysis and reporting across key budgets and will engage with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control. As a key member of this team, the post holder is accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement.
JOB PURPOSE
The post holder will be responsible for assisting and leading, managing and developing effective data analysis and financial reporting processes and procedures across directorates and services. As a key member of the team, the post holder will be accountable for ensuring that service delivery is focused on fostering and driving continuous improvement. The post holder will be expected to provide strong leadership and direction in development of relevant EA finance policies, engaging with internal and external stakeholders as required, to ensure good financial management and control, and compliance with relevant legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
The post holder will build and maintain clear lines of communication within and across the Service and establish effective working partnerships with relevant external stakeholders and service user groups as appropriate.
In acting as an integral member of the team, the post-holder is required to fully contribute to all Finance Business Partnering Service issues related to the corporate plan, operational business plan, service development proposals, savings proposals and risk register to ensure that the Directorate operational plans support the overall strategic direction of EA and the achievement of its objectives in line with its vision, mission and values.
The post-holder will contribute to the achievement of the EA’s overall corporate objectives. The post-holder will be responsible for providing advice, support, information, and guidance to relevant EA Directorate colleagues.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Service Specific
Contribute to the delivery of management accounting activities, including the preparation and delivery of timely, accurate, and insightful monthly management accounts.
Work within the Finance Business Partnering Team to support budget holders to set and monitor their budgets, within the context of the annual and spending review planning cycle and savings delivery plans.
Work in close partnership with Directorate budget-holders and the Financial Reporting team to provide accurate, timely and comprehensive management accounting information to enable robust forecasting.
To develop processes to coordinate the submission of returns to DE to ensure compliance with the DE EA Management Statement and Financial Memorandum
To oversee the implementation maintenance and administration of processes and procedures which ensure excellent support to service users.
To provide operational, administrative, and financial advice and support within the service and to other Directorates.
To liaise with Service users and identify areas for improvement in financial reporting in line with EA’s strategic objectives.
To embed new and tested processes in day-to-day business.
To develop staff guidance on financial reporting and compliance.
Ensure specific projects and tasks allocated have been completed to the standards required.
To contribute to monthly and, where necessary, year-end reporting requirements to ensure compliance and accurate records are maintained within deadlines.
To build relations and collaborate with budget holders in other Services and Directorates, ensuring the successful delivery of high quality financial insights and support.
To assist with the evaluation and review of existing procedures and recommend changes to achieve continuous improvement.
To prepare responses to information requests including Ministerial questions, Committee papers as required.
Management
To ensure good financial management as appropriate in accordance with all relevant financial policies and standards and performance management of the finance reporting systems.
To develop staff within the service and encourage staff involvement and engagement in the strategic development and operational delivery of the service.
To regularly monitor ongoing administrative needs to support the data analysis and financial reporting needs of the organisations and future challenges.
Represent the Directorate on working groups or meetings as appropriate.
Management and Staff Development
To work closely with the Finance Business Partner and Deputy Finance Business Partner to assist in the service leadership and direction ensuring that corporate, directorate and service performance standards are achieved.
To ensure efficient and effective internal communication with staff in the service.
To assist in establishing and providing suitable programmes of finance training to assist in financial management.
To provide day to day management of officers as appropriate and undertake all duties associated with line management as appropriate.
To support on-going restructuring of the service and continuously i