application information pack for the post of director of finance

APPLICATION INFORMATION PACK
FOR THE POST OF
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for your interest in applying for the position of Director of Finance in
NIFRS. This is a significant Board appointment for NIFRS. The successful candidate
will be a key member of the Corporate Management Team and will be joining the
organisation at a time when NIFRS is tasked with delivering change in a challenging
financial climate. The Finance Directorate currently employs 30 staff. The successful
candidate will be asked to review the current structure on taking up post to ensure
that it is fit for purpose.
Applicants should be aware that NIFRS aim to hold initial interviews in August 2013.
In addition, candidates may be asked to complete assessments and/or psychometric
tests prior to interview (probably during July). If required, candidates may also be
asked to attend a second interview and conduct additional assessments.
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is committed to ‘Protecting Our
Community’. We are proud to deliver a fire and rescue service and work in partnership
with others to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.
NIFRS serves the entire population of Northern Ireland, an area of over 55,000 square
miles, with a population of 1.71 million, providing them with a range of fire and rescue
services. NIFRS is divided into 4 operational Command Areas each responsible for
managing operational activity on a day to day basis. The 4 Area Commands are
supported by 14 Districts, strategically placed across Northern Ireland and which create
a community focus for NIFRS activities. Districts are responsible for the Fire Stations in
their District. There are 68 Fire Stations throughout Northern Ireland serving the local
community.
This information pack is designed to provide you with a brief overview of NIFRS’s
terms and conditions, along with information which should assist you in the
completion of your application form.
VISION, MISSION AND CORE VALUES
Our Vision in Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service will be achieved by providing
the people of Northern Ireland with the highest possible standard of service.
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Vision Statement
Protecting Our Community.
Our Mission will help us to achieve our Vision.
Mission Statement
To deliver a fire and rescue service and work in partnership with others to ensure the
safety and well-being of our community.
These will be underpinned by our Core Values which represent how we behave.
Core Values
We are committed to:
• People - We value keeping our
people safe and well trained;
• Leadership - We value leading by
example;
• Teamwork - We value working
together;
• Integrity - We value the utmost
integrity in everything we do;
• Diversity - We value equality and
fairness and we consider the needs of
our staff and the community we serve;
• Communication - We value open and
honest communication with our staff and
with all our stakeholders;
• Partnership - We value working in
partnership; and
• Pursuit of Excellence - We value
continuous improvement at all levels of
our organisation.
GENERAL CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT
This is an indication of the conditions of appointment and is not intended to be
exhaustive. Full conditions of service are contained within the National Joint Council
for Local Government Services National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service.
1 Salary
The salary on commencement of the post of Director of Finance is £59,454.00
per annum. The salary range is £59,454.00 to £64,854.00 per annum.
2 Increments
Increments are normally payable from 1 April in each year, subject to
satisfactory service.
3 Hours of Duty
Currently 36¼ hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.
A Flexible Working Hours Scheme is in operation.
In view of the level of this appointment, the postholder will be required to work in
such a way as to fulfil the obligations of the post.
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4 Annual Leave
Details of Annual Leave entitlement, based on a 5-day week, are as follows:
(a) Annual Leave .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 days;
(b) Officers with 5 or more years’ service in Local Government 33 days;
Annual leave may only be taken as it accrues during the first 6 months of service.
5 Superannuation
Under current pensions legislation, NIFRS employees are eligible to join the
Northern Ireland Local Government Superannuation Scheme, if they so wish.
At present the employee contribution is 7.2% and is in line with the Northern
Ireland Local Government Officers'Superannuation Pension Scheme and will
be deducted at source.
6 Period of Notice
The appointment may be terminated by the employee giving 3 months notice in
writing, terminating on the last day of a calendar month. The period of notice to
be given to the employee will be as recommended for Local Government Officers.
7 Probation
Appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary period of
6 months from the date of appointment. If, during this period, conduct or
performance becomes the subject of disciplinary action, the formal disciplinary
procedures will be invoked and the normal time limits relating to the various
stages of warning will be reduced.
8 Application
Canvassing for appointment, in any form, will disqualify the candidate.
TIPS FOR COMPLETING/SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION FORM
NIFRS requires all sections of the application form to be completed in full. Please note
shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the criteria set out in the Person
Specification, using solely the information you provide on the application form.
Therefore you must ensure that your application form clearly indicates how you meet
the criteria stated in the Person Specification, as failure to do so may result in you not
being shortlisted.
For example, be specific about dates of employment; qualification subjects and levels
(including any sub-parts) and professional membership.
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Please note that NIFRS reserves the right to use both the essential and the
desirable criteria at shortlisting. Applicants should therefore make it clear on
their application form whether or not they meet the desirable criteria, as per the
Person Specification. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Candidates with a Disability
NIFRS is committed to ensuring that applicants with a disability have equality of
opportunity and are considered solely on their merits. Therefore, if you require any
assistance/reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please give details
on your application form in the relevant section. If you would like to speak to someone
about reasonable adjustments, please contact the Policy Unit on Tel: 028 9266 4221.
Criminal Convictions
It is essential that you state all offences, including motoring offences, even if they
happened a long time ago. Any criminal conviction may never be regarded as spent
and must be disclosed when applying for a post within NIFRS. Please note that
disclosure of a conviction does not necessarily debar any applicant from obtaining
employment.
Return of Application Forms
Application forms must be completed and returned, in hard copy in the envelope
provided or using the label provided, to the Equality Unit, Fire & Rescue Service
Headquarters, 1 Seymour Street, Lisburn, BT27 4SX by no later than 3.00 pm on
Thursday, 20 June 2013. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please note:
Please ensure you have included the correct postage, otherwise it may not be received
by the closing date.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS
NIFRS carries out the following pre-employment checks prior to appointing someone to
a post.
References
All appointments are subject to two satisfactory references being received.
Please be specific when providing addresses/contact details for your referees. One of
the references must be from a present employer or, if not currently employed, the most
recent employer who would have knowledge of the successful candidate in a working
environment.
Professional membership/Qualification Checks/Verification of Identity
The Recruitment & Services Unit will carry out checks to confirm professional
membership and any qualifications which are listed as essential in the Person
Specification.
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Proof of qualifications and/or professional membership will be carried out at the
interview stage.
Applicants relying on qualifications regarded as equivalent are responsible for
providing evidence as to how their qualifications meet the required standard. If
equivalence is not immediately clear to the Selecting Officers, no enquiries will be
made by NIFRS and the candidate's application may not proceed as a result.
You will also be required to produce original documents to verify your identity, one of
which must be photographic identification.
Applicants will be required to produce documentary evidence that they are legally
entitled to live and work in the UK, eg, passport/travel documents at the interview
stage. Failure to do so will result in non-appointment.
Pre-Employment Health Assessment
Successful candidates will be required to undertake a pre-employment health
assessment with NIFRS Senior Medical Adviser.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information is available on NIFRS website www.nifrs.org
Vision, Mission and Values
About NIFRS
Organisational Information and Structure
Departments
NIFRS Board
Publications
Draft Integrated Risk Management Plan 2012-15
Annual Report
Priorities and Targets 2008-2013
Corporate Plan (2011-2016) and Annual Business Plan (2011-2012)
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APPLICATION FORM CHECKLIST
Please use the checklist below to help ensure that you have completed your form in full
and are now ready to submit your application.
Have you ……
Read the Tips on completing/submitting your application form section of this
information pack?
Clearly demonstrated how you meet all criteria requirements?
Provided full up-to-date details of 2 relevant referees?
Provided full details on relevant qualifications, professional membership, ie,
subjects, grades, dates, membership number
Listed current/previous employment details since leaving education, including
details of posts held, exact dates (dd/mm/yy), and a brief summary of main
duties?
Explained any gaps in employment and listed reasons for leaving previous
employment?
Told us about any previous/pending convictions or offences including any that
happened a long time ago?
Read and signed/agreed to the Personal Declaration? Remember, failure to
provide complete and accurate information may lead to a withdrawal of
employment/offer of employment if this is subsequently discovered.
Completed your equal opportunity monitoring form? NIFRS strongly encourages
you to complete this form as it is committed to equality of opportunity. By
gathering this information from all applicants it will help us continue to implement
positive action programmes, to remove barriers to equality and promote concepts
of diversity and equality of opportunity.
If you have ticked all of the above you are now ready to submit your application form.
Please remember to take a note of the closing date and time, reference number of the
post and print off a copy of the job description/person specification.
The job description/person specification will help you prepare for an interview.
If you have any queries or would like further information, please contact the
Recruitment & Services Manager on 028 9266 4221.
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