A job that adds up to much more than number crunching

With accountancy posts in the NI Civil Service currently being advertised, Finance Director Julie Thompson tells Jane Bell of the challenges and rewards of her career

Julie Thompson says there is never a dull moment in her post as Finance Director

What range of job opportunities exist for accountants in your department and elsewhere in the NI Civil Service?

Accountants often join the NI Civil Service in a specialist finance position, whether in a financial or management accountant role, in systems development, fraud or audit. There are currently over 200 accountants working in various roles across the NICS and NIO, with representation from all the major accountancy bodies.

What are the opportunities for advancement?

Opportunities for advancement are almost endless from promotion or transfer into a more general policy role to leading on the provision of financial advice for a particular department. Training opportunities are also excellent with plenty of support for the need for continuous professional development. There are immediate opportunities at the Staff Officer and Deputy Principal Grades (as advertised in the Belfast Telegraph last week). The more senior posts at Principal level, as well as Finance Director vacancies, are advertised when they arise. So there are plenty of opportunities to join the Civil Service as a finance professional (check out www.nicsrecruit ment.gov.uk).

What has been your own career path?

I am a chartered accountant and worked for five years in one of the major accountancy practices in Belfast, before joining the Social Security Agency in a management accountant role. I was then promoted into the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, where I have been the Finance Director for over four years.

Having experience of accountancy in both the private and public sectors, what would you say are the key cultural or practical differences, or similarities, between the two?

The types of professional accounting advice are similar in both sectors and indeed the corporate concerns of good governance and securing value for money also equally apply. In addition, in the public sector there is a greater sense of public scrutiny, for example, through the Public Accounts Committee or the Assembly in general.

The Health Service, in particular, has a high political profile and is subject to much public and media scrutiny. What extra challenges does this bring?

It is to be expected that the Health Service receives a high degree of media and public scrutiny, given the sheer numbers of people that use its services on a daily, weekly or annual basis and the numbers of staff employed. My team has to provide input and advice on a whole host of financial issues, often to tight timeframes, many of which will end up in the public eye. From my perspective, this makes the job both more challenging and also more motivating.

To what extent are senior accountants in the public sector involved in the higher policy areas?

Just as in the private sector, senior public sector accountants need to provide a key input into the policy setting process and at every stage, through to policy implementation. For example, in health, this could be the funding of mental health or primary care services or the development of our capitation policy which is the process that divides money equitably across local populations in Northern Ireland based on need. Senior accountants will often move on into broader policy areas, as was the case with the previous holder of my current post.

Accountants in general are sometimes disparaged as mere 'bean counters'. But, in reality, what range of additional skills does the job demand?

There is a lot more to my job than simply dealing with numbers - in fact, I would spend very little time on pure financial analysis. Oral and written communication skills are needed, including the ability to negotiate and influence others, as well as creative thinking and, in the public sector, political awareness. At senior levels, accountants also need good leadership skills and the ability to demonstrate sound strategic thinking.

Is it a job driven by deadlines and the financial-year calendar? What are the day-to-day routines?

There is no such thing as a typical day or week. I often have to work to exceptionally challenging deadlines to deal with Ministerial and Assembly business and the job therefore requires flexibility and an ability to prioritise. On the plus side, there is never a dull moment - one day I could be working with the Trust Finance Directors to resolve a particular financial issue - and the next, briefing the Minister or the Health Committee on budgetary matters. And that's on top of the normal day-to-day routine of being a fulltime working mother to a four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.

We don't often think of little girls (or, indeed, little boys) dreaming of growing up to be an accountant! How early in life did you decide this was the career for you?

Well, I certainly wouldn't say that I dreamt of growing up to be an accountant and not many would. I decided to study accountancy at university when I was in my last year at school. I had always a very keen interest in maths and opted for accountancy because it seemed to be a very practical subject, with excellent career opportunities in all types of industries and locations. I would equally say that I had not dreamt of growing up to be a civil servant but the public sector has provided me with significant opportunities which have helped to develop my career and which I find both challenging and rewarding.