Job Description

Do you have strong financial expertise and a passion for public service? If so, we want to hear from you.

The Finance & Procurement department is an essential team within Food Standards Scotland (FSS) which supports the organisation to deliver its statutory obligations and corporate priorities.

The Financial Assistant (FA) role is part of Finance & Procurement department and sits within the Financial Accounting team. The role will mainly be focused in Accounts payable, working as part of a team, supporting other colleagues and providing cover for other FAs in their absence.

• You will be the main point of contact for all invoicing, credit notes and related queries for FSS suppliers, ensuring invoices are reviewed and processed promptly, meeting specified SG targets.
• Working closely with the Management Accounting Team to ensure goods and services are receipted against the correct Purchase Orders (POs), within the Oracle Finance System.
• Collate and enter supplier invoices into the Oracle finance system, ensuring correct purchase order matching and resolving any disputed invoices.
• Developing and maintaining good working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver.
• Support the Assistant Financial Accountant t in the day‑to‑day management of FSS expenditure by developing a comprehensive understanding of team activities and financial processes.

Success Profile:

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Experience:

• Proficient in using IT packages such as Excel and Word.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and influencing - Level 1
• Making Effective Decisions - Level 1
• Working together - Level 1
• Delivering at Pace - Level 1

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here Success Profiles

How to apply:

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement of no more than 750 words which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation

Expected Timeline: (subject to change)
Interview - w/c 27 April 2026
Location - Microsoft Teams

In the event of a high volume of applications, candidates will have their applications initially assessed against the Experience criteria above. Candidates who pass this initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against all criteria. At interview/assessment if there is a tied score, performance in the Experience criteria will be applied to determine merit order.

Recruitment Principles:

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has a wide and diverse remit which covers all aspects of the food chain which can impact on public health – aiming to protect consumers from food safety risks and promote healthy eating. Our mission is to be Scotland’s leading authority on food safety, standards and healthy eating; using data and evidence to provide assurance and advice that inspires consumer confidence and improves public health.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules

Working pattern:

Our standard working hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the post. This role is hybrid compatible. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks:

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide

Equality statement:

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information:

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.