Chief Principal Accountant

This role has a starting salary of £59,868 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.

We are looking for a technically proficient, dynamic and forward-thinking Chief Principal Accountant to join our Corporate Finance team, part of the Finance Service at Surrey County Council. We are proud of our strong focus on continuous improvement and our commitment to learning and development. We promote agile working as a team and we split our time between working from home and working in the office (at least 2 days per week). The role is offered on a hybrid basis and offers flexibility to work from any of the four main Surrey offices.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The Finance service works closely with all services across the Council to develop financial plans, ensure sound financial management and work collaboratively to enable the ambitions of the Council while ensuring the appropriate use of public funds. The Corporate Finance team, as part of the Finance service, provides financial accounting support to both Surrey County Council and Tandridge District Council. This role involves collaborating with Tandridge DC and fulfilling tasks as part of that Joint Working Agreement.

About the Role

As Chief Principal Accountant you will act as the Council's technical expert on financial accounting, providing advice on accounting practices, staying abreast of, and communicating the impacts of, changes in accounting standards and regulations.

Leading on the production of the annual Statement of Accounts, in this role you will work across the finance team to ensure compliant and timely accounts. You will manage an effective relationship with the Council's external auditors to ensure the smooth running of the audit process.

Other key areas of the role include working with Tandridge DC as part of the joint working agreement, developing accounting policies, maintaining the Chart of accounts to ensure compliance with financial reporting standards, completion of government returns and responsibility for charity finances. The position has one direct report.

This is a great opportunity for an ambitious and driven financial accountant, to play a pivotal role in improving the Council's year end processes.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• Fully qualified accountant (CCAB Qualified) with knowledge and expertise in local authority financial accounting
• Experience of producing the statutory accounts, preferably within public sector
• Knowledge and experience of Unit4 or other financial systems
• People Management experience
• Ability to manage workloads and meet challenging deadlines
• Ability to collaborate across teams
• Possess good communication skills
• Demonstrate ability to interpret complex financial standards and apply them to practical examples

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 28/11/2024 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.