Head of Finance

Role requires 3 days a week office attendance at the office- candidates must confirm they meet this requirement.

It is essential candidates have experience of managing Capital or Treasury within a local government setting.

Key accountabilities:

• Provide high-quality financial accounting, strategic management accounting, budgeting and financial planning and commercial advice to a department or function within the council.
• Provide advice directly to and manage relationships with leading Members, Strategic Directors and other senior managers across the council, and to manage comparable relationships with major partners and contractors.
• Lead and manage significant financial transactional services and/or operational management services.
• Deputise for the statutory chief finance officer (s151 officer).
• Take a leading responsibility, within own area of work, for identifying opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance financial control.

Key requirements:

• CCAB Qualified Accountant (Preferably CIPFA), with significant post qualification experience and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Ability to analyse complex information and develop practical, innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to the management of complex problems across the Council.
• Ability to identify opportunities to cut costs and/or increase income; to think creatively and to identify commercial opportunities.
• Ability to lead, manage and motivate diverse groups of staff, from experienced and professionally qualified subject matter experts to junior administrative staff and trainees/apprentices.
• Excellent communication, negotiating and influencing skills.
• Good judgement; able to balance short and long-term factors and financial and non-financial considerations
• Strong leadership and management skills including people, performance and budget management, with demonstrable personal commitment to high personal and professional standards.
• To be able to challenge senior decision makers and contractors robustly and appropriately in order to change departmental strategy and operational decisions.