Principal Finance Officer

As a Principal Finance Officer, you will sit within the Finance & Customer Service Directorate, in the Finance Business Partnering team providing financial support to the Regeneration and Environment Directorate.

This post will be a Finance Business partner to the R&E service.

Client Details

My client is a metropolitan borough council and is responsible for providing a range of services including social care, planning, housing, revenue and benefits support, licensing, business regulation and enforcement, electoral registration, refuse and recycling, leisure, culture, parks and green spaces, economic growth, highways maintenance, education and skills, community safety and public health.

Description

As a Principal Finance Officer you will be responsible for:

• Support the Finance Manager in the delivery of key work programmes across the Regeneration and Environment Directorate Services Team.
• Support the Service Directorate in financial management, control and reporting matters including relevant statutory/regulatory responsibilities (in accordance with guidance/regulations/professional standards and deadlines).
• Manage and direct the work of the Regeneration and Environment Business Partnering Team.
• Lead on specific areas of work or tasks, including the maintenance of the Directorate grant register, year-end processes, including the production of the Notes to the Accounts, budget monitoring and budget setting.
• Provide a full specialist professional service and advice to the service and its customers, including caseload management of the most complex work and provision of leadership and technical expertise to the wider team.
• Lead/facilitate other staff to ensure effective service delivery and delivery of projects, including training, planning and allocating work, checking work is done on time and quality and carrying out on-job training.
• Carry out research, monitoring of data and reviews of local and national policy and best practices.
• Provide effective performance management and coordination of the resources allocated to the delivery of projects and the service, including contract management of providers.
• Act as a champion for service development and improvement within the service, role modelling research into practice, and ensuring performance indicators and targets are met.
• Organise and chair meetings, focus groups and working groups, both internal and external, including setting or agreeing agendas.
• Ensure good financial management to meet budgetary targets.
• Promote good working relationships with internal customers, other local authorities, outside agencies and the private sector.
• Present formal and informal reports to all levels of management and Elected Members, including recommendations for improvement or future action.
• Handle customer complaints (verbal and written) to the appropriate resolution within agreed timescales.

Profile

The successful candidate will have:

• CCAB qualified accountant
• Substantial experience working in a finance or audit service
• Ability to ensure the production is accurate and timely financial management information
• Ability to deal with complex issues and enquiries, including liaison with auditors and provision of technical advice
• Successful direct staff management experience
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and the ability to develop new systems or processes

Job Offer

Principal Finance Officer:

• Salary up to 43,000
• Flexible Working Agreement
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Flexible Working Patterns