Deputy Chief Accountant

Job Title: Deputy Chief Accountant

Service: Corporate Services

Responsible to: Chief Accountant

Line Management Responsibility for: Technical Accountants

Contact with: Officers of all levels, Councillors, external organisations and local authorities

Purpose of job: To support the Chief Accountant in leading and directing the Technical team, ensuring work is carried out in the most economic, efficient, effective, and customer-focused manner, in alignment with the Council’s strategic objectives, goals, and behaviours.

The Deputy Chief Accountant provides support to the Chief Accountant in the delivery of the organisation’s end-to-end closedown process. The post holder will lead:

• the closedown process; and
• the non-capital side of the Statement of Accounts

The post holder must be a technically capable Accountant, who can take responsibility for the closedown process, including stakeholder management and coordination of the timetable. They must possess the technical skills to produce accurate accounts, produce relevant notes, undertake quality checks for consistency, and make sure that the organisation is compliant with the CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom.

Budget responsibilities: None

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Responsibilities

• Acting as lead for the organisation’s closedown process, including setting the timetable, engaging with stakeholders across the organisation, implementing soft close, and coordinating working papers.
• Overseeing closedown activities, including reviewing and completing accruals, reversals, reserve drawdowns and provisions.
• Leading on and taking ownership of the non-capital side of the Statement of Accounts and working with the Head of Finance (Capital) to produce the Statement of Accounts.
• Coordinating and managing the grants register.
• Ensuring integrity of financial information and compliance with audit requirements. Leading on engagement with the organisation’s external auditors, and coordinating the progress of audit, including responses to audit queries.
• Feeding into financial reports to Committees, for example, in relation to external audit progress and the Statement of Accounts. Coordinating ledger control and ensuring that an effective process for cyclical review is in place.
• Coordinating balance sheet reconciliations.
• Assisting with the production and presentation of complex and diverse financial information to members and other senior stakeholders, that informs service and corporate decision-making.
• Undertaking specialist project work of a complex nature, preparing reports, representing accountancy services on working groups, including some external groups, and providing financial management and related expertise as and when required.
• Providing support to other areas of Finance, as directed by the Chief Accountant.
• Acting as deputy for the Chief Accountant as and when required.
• Manage the team’s Human Resources in terms of performance, development, attendance and health and safety.
• Be responsible for the collection, maintenance and integrity of personal data ensuring confidentiality is maintained and data is processed in an accountable manner. Comply with our data protection policies and procedures to ensure we meet our legal responsibilities under data protection legislation. Ensure that the team/s you manage have an understanding of this legislation and meet compliance requirements.

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Person Specification

What we expect you to have:

• Full membership of CCAB recognised body (e.g CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA).

What we hope that you have:

• Have experience in a similar role in another Local Authority

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Skills

Role-specific technical skills:

• Strong experience in a finance role at a similar level.
• Knowledge and awareness of issues affecting local government finance.
• Understanding of financial systems and reporting processes.
• An appreciation of the increasing role of the commercial sector in financial matters, and how this impacts the finance service.
• Treasury management knowledge or experience.

Leadership/Management

• Demonstrate integrity and professionalism at all times.
• Support the Chief Accountant in inspiring, motivating, and empowering the technical team.
• Provide guidance, oversight, and coaching to other staff
• Apply organisational and political awareness in decision-making
• Understand and promote effective risk management.

Impact and influence

• Have business and financial acumen
• Be able to plan, monitor and prioritise change
• Understand risk management

Project Management

• Support the planning, monitoring, and delivery of finance projects
• Ensure deadlines are met and work is methodical and solutions-focused

IT Skills

• Microsoft Office365 applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

Data Protection

• Up to date knowledge and understanding of the principles of data protection legislation to ensure compliance.