Corporate Finance Officer

Job Title: Corporate Finance Officer

Grade: D

Directorate: Finance

Responsible to: Finance Manager (Capital and Systems)

Last Review Date: January 2026

Job Purpose

To support the corporate finance function, providing support to the Chief Accountant in the production of the financial accounts in accordance with statutory requirements and External Auditors.

Values & Accountabilities

Our Shared Values:

• Together, we hold ourselves to account to get things done. We do this by demonstrating accountability and integrity.
• Together, we make possible what cannot be achieved alone. We do this by being collaborative and focusing on impact.
• Together, we will listen and act to continually improve. We do this by being responsive to local people and the issues they raise and adapting our approach to achieve better outcomes.

Corporate Accountabilities:

• To work with colleagues to achieve service plan objectives and targets.
• To comply with data protection legislation and the council's Information Security Policy, including supporting policies.
• To be willing and able to work in a flexible and agile way with regard both to hours of work and location of work, including remote and home working, as required, subject to service needs and requirements.
• To participate in performance development, talent reviews and one-to-ones and to contribute to the identification of your own and team development needs and goals.
• To actively promote and comply with the council's diversity and equality policies.
• To ensure full compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 etc., the council's Health and Safety Policy and all locally agreed safe methods of work.
• To fully understand and be aware of the commitment to Section 17 'Duty of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to prevent crime and disorder'.
• At the discretion of the senior management, to undertake other activities as, from time to time, may be agreed consistent with the grade and nature of the role.
• To undertake and maintain relevant mandatory training in line with legislation.

Key Service Accountabilities:

Main Duties – Corporate and Strategic Finance:

• Work with financial information and a range of financial systems such as Oracle
• Oversee VAT management within the authority with regard to provision of guidance and training materials and completion of monthly VAT returns to HMRC.
• Assist with the monitoring and management of the Council’s collection funds of business rates and Council Tax
• Help maintain the completeness and accuracy of the Council’s accounting records in accordance with best professional practice.
• Assist in the preparation of research and reports.  The postholder will be expected to prepare reports which are analytical and present costings, options and recommended solutions as necessary.
• Assist with budget setting, monitoring, reconciliation, forecasting, variance analysis and demonstrate an understanding of financial issues.
• Technical accounting including preparation of the closure of accounts, interpretation of accounting developments such as IFRS and capital accounting procedures. 
• Assist in completing all grants claims and statistical returns in an accurate and timely manner.
• Provide financial information for inclusion in business cases to achieve savings and other targets.
• Complete day to day maintenance of the general ledger.
• Provide financial advice to a range of clients.

Main Duties – Corporate and Strategic Finance:

• Assist on work with Budget Managers, for example, to confirm savings proposals, assisting with costing of issues and identification of areas of potential pressures and saving.
• Anticipate and identify financial issues affecting the business which require attention and escalate to your line manager 
• Contribute information to regular monthly meetings with business area
• Help undertake service analysis to support the year-end position and the Accounts
• Assist work with the Finance Managers to ensure completion of all statutory returns
• Assist work with the Commercial and Strategic and Corporate Finance Teams to produce financial and commercial analysis.
• Assist with financial modelling of new services or changes to existing services
• Assist work with the business area to act upon financial analysis provided to enhance financial and business performance
• Help identify opportunities to continuously improve financial management for the business area and raise with line manager
• Assist in providing day to day support to Budget Managers helping them to understand financial information and processes.
• Assist in providing financial and commercial analysis and information
• Assist the Finance Manager in all aspects of the Council’s banking requirements
• Completion of draft monthly bank reconciliation
• Liaison with cashiers to resolve any issues arising.
• Support to Capital finance and Treasury Management officers in respect of the Council’s cash management processes.
• Management of the Council’s petty cash and procurement card processes.
• Monitoring and clearance of relevant suspense accounts
• Monitoring of Paris cash system.
• Support to the chief accountant as required.
• Support the year-end completion of the financial accounts.
• Support the year-end completion of the whole of government accounts return.
• Support for the completion of the capital and treasury management notes incorporated in the financial accounts.

Person Specification

Information for Applicants

The person specification provides an outline of the experience, skills, and abilities we expect the successful applicant to possess. You should match your own skills, experience, and abilities to those listed below. Tell us in what way you meet the requirements.

Essential Criteria

Skills and Abilities: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• Effective relationship and stakeholder management skills and skilled in written and verbal communication to various audiences
• Good and developing commercial financial and budget management skills with the ability to deliver through creative and efficient working practices.

Experience: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• Some understanding of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities
• Degree – Graduate or relevant knowledge and experience at entry level
• A high level of understanding of local government finance and professional accounting requirements
• Working knowledge of the Oracle system
• A understanding of cash flow management processes
• Detailed knowledge of the bank reconciliation process
• Some experience of supporting a significant organisational function or service in a large multi-disciplined organisation with comparable scope, budgets and resources.
• Some experience of successfully contributing to managing, setting and monitoring budgets for services including development of integrated costings systems and methodologies and working with budget holders to re-balance overspends. 
• Some experience in commercial and financial management in a multi-disciplinary environment, financial modelling, contributing to research and analysis, preparing reports that are clear and accessible to various audiences, looking for opportunities to demonstrate best practice, Understanding of the bank reconciliation process.
• Experience of supporting the financial accounts process.

Values: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• To behave in accordance with our values.
• Commitment to the principles of agile working including the ability to work flexibly with regards to both hours of work and location of work including remote and home working as required.
• Understanding of and commitment to principles of equality and diversity and compliance with Thurrock Council policies.

 

Desirable Criteria:

• Some knowledge of project, programme and change management techniques
• Some knowledge of financial, business and commercial techniques e.g. KPIs, standard
• Some understanding of financial planning, budget setting, monitoring and closing of accounts, comparative analysis, research techniques and their application, financial techniques and methodologies.