Head of Financial Partnering (Housing)

Job Title: Head of Financial Partnering (Housing)

Grade: I

Directorate: Finance

Responsible to: Assistant Director Financial Management and Procurement

Last Review Date: January 2026

Job Purpose

To lead, manage and be accountable for the provision of the Financial Management Service ensuring that it continually meets the expectations and requirements of the business.

To develop and implement strategies, policies and work practices to support an efficient and effective service that complies with corporate priorities, legal requirements and commercial aspirations.

As a member of the council’s senior management team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council’s objectives and priorities.

Lead by example in modelling and embedding the council’s values and behaviours to help build a sustainable highly effective organisation and develop our reputation as a successful council delivering great value for its residents.

Provide outstanding leadership and direction to the service, driving service transformation and ensuring excellent joint working with Members and other stakeholders.

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:

• To oversee and deliver a comprehensive, high quality and professional finance business partnering service with assigned service department (s) or other agencies. Lead on the closure of accounts for the relevant service, ensure that income and expenditure accounts are accurate, all balance sheet items are reconciled and all holding accounts cleared on a regular and timely basis; ensure achievement of full monthly or quarterly closedowns of relevant areas; ensure production and presentation of financial management information, budget monitoring, trading reports, financial models etc which are accurate and timely, appropriate to the audience
• Foster a high-performance culture including carrying out internal service reviews to improve value for money, efficiency and ensure the service is at the leading edge of service delivery and development and deliver an efficiency savings target for their service to be determined by the Director of Finance’s Management team annually
• Lead on developing complex financial projects with service departments. Negotiate with a wide variety of external contractors, partners, government departments and suppliers, investment banks and brokers and other organisations’ financial advisers as required; lead on developing complex financial models, commercial agreements on multi-million pound contracts securing funding for the Council, investigate innovative financing and funding methodologies and representing the Council on national working groups
• Be an effective lead on finance improvement projects including leading a team of staff, developing a project initiation document and a project plan ensuring projects deliver agreed outcomes successfully and on time; drive a planning and programme and project management culture and lead on post implementation reviews
• Rapidly assess the implications of all emerging and potential issues / new policies and ensure the Chief Finance Officer is promptly and fully briefed
• To undertake any other duties within the team commensurate to the post, as required, and to be rotated to other posts within the department as required in line with the business needs of the department.

 

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

• CCAB/CIMA (Or Overseas Equivalent)
• Degree
• Evidence of CPD

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

• Proven ability to manage political and cultural issues and deliver project, programme, and change management programmes.
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into operational plans.
• Ability to deploy advanced interpersonal skills to inspire, motivate, coach, and develop team members to high levels of performance.
• Advanced relationship and stakeholder management skills and skilled in written and verbal communication to influence and engage others effectively.
• Excellent financial and budget management skills with the ability to deliver economies through creative and efficient working practices.
• Superior and demonstrable commercial, financial, and analytical skills, for example, to analyse complex problems, develop business models, investigate and evaluate options and opportunities, advise on full and robust business models, and risk management.

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

• Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities, together with the legal, financial and political context of public sector management and the statutory responsibilities of this post.
• Ability to deploy a substantial body of knowledge of leading-edge business, financial and commercial techniques and of all the accounts and systems that underpin the financial integrity of the council, a relentless drive for efficiency, continuous improvement and high standards of excellence including actively seeking customer feedback and responding to it effectively.
• Substantial experience, evidenced by a track record of success, leading, and developing a significant organisational function or service in a large multi-disciplined organisation with comparable scope, budgets and resources.
• Demonstrable experience of establishing and building partnerships and productive working relationships within a complex policy and service environment with senior managers and councillors, and a wide range of other bodies, such as partner organisations, communities, public agencies, and statutory bodies.
• Evidence of successful resources management in a multi-disciplinary environment, as well as a successful track record in managing large budgets, business planning, quality and performance management including formulating budgets and financial models, resolution of conflicting priorities, applying rigorous planning challenge monitoring and control procedures.
• Experience of commissioning and leading the analysis of a range of data, e.g., comparing the Council’s income and expenditure against other local authorities and other organisations, drawing together suggestions about future strategy and policy.
• Managing and successfully delivering a number of projects simultaneously, a knowledge of project management and of implementing and operating major changes to service provision; advising on preparation of full business cases for investment decisions including the ability to apply options appraisals and evaluation techniques

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.