Finance Manager

Finance Manager

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Advisory

• Inform a strategic vision for the future development of the service that enables the council to meet its future challenges, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Contribute towards the development and implementation of the council’s financial strategy, fundamentally ensuring sustainability both in-year and over the medium term.
• Work closely with all stakeholders to ensure best use of limited financial resources, providing the strategic financial advice, insight, intelligence and support needed.
• Continually review, update and report on financial risks and opportunities, advising how the risks can be mitigated and the opportunities exploited.
• Proactively identify trends and changes in the operating environment (e.g., legislation, technology, policy, etc.) that could financially impact service delivery; provide advice and collaborate on potential solutions.
• Financial Management
• Draw on knowledge of client services and the related financial complexities, to ensure the provision of systems and procedures that enable effective budgetary control; ensure that variations and emerging financial pressures are drawn to the attention of budget managers, with options and plans for their resolution.
• Advise Assistant Directors and Strategic Finance Managers on funding, financial management and accounting requirements.
• Promote a culture which empowers budget holders and supports the delivery of value for money services and knowledge of key cost drivers.
• Prepare and present informative, high-quality reports to senior stakeholders that aid in informed service and corporate decision making.
• Advise on investment and funding strategies including investment risk and performance.
• Ensure members of the team, directors and budget holders receive the financial management training required to be effective in their roles, including awareness of Financial Regulations and financial approval requirements prior to taking decisions.

Financial Reporting

• Prepare and present complex and diverse informative, high-quality reports to members and other senior stakeholders that inform service and corporate consequence action decision making.
• Ensure statutory and other returns are submitted accurately and on a timely basis. Prior to submission ensure senior management sign-off and produce an appropriate supporting paper setting out the approach to development of the return.
• Monitor and control the monthly financial reporting process ensuring forecasts are accurately included on the system or promptly escalating relevant issues backed up with appropriate analysis.
• Financial Planning and Budgeting
• Support the longer-term council-wide financial position and develop financial strategies with stakeholders.
• Provide support for the medium-term financial planning process.
• Develop appropriate financial models and analytics to determine the financial impact of future service demands, changes in legislation and other factors affecting resource requirements.
• Instigate, develop and support the attainment of alternative sources of funding that contribute towards identified funding gaps.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

• Full member of CCAB (preferably CIPFA), CIMA, CFA, or ACT with significant post qualification experience
• Evidence of significant relevant continuing professional development

Experience

• Strategic management experience, including translating organisational drivers into strategic objectives, longer term plans, new ways of working and specific outcomes, for a service in a large public sector organisation (preferably)
• Experience in persuading stakeholders to work together, encouraging an organisational focus on the needs of the community
• Experience preparing business cases for investment decisions including the ability to apply options appraisals and evaluation techniques
• Experience of working effectively in an area with competing demands and tight timescales
• Evidence of successful resources management in a multi-disciplinary environment, business planning, quality and performance management including formulating budgets and financial models, resolution of conflicting priorities, applying rigorous planning challenge and appropriate control procedures

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication and presentation skills, with proven ability to communicate complex and diverse information effectively to a wide range of audiences both horizontally and vertically, financial and non-financial
• Able to lead, inspire and motivate a range of employees and generate a positive working environment
• Ability to analyse information objectively, considering the facts and differing perspectives to reach a sound, logical conclusion
• Sound managerial skills with a track record of developing individuals and working in high performing teams
• Ability to work effectively in a political environment and establish positive relationships with councillors, senior managers, staff, external partners and interest groups in a way that establishes confidence, credibility and trust
• Ability to establish, develop and maintain effective relationships within organisations and externally with partner organisations
• Well-developed IT skills (MS Office suite, financial systems, data Visualisation tools (e.g.,Power BI)
• Experience of providing financial advice on major Client projects
• Extensive experience of closing accounts in a large organisation.

*Local Authority experience advantageous, Finance Manager within Housing experience also welcomed.

Salary Range

£62,457 - £70,401

Location: 222 Upper Street, N11XR