Lead Accountant - Capital

Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values we strive to have a workforce that reflects our local communities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds, applicants who have a disability and applicants who are from the LGBTQ+ community to apply for our senior leadership roles. 

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

About the team we are recruiting to

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

We are a dynamic Financial Management Team responsible for providing a diverse range of functions to drive the Council to fulfil its transformational journey We deliver the full range of financial management and accounting services to facilitate effective delivery of services to support the people of Coventry and deliver projects which are redefining the infrastructure of the city.

Working flexibly with internal officers and external partners we aim to ensure finance is at the heart of everything that the Council does.

The organisation has a high expectation of our service, and we will continue to support and develop our staff to have the skills to deliver a quality service.

What is the job role?

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced finance professional to join our Corporate Finance Team as the Lead Accountant for Capital. The main duties and responsibilities of the role will include: 

• Contributing to the management of the Capital Programme, including large schemes in areas such as Education and Housing.
• Being responsible for the Council’s capital accounting, ensuring that capital and balance sheet resources are used optimally.
• Supporting the strategic vision of the OneCoventry Plan, through reviewing new proposals and undertaking formal investment appraisals to assess the financial viability of future capital projects.
• Keeping up to date with legislative changes relating to local government finance.
• Leading the production of quarterly management reports, in particular relating to fixed assets and the Capital Programme
• Being a key liaison to external auditors on all elements of technical capital accounting as part of our Statutory Accounts Process.
• Keeping up to date with legislative changes relating to local government finance 
• In additional you will be the lead finance expert for several strategic initiatives and programme boards.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a fully qualified Chartered Accountant (CCAB or CIMA) with experience of working in a challenging financial environment who can:

• Develop and interpret complex financial models to inform financial analysis, and subsequently present a compelling rationale for the recommended options in the form of reports and presentations.
• Think innovatively and proactively support policy options and practical solutions that deliver the Council's priorities and enable financial targets to be met.   
• Work effectively under pressure including meeting unpredictable deadlines and dealing with conflicting demands.
• Support the wider Teams commitment to embedding diversity, equity & inclusion across the service.
• Work strategically with various stakeholders including directors, service managers, auditors, and external partners to build, maintain and promote effective working relationships.
• Facilitate and be responsible for producing financial accounts to appropriate professional standards and input into the overall corporate processes to produce good quality financial statements.
• Is a conscientious individual with excellent communication skills.  

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date(s): Wednesday 10th April 2024

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.
At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please click the Apply button.