Head of Finance

The Head of Finance at Brent is part of the Council’s core senior managers’ group and supports a specific Council Directorate or Corporate Function. This role requires a highly skilled individual with a blend of technical, leadership and influencing skills across a broad strategic agenda. Post holders are expected to take responsibility for key activities including:

• Provision of advice directly to and manage relationships with Members, Corporate Directors and Senior Managers across the council, and to manage comparable relationships with major partners and contractors.

• Financial & Management Accounting, Ad hoc Project Management, overseeing the implementation of new financial initiatives and working collaboratively across relevant functional areas within the business.

• Provide added value analysis and insight to Heads of Service and Directors on all aspects of the department’s financial performance, providing clear recommendations for improvement.

• Manage significant budget areas, specifically the Council’s Capital Programme and Treasury Management function ensuring that effective internal control, governance and compliance is in place and that all external obligations being met.

• Be capable of deputising for the statutory chief finance officer (s151 officer)., If you are interested in applying for this job, please start by clicking the "Apply Now" button below. You must provide a supporting statement as part of your application that clearly shows how you meet the criteria on the Person Specification. We will accept a CV in support of your application, however, you should still provide a supporting statement.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community. We positively encourage all applicants to self-identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section in the application.

We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas and your data protection rights, can be found .

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

As a disability confident employer Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including "non-visible" disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on

The successful candidate will be CCAB qualified (CIPFA is preferred) with strong interpersonal, communication and leadership skills and a good understanding of Local Government as well as personal integrity and the necessary gravitas to influence and build strong relationships.

You will ideally have been a key contributor and driver in an organisation which has undergone significant business transformation with demonstrable success in working collaboratively and proactively with Senior Managers and key stakeholders to improve an organisation’s financial performance.

You should also be highly proactive with a detail-conscious approach and strong commercial acumen. A willingness to constructively challenge and question assumptions, underpinned by a solutions-focused style is vitally important.