5266187 – Senior Finance Analyst

£45 an hour

Hybrid – 3 days in the office

Full time

Job Purpose: Responsible for providing specialist and senior financial and accounting support to a substantial area of the council’s business, typically a major part of the budget for an overall department or a substantial defined technical area of the corporate accounting and control arrangements. Support all officers within their service area, providing them with high level professional advice on a very broad range of financial issues and their relation to the council’s corporate and managerial objectives. To provide significant and senior input to corporate financial processes such as co-ordinating major elements of the annual accounts or budgeting processes. To advise on and maintain appropriate financial controls and to challenge senior managers as necessary in this regard. To be an appropriate professional role model to junior staff in the department and to foster and champion professional development.

Responsibilities:

• Make a positive contribution to the delivery of the service, including working flexibly and positively to achieve the objectives of the council.
• Manage and lead staff to achieve high performance and effective operational delivery, including developing and improving staff capability.
• Manage a customer-focused service and the effective use of resources.
• Ensure that the council’s overall vision, values, and ethos are central to the service.
• Support effective working relationships and act as an ambassador and advocate with external organisations.
• Keep up to date with developments in service delivery and best practice to ensure high standards.
• Act as a professional role model to junior staff and senior managers, maintaining expert professional knowledge.
• Mentor and support apprentices and lead professional training within own responsibility area.
• Supervise daily work of junior staff and lead project teams within the department and across the council.
• Be the senior professional financial advisor for a significant area of the council’s budget (e.g., budgets over £100m), such as housing, schools, or social care.
• Perform unit costing exercises and value-for-money reviews to enhance financial performance and monitor substantial budgets.
• Lead in complex financial accounting areas like capital finance or collection funds and coordinate corporate financial processes.
• Manage specialist financial advisers for specific projects.
• Lead statutory financial reporting, ensuring timely and accurate completion of accounts and government returns, understanding their financial implications.
• Draft financial implications for committee reports and brief senior managers and Directors.
• Attend committee meetings as required.
• Maintain effective financial control systems and intervene as necessary to prevent breaches.
• Manage operational functions such as payroll, pensions, and HR management information.
• Advise managers on audit report implications and necessary actions.
• Provide senior financial analysis to support commercial and contractual activities, including negotiations and financial assessments.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility; act to protect children and vulnerable adults. Carry out duties respecting policies on customer care, equal opportunities, information governance, data protection, and health and safety. Undertake other duties as appropriate to the role.