Senior Accountant – Basildon Borough Council

Basildon, Essex

£206.63 PAYE / £265.00 Umbrella per day

Full-Time, Temporary

36.25 Hours per Week

Closing Date: Wednesday 29th August 2026

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Basildon Council to recruit a Senior Accountant on a full-time, temporary contract, up to 6 months. Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate will be required to be onsite a minimum of 4 days per week.

The Role

Finance and Commercial Services plays a major role in supporting effective management of Council finances and secure stewardship of Council funds. This is achieved by providing financial advice on all corporate and service developments in order to support corporate decision making arrangements. The Service is responsible for development of the Council’s medium term financial strategy and the annual budget setting process to ensure effective delivery of the Corporate Plan. The Service also has to be flexible to meet the demands of legislative changes and is required to be reactive to client needs and external influences.

Finance and Commercial Services consists of the following functions:

• Financial and Management Accounting
• Treasury Management
• Financial Performance Monitoring
• Business Engagement
• Commercial Support
• Income Controls
• Financial Systems
• Creditors
• Banking Arrangements

Main Purpose

The Financial Accounting Team is responsible for:

• The timely and accurate production of the annual Statement of Accounts.
• The Housing Revenue Account revenue and capital accounting.
• The Housing Revenue Account and General Fund Services capital programmes and accounting for capital, including fixed asset accounting.
• Provision of financial services to the Council’s wholly owned subsidiary Sempra Homes Ltd.
• In conjunction with Corporate Property Services the delivery of the Council’s commercial asset acquisition strategy.
• The prompt allocation of all Council income including reconciliation to underlying records.
• The transmission of all the Council’s BACS files.
• Regular budgetary control with necessary reporting to senior management.
• Regular liaison with Cost Centre Managers on budget issues ensuring appropriate evidence of control is maintained.
• Provision of accurate and timely financial management information to senior management and Members whilst working with Cost Centre Managers to find financial solutions to service priorities.

Accountabilities

• Preparation of the annual budget estimates to agreed guidance and deadlines to feed into the overall budget setting process.
• To ensure efficiencies are processed in a timely manner and budget pressures are highlighted as appropriate for decision making.
• Regular budgetary control and reporting to senior management and relevant business managers.
• To include day-to-day liaison on budget and service issues and financial controls.
• Provision of other financial information to senior management and business managers, as and when appropriate.
• To provide a business advisory role and guidance on financial matters and support to cost centre managers.
• There is a requirement to ensure resources are used effectively to deliver key priorities and that any budget performance issues are identified and addressed.
• Provide prompt advice and guidance as appropriate to all staff and managers, and to deal with difficult and/or complex enquiries arising, for example from members of the public and external agencies.
• To assist in the accurate completion and despatch of all appropriate grant claims and returns (including government returns) by the due date.
• To ensure that all monies the team is responsible for that are due to the Council are claimed to maximise resources.
• To contribute to the preparation of the Council’s Annual Financial Report (AFR) to the agreed timetable.
• Enforce the Financial Regulations and other specific policies to ensure compliance including regular review of the Financial Procedures Notes.

The Experience You Will Bring

• AAT qualified (or higher) with 3 years local authority experience.
• Relevant experience of local government finance and general local government procedures.
• Experience of liaison with budget managers and senior staff.
• A professional and motivated self-starter with the ability to work well both as an individual and as part of a team.
• Ability to work under pressure and achieve pre-determined deadlines including responding quickly to new initiatives with tight deadlines.
• Ability to train others effectively on the use of the financial systems and the application of financial procedures.

Why choose Basildon Council?

Basildon Borough Council is one of the largest local authorities in the East of England region and serves a population of approximately 172,000 people. The town of Basildon is regarded as a key economic hub with the main areas of employment being engineering, research and development, distribution and financial services. Basildon is also the second biggest economy in the Thames Gateway, outside of Canary Wharf. Working for Basildon Borough Council means making a practical and positive difference to the lives of people living and working in the Borough and provides a fulfilling career. Each of our employees - whatever job role they are undertaking - can feel motivated by having a unique opportunity to use their skills to make Basildon a better place to live. Whether it is conserving our countryside, by regenerating our Borough, by housing our residents or by collecting the refuse on time.

Note: ECC are advertising this role on behalf of Basildon Council. Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation. The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via Working for Essex website. If you have queries on this role or would like to see a copy of the full job description, please email Ashleigh.Drake@essex.gov.uk