Head of Finance Business Partnering (Interim) Bexley 16

Location: Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, DA6 7AT

Start Date: ASAP

Contract Duration: 6+ Months - typically 2 days in the office per week but varies week on week

Working Hours: 36 hours per week

Pay Rate: PAYE: £650.00 per day

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the Finance Business Partnering function for Children's Services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality financial support and strategic advice.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Finance Business Partners, promoting high performance, accountability, and continuous professional development.
• Build strong partnerships with senior leadership teams, providing financial insight, challenge, and support to inform strategic decision-making.
• Lead the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring, and reporting processes for the assigned service area.
• Provide expert financial advice to support the development, delivery, and evaluation of service plans, business cases, and transformation initiatives.
• Drive the development of innovative service delivery models that achieve efficiencies, deliver cost savings, and maximise outcomes for residents.
• Monitor financial performance, identify financial risks and opportunities, and ensure appropriate mitigating actions are implemented.
• Produce accurate, timely, and insightful financial reports, analysis, and management information for senior stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations, accounting standards, governance requirements, and organisational policies.
• Support the discharge of Section 151 responsibilities by maintaining high standards of financial stewardship and control.
• Lead on financial aspects of change programmes, service transformation, and strategic projects across Children's Services.
• Develop effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to promote collaborative working and informed financial decision-making.
• Contribute to the development of finance policies, procedures, and best practices to enhance service delivery.
• Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and a customer-focused approach within the Finance Business Partnering team.
• Represent the finance function at senior management meetings and provide professional financial leadership across the organisation.

Person Specification:

Essential Requirements:

• CCAB-qualified accountant (or equivalent recognised professional accounting qualification).
• Significant post-qualification experience in finance management, business partnering, or financial leadership roles.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and managing finance teams within a large, complex organisation.
• Strong knowledge of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and management accounting.
• Experience providing strategic financial advice and challenge to senior leaders and service managers.
• Excellent understanding of local government finance, public sector financial management, and financial governance.
• Knowledge of statutory financial responsibilities, including the principles supporting Section 151 responsibilities.
• Proven ability to lead service transformation, financial improvement, and efficiency programmes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to interpret complex financial information.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience developing robust business cases and supporting strategic decision-making.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes within demanding timescales.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and people management skills with a commitment to developing high-performing teams.
• Proficient in the use of financial management systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience working within Children's Services finance in a local authority.
• Experience supporting organisational transformation and change management programmes.
• Knowledge of local government funding arrangements, financial regulations, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Experience working in politically sensitive environments with senior elected members and executive leadership.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering value for money across public services.