Chief Finance Officer in Chatham

The Government is clear that unitary authorities are the future of local government, and we couldn’t agree more. With more than 20 years’ experience providing all local authority services, Medway has a strong track record of delivering for our residents, businesses and visitors. Join us and drive the financial strategy of one of the South East’s most bold, ambitious and forward-thinking unitary authorities. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (Section 151 Officer), you will have overall strategic leadership and responsibility for the Council’s strategic and operational finance functions, the collection of revenues, provision of welfare and benefit services and the recovery of debt.

This role has a broad strategic remit spanning across the Council, including responsibility for:

• Strategic Planning: Direct, oversee and report on the council’s budget, treasury management and other financial monitoring processes.
• Project management: Lead a significant element of the Council’s Financial Improvement and Transformation (FIT) Plan, ensuring timely delivery and achievement of objectives to deliver highly effective and efficient statutory and operational functions in a cost-effective way.
• Preparing reports: Produce comprehensive strategy papers and monitoring reports, to support the Corporate Management Team, Cabinet and Council in making decisions and facilitate effective scrutiny by committees.
• Stakeholder engagement: Collaborate with the full range of internal stakeholders, including Members, Corporate Management Team and other senior managers.
• Relationship Building: Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with external bodies and peer groups.

You will be a highly motivated, experienced and qualified finance leader. A strategic thinker and first-rate communicator, who will thrive and motivate teams in a fast-paced and evolving environment and through periods of pressure. Organised and resilient, with a strong track record of delivering on key projects and implementing change.

In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers

We’re committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency. Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a ‘clean and green environment’. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change.

Our organisation: Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula. Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London. We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more – everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information- Applicants must be able to demonstrate all criteria at level A which are essential for appointment to the role. Medway Council is not able to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship, so candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK. For further information, and for details of the benefits of working for Medway Council, please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online. Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email. We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.