Accountancy Manager (Deputy S151 Officer) - Ebley Mill - Stroud

Stroud District Council is seeking an Accountancy Manager & Deputy S151 Officer. If you’re an experienced CCAB qualified accountant with strong leadership skills and a passion for public service, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference for our residents, communities, and services.

As our new Accountancy Manager & Deputy S151 Officer, you will be responsible for the overall control and monitoring of the Council’s financial position, providing high-quality, proactive and efficient advice to all of the Council’s services, ensuring robust financial governance and insightful reporting.

You will act as a key advisor to senior leaders and elected Members and will deputise for the S151 Officer, undertaking statutory responsibilities and helping to steer the organisation through a complex and ever-changing financial landscape. This role offers the chance to lead technical accounting functions, drive improvements, and support strategic projects.

The successful candidate will be:

• A qualified accountant – CCAB or equivalent
• Will have significant management level experience in a finance environment
• Possess strong communication and presentation skills, including interpreting financial data to individuals without a financial background
• Will possess a high level of skill in dealing with technical accounting issues
• A good knowledge of accounting codes of practice
• People management experience (including leading, motivating, directing, inspiring and developing others)
• An understanding of administrative processes and systems necessary to fulfil legal requirements
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Ability to manage complex individual and team workloads
• Ability to work in a politically sensitive environment

This role is responsible for managing and directing all aspects of the finance team’s work including budget setting and monitoring, accounts production, treasury management and financial systems and will be responsible for leading the team to continue to deliver and develop.

Stroud District Council is a great place to work. We are a friendly, welcoming team, passionate about the work that we do to make a positive difference for the communities we serve. We place our communities at the heart of everything we do, and work to continuously improve the services we provide for our residents, tenants and businesses. We care about each other too and are known for our positive approach to flexible working, our family-friendly policies, and our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our staff and to equality, diversity and inclusion.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role please contact Lucy Clothier, Strategic Head of Finance and S151 Officer.

In exchange for your expertise, experience and enthusiasm we provide a range of staff benefits. Local government reorganisation is planned for Gloucestershire, which may result in changes to structures and services. Potential changes are provisionally timetabled for April 2028. We are committed to supporting all employees through this transition and ensuring continuity of employment wherever possible. Joining us now means you’ll be part of shaping an exciting new chapter for local government.

It is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our community, and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders and sexual orientation, those from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds, and people with disabilities. Responsible recruitment practices for safeguarding are in place within the Council’s HR policies and processes. This is part of our commitment as a Council to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable adults, young people, and children.

Stroud District has an energy unlike any other place. It’s green and dynamic, climate conscious and motivated, creative and collaborative, and unapologetically ambitious.

To find out more about what makes our place, our people and our businesses so special, please follow the link to our dedicated website: Stroud District – The Natural Place.

Salary: £58,852 per annum

Package: Excellent pension scheme - Flexi Working Scheme - Hybrid working approach - Employee Wellbeing Offer.

Contractual hours: 37

Basis: Permanent