Senior Finance Manager in Ashton-under-Lyne

Tameside Council is transforming its Finance Service to create a modern, ambitious and highly skilled function. We are building a team that is strategic, forward-thinking and committed to continuous improvement and we are looking for talented people who want to grow with us. We are seeking driven and ambitious finance professionals to join our recently redesigned service, strengthening our expertise across Treasury Management, Capital Finance, VAT, PFI, and Financial Systems improvements, while also supporting strategic Council priorities that include All Age Commissioning and the Growth and Regeneration of the borough. In addition, we are also looking to enhance our support to Neighbourhood and Operational services and the Adult Services Client Finance team.

If you’re passionate about high-quality financial management and want to work in an organisation where your development truly matters, this is your opportunity to apply for a number of exciting key roles. A cornerstone of our People Plan is Learning & Growth, and our Finance Development Pathway is designed to support every colleague from Apprentice to Head of Finance to build a meaningful and fulfilling career. Here, your career progression is not left to chance.

We provide:

• Clear development pathways showing how your role can evolve over time from exploring and expanding your skills, to moving sideways for broader experience, to progressing into more senior positions.
• Supported qualifications, including AAT, CIPFA and leadership & management programmes.
• A strong culture of development through My Performance conversations, shadowing, mentoring and structured skills-building.
• Opportunities to move up and move across Career development isn’t always linear.

Our Finance Development Pathway supports:

• Moving Up: Progress to the next career step with the right experience and qualifications supported by a wide range of learning and development options.
• Moving Sideways: Voluntary rotational opportunities (every two years) let you broaden experience, expand your knowledge across finance disciplines and build a stronger professional profile.
• Growing in Your Current Role: Take on new learning opportunities, join employee networks, become a Wellbeing Champion, shadow colleagues, or develop specialist interests.

Lead, motivate and develop your finance team, embedding a high-performance culture. Oversee the annual revenue budget, MTFS, financial planning and year-end accounts. Provide strategic financial advice to senior officers and elected members. Drive improvements, transformation and innovation in financial management. Provide objective challenge and ensure strong financial governance. Build strong relationships across services and support long-term planning. Provide expertise in dedicated roles that support a number of functions including Treasury Management, Capital Finance, VAT, PFI, Financial Systems Improvements, All Age Commissioning, Adult Services Client Finance, Neighbourhood and Operational Services, Growth and Regeneration.

Development & Progression: The Development Pathway provides a structured route to becoming a future Head Of Finance including:

• Leadership & management qualifications
• Strategic leadership development
• Opportunities to mentor future finance professionals
• Exposure to policy and regulatory interpretation
• Projects linked to innovation and service transformation

To support genuine progression opportunities, all vacancies up to Senior Finance Manager level are initially ring-fenced to the Financial Management service, giving internal colleagues priority to step up when ready. We also recognise that many internal colleagues study alongside their role so vacancies remain open for up to six months to allow near-complete qualifications to be achieved.

As a Senior Finance Manager, you will be an existing CCAB/CIMA Qualified Accountant with sustained membership who will lead a professional team delivering strategic financial planning, governance, assurance and value-for-money outcomes. You will influence major decisions across the Council, strengthen financial integrity, and support organisational transformation. Our employees' skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can be.

This post is classified as being in a professional job category. As such the grade for the job has a professional grade development bar which employees can progress through subject to meeting the following criteria:

• Relevant professional qualification for the job role at Level 6 or above AND a management qualification, AND
• Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in the role, AND
• Maintained membership of a regulated body where this is a requirement to practice in the role where applicable, AND
• Professional standards practised to the highest expected level.

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities. We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do. Our STRIVE values Supportive, Team-focused, Respectful, Innovative, Valued, Empowering shape how we work.

We offer:

• Competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme
• 36-hour working week and flexible working
• Access to eLearning, leadership programmes, coaching and a wide array of short courses
• A culture where your contribution is valued and your ideas are heard