Senior Accountant in Birkenhead

There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We have ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.

About the Role

Wirral Borough Council is seeking to appoint an Accountant to deliver innovative, solution-focused financial management that drives value for money and supports long-term sustainability. The role is part of the finance team that supports the place pillar (neighbourhoods and regeneration). These are large, fast moving and diverse directorates, with a range of core services and transformational plans, aimed at improving the lives of residents and making Wirral a great place to live and work. As part of the place finance team, you will build strong relationships and provide financial support and guidance to budget holders, to aid decision making. You will assist non-finance teams with accurate and timely budget monitoring forecasting and financial processes.

Key duties of the role will include:

• Partner with budget holders within the directorate to provide financial advice to non-financial teams.
• Assist in the development of financial plans aligned with service objectives.
• Produce accurate reports, forecasts, and budgets.
• Analyse performance and identify risks and opportunities.
• Assist with the preparation of year end accounts and ensuring compliance with accounting standards.
• Build strong relationships to support with decision making and financial management.
• Drive financial best practices.

About the Candidate

You will hold a recognised professional/technical accountancy qualification/part qualification (e.g. CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent vocational experience. You will have a strong understanding of financial management principles and practices and be able to articulate and build effective relationships with internal services to both financial and non-financial colleagues. We are very keen to hear from you if you are a strategic thinker and proactive problem-solver with a drive to make a difference.

You will be someone who:

• Builds strong relationships and communicates with impact.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Challenges constructively and influences senior stakeholders.
• Can be resilient and adaptable.
• Has a keen eye for detail and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Confident using financial systems and advanced Excel tools.

Working at Wirral

You will also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start: Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things, and behave. We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing, and investing in our people. We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays. We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities. Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

Please note that in accordance with the Council's policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies. It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances. Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed. All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page. The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now. We do not accept applications or CVs from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.

Salary range: £42,839 - £46,142 per year.