Role: Finance Business Partner REF 1714756
Contract Length: 3 months
Location: Hybrid/Walsall - 1-2 days per week in the office
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: £300 per day
Spinwell is recruiting for a Finance Business Partner for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER
- Delivery of a comprehensive suite of professional technical accounting services including financial advice, specialist and technical financial support, supporting services with financial and resource management, internal financial control management and support the compilation of Statutory Annual Accounts.
- In depth knowledge of collection fund accounting to a level to provide effective monitoring and forecasting, and provision of advice to senior finance officers.
- In depth knowledge to VAT to a standard where they are able to provide advice to managers and finance staff.
- Deliver a professional financial service to charities where the council is trustee including provision of advice to trustees and attendance at charity meetings
- Build on and improve finance approach to ensure good financial management is maintained by sharing best practice.
- Contribute to business intelligence and support benchmarking initiatives that enables value for money and informed decision-making.
- Objectively and constructively challenge to achieve solution driven outcomes
- Understand customer needs and priorities and provide a service, which achieves high customer satisfaction.
- Assisting with the delivery of the Section 151 Officer’s statutory responsibilities in support of the Council’s operating model. Ensuring that internal control are established and working to meet S151 responsibilities.
- To identify, develop and support opportunities and initiatives to transform the delivery of VAT and the collection fund within the Council.
- To ensure financial control and governance is in place for service delivery.
- To provide added value financial advice and guidance for budget holders, managers and Head of Finance in undertaking their resource management responsibilities.
- To provide financial advice and guidance for charities, managers, Head of Finance and members via briefings; enquires; training, production of financial reports and attendance at meetings in a technical finance capacity.
- To develop business cases and options appraisals in support of business objectives & outcomes.
- To identify, investigate and support the reduction of cost pressures, saving opportunities and solutions through robust business cases. To develop and maintain effective working relationships to support co-operative ways of working, effective decision-making and management of financial resources.
- To effectively manage yourself and support to Accountancy Officer and Apprentices where appropriate, including ensuring:
- Deadlines are effectively managed, prioritised and met
- Resources aims, objectives and priorities are met
- Performance is maintained, managed and reported in line with APC guidelines
- Service improvement, change management and process developments are implemented
- To collaborate with external bodies and agencies such as HMRC, external auditors etc as required.
- To deputise, in the absence of or in place of the Senior Technical Accounting Manager
- Provide support for both internal and external audits.
- To ensure compliance to guidelines and legislation and giving advice to senior managers.
- All duties must be undertaken within the Council’s Equal Opportunities policy and with regard to the Code of Conduct
- All duties must be undertaken within national and local Health & Safety Regulations policies on an individual and collective basis
- To understand and work at all times in accordance with Financial Contract Rules
- To act at all times with respect, integrity and professionalism ensuring customer needs are met and services are delivered effectively and efficiently.
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER
- Build and maintain strong productive relationships with the business and within finance to be an integral part of decision-making and a trusted advisor by working with the business to fully understand its strategic direction, priorities and outcomes.
- Proven skills in the provision of technical accounting including collection fund
- Ability to produce robust business case development and financial benefits management by providing objective and constructive challenge to financial assumptions ensuring they are supported by the provision of ad hoc financial reports and financial models.
- Extensive knowledge of local government financial policies, procedures and statutory regulations and how they impact on finance and governance.
- Ability to understand and implement processes related to financial regulations and legislation.
- Extensive specialist knowledge of technical accounting practices and policies (e.g. collection fund, code of practice, accounting standards, VAT)
- Understand the financial implications and qualitative consequences of organisational change
- Ability to think strategically, ensuring operational work plans contribute towards business and corporate objectives.
- Strong communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills with the ability to deal with a variety of internal and external stakeholders in sometimes contentious and sensitive situations.
- Ability to adopt an effective approach to complex problem solving, adapting to changes and develop effective solutions
- Strong organisation and time management skills with the ability to work under pressure, being self-motivated and able to use own initiative.
- Accurate and methodical in the preparation of complex documentation/data/information/ reports which are appropriate for a variety of audiences.
- Ability to adapt behaviour and actions based on learning and be prepared to challenge and be challenged whilst remaining objective, calm, confident and composed under pressure.
- Possess a positive and enthusiastic approach, seeking continuous improvement and supporting, developing and motivating others to achieve objectives.
- Understand customer needs and priorities and provide them with a service they value which achieves high customer satisfaction
- Awareness of, and commitment to, confidentiality and handling data
- The ability to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- Extensive experience of working within and providing financial support services to a large or public sector organisation (preferably Local Authority).
- Extensive experience in Public Sector (preferably Local Authority) budgeting and accounting procedures.
- Extensive experience in the use of financial modelling and options appraisal techniques, particularly the use of spreadsheets and business intelligence tools.
- Experience in the management/supervision of staff.
- Experience in providing excellent business partnering and customer services.
- Experience of operating in a commercial manner.
- Experience of working in a political environment.
- Experience of building and improvement of the business approach towards good financial management by sharing best practice and maintaining own professional capabilities through enhanced business partnering skills.
- Experience of providing business intelligence that enables managers to take soundly based policy and operational decisions, understanding their financial consequences and navigating through uncertainty
- Significant experience of developing and managing service improvements, savings, and action plans.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Member of CCAB body undertaking active CPD, or actively studying for a CCAB/CIMA qualification.
If you are a Finance Business Partner, apply now or send your CV to Spinwell!
We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Applying to this or any other vacancy advertised by Spinwell Ltd constitutes an agreement for Spinwell Ltd to hold your details for 24 months for the purpose of assessing suitability for the advertised position and to make you aware of any other positions deemed suitable of which You will make you aware by means of either email, text or phone. In line with GDPR regulations you are able to request your details be removed from the company data at any time by emailing us