Role: Service Accountant REF 131785
Contract Length: Until 04/12/26
Location: Hackney
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: £281 per day
Spinwell is recruiting for a Service Accountant for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SERVICE ACCOUNTANT
- Work with relevant budget holders to produce the three main pillars of the annual budget cycle (budget setting, regular budget monitoring, and accounts closing) accurately, to timetable and with clear audit trails of workings, across capital and revenue.
- To provide proactive, high quality and informed financial advice at all levels of operational decision making, with the necessary challenge and/or justification where necessary
- To build strong working relationships across the authority, and with external stakeholders where relevant, and particularly with the services being supported, to ensure best results in operational decisions
- To provide accurate financial information as necessary for statistical returns, Freedom of Information requests and other information requests (internal and external), as required by the services, and with service input where relevant.
- To know and apply the relevant financial controls, checks and balances in every day working, taking into account the authority’s financial standing orders and scheme of delegation, and wider legislation, and other relevant key documentation
- To deputise for the Group Accountant where necessary, including management of Accountancy Assistants in the team
- Provide project management support and finance expertise to the business on specific projects as required
- To be up-to-date on emerging issues in local government particularly in the services being supported
- To scan information for emerging financial risks in service areas and to alert managers accordingly
- To work with relevant budget holders and managers to identify solutions and mitigate against emerging financial risks
- Coach and develop Accountancy Assistants within your service to improve their expertise and understanding of more complex finance issues and retain an up-date knowledge in their professional areas
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE SERVICE ACCOUNTANT
- Experience of working in a customer focused management accounting environment
- Experience of cost centre management across budget setting, budget monitoring and accounts closing (capital and revenue)
- Experience of working with budget holders and providing a service to clients
- Advanced spreadsheet skills
- An understanding of local government finance and local government services
- Experience of working on your own initiative, but with the judgement to identify issues which need to be referred upwards for guidance in order to minimise risk to the organisation
- Fully qualified AAT or part qualified CCAB and / or experience of working in an accounting environment within a large organisation
If you are a Service Accountant, 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.
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