Role: Group Accountant REF 131596
Contract Length: Until 31/12/2026
Location: Hackney
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: £330 per day
Security Clearance: BPSS
Spinwell is recruiting for a Group Accountant for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GROUP ACCOUNTANT
- Oversees production of the three main pillars of the annual budget cycle (budget setting, budget monitoring and accounts closing) accurately, to timetable and with clear audit trails of workings, across capital and revenue for division being supported
- Manages Service Accountant and Accountancy Assistant posts supporting same division and ensures team is fit for purpose
- Support Head of Finance, Assistant Director of Finance and senior management in provision of relevant financial information
- Ensures the team provides high quality and informed financial advice at all levels of operational decision making, with budget holders being challenged on decisions where necessary
- Quality assures key financial information that leaves the team, including budget setting, monitoring and closing documents, Freedom of Information requests, statistical returns and all other relevant items.
- Ensures the team provides a customer focused service and builds strong working relationships, particularly with the division being supported, and also more widely across the authority and with external stakeholders.
- 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, wider legislation and other relevant key documentation.
- Ability to work with senior managers to manage, manipulate and model service budgets, in order to present alternative operational strategies and identify service savings
- Provides financial support to major projects and change programmes
- To understand and demonstrate the responsibilities of the S151 Officer and apply this where necessary in day to day running of the business
- To write finance comments in committee reports and prepare briefing notes and other reports relevant to the services being provided.
- Works towards continuous improvement through the refining of financial systems and processes where appropriate
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE GROUP ACCOUNTANT
- Experience of working in a customer focused management accounting environment
- An in-depth understanding of local government finance and working within a political environment
- Experience of managing staff (including appraisals, regular 1:1s, performance management) and awareness of associated processes and procedures
- Experience of co-ordinating and managing the annual budget cycle within local government
- Experience of working with senior management and stakeholders including members
- Strong communication skills including written and the ability to convey complex financial information to non-financial staff at all levels.
- Two years experience as a CCAB qualified accountant or five years accounting experience demonstrating management and supervision.
If you are a Group 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.
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