Head of Finance DS151

£60,449 - £63,033 per annum (up to £15,000 market supplement)

Overall Job Purpose

To manage and lead the Finance Department in its entirety ensuring that a professional, technical and innovative financial function is operated and effectively meets the needs of the Council and its services, while ensuring a professional and effective financial governance framework is provided while deputising for the Section 151 Officer ensuring compliance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) statutory requirements.

Acting as a Senior Finance Business Partner to Group Heads, Council Leadership Team, Members and external parties including Internal and External Auditors, Government departments, HMRC, Insurers and Banks.

Attends committee meetings as required to present Finance Reports or to act as the Senior Finance officer as required while Deputising for the S151 Officer.

Managing the Finance department operationally in its entirety.

Key Areas of Focus

1. Ensuring Finance service delivery via the four pillars of finance and the teams within. The four pillars being:

Transactional Finance & Systems

Business Planning & Performance Management

Statutory & Technical Financial Accounting / Internal Audit

Insurance, Risk and Procurement

2. Ability to lead, aid and influence decision making while adhering to the Constitution, Financial Governance Framework, all Policy and Procedures within while offering profession and commercial advice.

3. To oversee the delivery of Business Planning and Performance management via efficient and robust transactional Finance activities, Systems, Budget setting and monitoring, ensuring all relevant reporting is completed including Financial reports to Committees and review of financial elements of all required reports.

4. To create, deliver and manage Financial calendars and content plans including month, quarter, year end with rolling Medium Term Financial Planning (MTFP) 6 years forward looking with robust accurate and timely reporting as required. Reporting includes internal to Budget holders / Group Heads and to Committees where content is published.

5. To manage the departments Valuing Individual Performance (ViP) reviews, direct objectives and deliverables for immediate reports with development and training where appropriate and applicable to own VIP.

6. The post holder has several responsibilities to ensure consolidated management and reporting of resources including a spend budget of circa £100m (£50m General Fund, £30m Capex, £20m HRA), covering a Workforce of 400+ employees, 50+members, 23 wards, Population of circa 160,000 with multiple internal / external stakeholders.

7. Other appropriate duties as required that are relevant to a functioning Finance department or to Deputise as S151 Officer.

Additional Information (not contractual)

1. Responsible for 25 staff (The Finance Department)

2. The post holder has several responsibilities to ensure consolidated management and reporting of resources including a combined spend budget of circa £100m (£50m General Fund, £30m Capex, £20m HRA), covering a Workforce of 400+ employees, 50+members, 23 wards, Population of circa 160,000 with multiple internal / external stakeholders.

3. The postholder is expected to shape and define service delivery standard for others to follow.

Role Requirements

The following outlines the criteria for this post. Applicants will be shortlisted and interviewed to assess if they meet the criteria for the role. (E) = Essential, (D) = Desirable, (Y) = Yes, (N) = No.

Professional Qualifications

A qualified accountant with full membership of a UK chartered accountancy body qualification as specified in the Local Government Finance Act 1988. (E)
Qualified CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) (D)

Experience

Substantial experience of working as a Section 151 Officer or Deputy(D)
An experienced finance leader with strong financial and commercial skills. (E)
Successful track record of establishing a corporate and service performance culture, through good forward planning, demonstrating a desire to continually improve standards and performance. (E)
Experience of financial management and budget planning, including setting and managing the budget for a service group. (E)

Knowledge

An analytical approach to financial issues and the ability to make clearly reasoned conclusions and recommendations. (E)
Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex financial issues in a tactful and diplomatic way that can be readily understood by others. (E)
Strong character and negotiation skills to ensure managers and partners remain within budgets. (E)
A detailed knowledge of the financial climate and funding regime under which local authorities operate. (E)

Behaviours

Accountability - Leads by example, taking ownership of outcomes within their responsibility. Views mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow, and as a catalyst to improve, sharing learning with others. (E)
Adaptability - Can react quickly to changing strategies or ideas. Promotes and facilitates change easily. Is able to navigate staff through periods of uncertainty with positivity. (E)
Active Listening - Actively listens to understand specific challenges, building a rapport by showing empathy (E)
Commitment - Demonstrates Arun's values in developing working practices and policies to inspire and motivate. (E)

Competencies

Leadership - A proactive strategic thinker who is able to lead a team or department to achieve goals and objectives by minimalising conflict and inspiring, influencing and encouraging others. (E)
Change Management - Able to lead in identifying where change is needed and manage change effectively, fairly and persuasively to ensure good business outcomes. (E)
Strategic Thinking - Actively promotes discussions around departmental impact on wider council initiatives. (E)
Influence - Understands internal and external politics and is able to wield influence effectively, gaining support of others, and tailoring actions to achieve the impact needed. (E)
Communication - Able to communicate to all levels, often relating to contentious and complicated matters, respectfully and appropriately. (E)
Emotional Intelligence - Demonstrates and actively seeks to understand and evolve own self-awareness, self management (emotional self-control/adaptability/outlook), social awareness (empathy) and relationship management (influence, conflict management, inspirational leadership). (E)
Decision Making - Analyses a variety of information from different perspectives using evidence rather than assumption to back up decision making. (E)
Organisationally Aware - Understands the general functions of the council and the impact of decisions on other areas, with an in-depth knowledge of departments frequently worked with. (E)
Can demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of working in a political environment. (E)

Other

Does this role require a Basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check? (Y)
Will the post holder be required to take card payments via MOTO. (If yes – needs basic DBS). (N)
Is this a Politically restricted post? (N)
Does this role require any out of hours/ weekend/ evening/ rota work? (Y)
Does this role require a driver’s license and access to a vehicle? (N)
Does this role attract an essential car user allowance? (N)
Does this role attract a market supplement? (N)
Does this role require a uniform? (N)

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