THE ROLE
Head of Finance
Salary: £70,337 to £79,613 per annum, plus a £2,500 Statutory Responsibility Allowance
Responsible to: Corporate Director
Responsible for: Service managers and staff within the relevant services
Role purpose
To support the executive and political leadership of the Council in delivering the Councils' aims and objectives for the services under your control, to create an environment in which residents and businesses across Huntingdonshire can thrive, be proud of, and which contributes to our strategic priorities, aspirations and place strategy.
Core responsibilities – all Heads of Service
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The post holder will be part of the senior management team of the Council and will be responsible for ensuring delivery of the corporate plan and the provision of highquality services to the residents, businesses, and visitors to Huntingdonshire. To provide strategic leadership across the Council, in the region and beyond, in the services under your control in driving economic and social benefit, and to develop and oversee delivery of activity which achieves this.
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To provide strategic leadership and management for the designated service areas assigned to the post and to provide meaningful contributions to public sector working.
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To provide guidance and advice to service managers, partners and Members and Officers in relation to the role specific accountabilities as set out below. To provide effective leadership and an enabling culture to support meeting the challenges of the Council's ambitions for the services under your control.
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To maintain an up to date and comprehensive understanding of issues across the services under your control including Government policy, legislative compliance and good practice, interpreting and disseminating a Huntingdonshire response
Core responsibilities – specific to this role
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To act as the Deputy Section 151 Officer.
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To lead a finance team that provides effective support to the council's services, produces the annual financial report on time and with an unqualified audit opinion and a medium-term financial strategy that it is risk based, reflects the political requirements of the council and the senior leadership team.
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To provide of a 'Finance' Business Partnership model across all services and to external stakeholders
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To leads a financial control and exchequer service that provides an efficient and effective financial management system along with strong internal financial controls.
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To take a proactive approach to creating and evaluating opportunities to translate the Council's financial objectives into concrete delivery outcomes.
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To ensure adequate support for parishes and other community-based organisations interested in financial delivery options.
Continuous improvement & commerciality
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To create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, identifying opportunities for income generation, with plans for the effective implementation of efficiency savings.
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To ensure that risks associated with the services under your control and strategies are effectively managed, including the risk of fraud and corruption.
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To promote a culture across the Council which supports the responsible management of risk.
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To manage economically, efficiently and effectively the capital and revenue financial resources of the services under your control.
Climate/Environment
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To represent the Council with all strategic partnerships dealing with sustainable growth so as to maximise influence and external funding, while ensuring the best living environment for residents and maintaining the best that the District has to offer.
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To support to ensure that Net Zero Carbon is embedded across all Council activity and decision making at all levels, fostering an organisation that has environmentalism at its core.
Partnerships
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To develop and promote strong partnership working arrangements with other public sector bodies and agencies, government departments, parish and town councils, local businesses and the voluntary/community sectors to secure community cohesion and the social, environmental and economic well-being of the area.
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To ensure the services under your control connect with local communities by actively seeking and acting on feedback to further develop and sustain community engagement and customer satisfaction.
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To represent and negotiate on behalf of the services under your control at local, regional, national and international levels and with key stakeholders to maximum benefit for the Council and its communities.
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To actively promoting the Council's ambitions for the services under your control and to work with relevant regional and national agencies, the Combined Authority, internal and external partners and other strategic and funding agencies to secure resources to facilitate delivery and maximise investment.
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To develop and maintain strategic relationships and alliances across a range of key partners.
Political interface & member relations
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To manage the interface between the policy making role Of portfolio holders and the executive officers within the services under your control to ensure the delivery of policies, plans and strategies, setting the vision and future direction and ensuring the organisation is well placed to deliver desired outcomes.
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To develop and maintain effective working relationships with elected Members to achieve the Council's aims and aspirations for the community.
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To promote a culture of political awareness amongst officers to help translate political will into appropriate future strategies and delivery of outcomes.
Safeguarding
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To demonstrate commitment and support for safeguarding the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.
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To ensure all duties are carried out in compliance with the Council's financial regulations, policies for Diversity, Equal Opportunities, Risk Assessment, Health and Safety and all relevant statutory or professional requirements.
Other responsibilities
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To fulfil statutory responsibilities relating to emergency planning.
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To perform any other duties imposed by law, or which the Council may reasonably require.
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To undertake duties which the Corporate Directors or Chief Executive Officer may from time to time allocate to the Head of Service role.
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To deputise for the Corporate Directors as required
Local Government and Housing Act 1989 – Politically Restricted Posts
Job specifications
Key:
(E) Essential
(D) Desirable
The minimum knowledge required to undertake this role and any qualifications or training essential for the role.
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Educated to degree-level or equivalent in a relevant subject, or equivalent by experience. (E)
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Hold a professional finance qualification as required under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972. (E)
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Post-graduate or recognised professional qualification in a relevant subject. (D)
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Demonstrable evidence of continued professional development relevant to the role. (E)
Knowledge:
Knowledge the person would need to do the job.
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Extensive knowledge of leading large, complex services through change including setting future strategies, identification of priorities and driving transformation (E)
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Comprehensive knowledge of policy and practice including associated regulations and practices to achieve improved outcomes for local communities within services under your control. (E)
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Significant knowledge in the areas specific to the services within this role;
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Awareness of how to construct and lead major strategic initiatives across public, private and community sectors. (E)
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A knowledge and appreciation of the issues facing local government and the public sector and an ability to bring leadership skills to address these issues. (E)
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Understanding of emerging and existing national and regional policy issues which relate to local government. (E)
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Understanding of Corporate and service issues affecting local government. (E)
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Understanding of Equality and inclusion measures and interventions. (D)
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Understanding of Local authority safeguarding duties & responsibilities. (D)
Experience:
Experience the person would need to do the job.
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Extensive senior leadership and management experience in a diverse public sector organisation, working with the public sector or relevant other sector experience translatable to the relevant role. (E)
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Evidence of recent achievement and success in a senior role delivering major transformation and improvement projects. (E)
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Political awareness with experience in a management/ leadership role and operating across the political interface. (D)
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Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organisational goals. (E)
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Inclusively leading and motivating a diverse team of senior professional managerial staff to a high level of achievement. (D)
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Experience of preparing, managing and controlling complex budgets and capital programmes and the deployment of resources to achieve corporate objectives.
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Improving performance, delivering results and establishing a strong performance culture which is customer focused, quality driven and allows objective measurement of outcomes. (E)
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Working successfully in strategic partnerships and building strong relationships with government, public agencies, private sector, voluntary bodies, statutory and non-statutory bodies and delivery of multi-agency outcomes. (E)
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Development and implementation of shared services and other service delivery models. (D)
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Personal leadership in the achievement of equal opportunity in both employment and service delivery. (E)
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Strong work ethic with the ability to work in a team but also manage own workload. (E)
Skills and Abilities:
Specific skills the person would need to do the job.
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High level influencing, persuading and negotiation skills particularly to generate "buy-in" and commitment to shared solutions and to influence where relevant. (E)
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Agile thinking and the ability to establish and prioritise tasks and objectives in to make effective use of time and resources. (E)
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The ability to lead and manage a range of projects, initiatives, and services to successful outcome. (E)
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Ability to take a proactive approach to challenges and opportunities, acting with integrity and confidence. Takes appropriate "calculated risks" to achieve significant benefit. (E)
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Able to design services with a focus on the needs of residents. (E)
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Ability to provide visible, motivational and inspirational leadership to staff and stakeholders to ensure that political priorities are understood. (E)
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A commitment to the Seven Principles of Public Life also known as the 'Nolan Principles'. (E)
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Personal resilience with the capacity to cope with ambiguity, uncertainty and pressure and the ability to work under public scrutiny whilst maintaining a sense of perspective. (E)
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Comfortable operating in an environment of change and adept at managing change. (E)
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Commercial acumen to understand and successfully exploit commercial opportunities. (D)
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Effective contract, programme and project management skills. (E)
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Giving clear, balanced advice and guidance and exchanging information in a variety of formats to both internal and external customers. (E)
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Able to make effective and timel decisions. (E)
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Strong digital skills and the ability to work effectively remotely. (E)
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Ability to work independently on their own initiative but to tight deadlines but also be able to work collaboratively to support partners, other managers and internal service leads. (E)
Decision Making and Impact on Others:
What impact the reasons made by the post holder would have on others across the Council.
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The ability to quickly understand and analyse complex issues, and convey that understanding to others, and to make decisions based on imperfect information. (E)
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Enables others to perform and models the behaviour expected of others. (E)
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Leads staff to enable things to happen by delegating appropriately providing development opportunities and support necessary for staff to achieve their goals. (E)
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Embraces new situations and responds positively to change. (E)
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Adjusts their interpersonal style to respond to the needs or preferences of others. (E)
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Work closely with colleagues to advise on issues with the services under your control, and in work with partners to actively promote Huntingdonshire's strategic aims.
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Work with the Senior Management Team and Health and relevant Portfolio Holders.
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Must understand the democratic decision-making processes of the Council and inform and seek agreement appropriately.
Communication with Internal and External Customers:
What customers the applicant would be in contact with in the job.
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Internal & external customers — high visibility with elected members, partners, stakeholders and members of the public.
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The focus of this role in their team, other teams or across the council.
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External customers: these will be extensive range of partners, contractors and operators plus regional and national stakeholders.
Internal customer contact - 50%
External customer contact - 50%
Personal Attributes and Other Requirements:
Personal Attributes and Other Requirements the person would need to do the job.
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Able to demonstrate a track record of success in leading, mobilising deploying, motivating, developing and inspiring a workforce and delivering substantial change programmes.
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Ability to gain the confidence of partners, colleagues and employees and establish positive relationships with elected Members which generate mutual confidence and respect.
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An understanding of and commitment to diversity and health & safety in policy, service delivery and employment terms.
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Extensive knowledge and understanding of the management environment in large, complex local government organisations.
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Demonstrable and sustained record of commitment to public service and local democracy.
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Willing to travel and work unsocial hours
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Be a good team worker demonstrating loyalty and commitment to the organisation and team members.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults:
Huntingdonshire District Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
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Ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults.
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Demonstrates understanding of safeguarding issues.
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Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people/vulnerable adults whatever their life circumstances,
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Has a good understanding of the Safeguarding agenda.
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Can demonstrate an ability to contribute towards a safe environment.
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Is up to date with legislation and current events.
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Can demonstrate how s/he has promoted 'best practice'.
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Shows a personal commitment to safeguarding children.
HDC values:
The values outlined below reflect our collective positive attitude and how all staff are expected to work together as one team.
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Inspiring: We have genuine pride and passion for public service; doing the best we can for customers.
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Collaborative: We achieve much more by working together, and this allows us to provide the best service for customers.
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Accountable: We take personal responsibility for our work and our decisions, and we deliver on our commitments to customers.
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Respectful: We respect people's differences and are considerate to their needs.
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Enterprising: We use drive and energy to challenge the norm and adapt to changing circumstances. We are always ready for challenges and opportunities, and we embrace them.
