The Opportunity | Lambeth DS151

Director of Finance
Up to £150,000 per annum

The opportunity in context

A defining statutory finance leadership role in London local government

This is an opportunity to make a real difference - both within the council and across one of London’s most vibrant, diverse and ambitious boroughs.

Lambeth is at a pivotal point in its journey. The borough is navigating significant financial challenge, accelerating transformation at pace, and reshaping the organisation to deliver long-term resilience, stronger governance and better outcomes for residents.

Against this backdrop, the Director of Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer will play a central leadership role in helping shape Lambeth’s next chapter.

This is far more than a traditional technical finance brief.

The successful candidate will help lead a wide-ranging programme of transformation designed to improve services whilst reducing cost, strengthen the finance function as a strategic enabling service, and ensure resources are aligned to the ambitions set out in Lambeth 2030.

Working as part of the wider Leadership Team alongside the Chief Executive, Corporate Director of Resources and senior colleagues across the organisation, this role offers the platform to influence:

financial sustainability
organisational redesign
transformation governance
service modernisation
value for money
resident outcomes
strategic decision-making at borough scale

For the right leader, this is a role that will both inspire and challenge in equal measure, offering the opportunity to build on career successes to date in one of London’s most visible and socially purposeful leadership environments.

The detailed role profile and responsibilities are set out below.

Role profile and responsibilities

Directors carry individual and collective accountability with Lambeth Corporate Directors for achieving Lambeth’s strategic and service outcomes and in particular the successful delivery of the Borough Plan. As a Director, a primary role will be to contribute to the strategic direction of the council and for translating the strategy into performance goals and outcomes.

As a member of the Extended Management Board, accountabilities will include:

Collectively contributing to setting the direction of and delivering Lambeth’s objectives and agreed outcomes in an integrated way, personally taking accountability for the achievement of these at Directorate and service level.
Collectively and personally responsible for delivering performance across the council.
Mobilising external community, public and private sector partnerships in line with Council strategy
Working with other Directors and in own service area to create the organisational culture which is motivational, fosters excellent performance and innovation amongst staff, and ensures that their teams have the right skills and capacity to deliver.
Being focussed on the customer and actively promoting the internal working and partnership relationships to achieve this.
Bringing and articulating an outside perspective including national developments and excellent practice which will contribute to developing the ambition for Lambeth. Championing own and others’ ideas.
Along with Corporate Directors and Directors, promotes high levels of integrity and corporate governance including ensuring collectively and in individual service areas that council standards and policies are adhered to.
Providing support and advice to elected Members.
Effectively anticipates and constructively addresses challenges and situations where conflict may arise.
Personally leading, large projects and programmes.
Together with Corporate Director and Director colleagues, acts as a champion for Lambeth’s wider values including equalities, sustainability, health and safety and value for money.
Accountable together with Corporate Directors and Directors for developing and managing business continuity plans and the Council’s emergency response arrangements.

Purpose of Post

Provide strategic leadership of the Finance function, ensuring the team provide both operational and strategic services that deliver high quality professional advice.

To act as lead officer providing strategic policy direction and leadership, operational management and financial control for the Finance function.

Act as Council’s deputy S151 officer and ensures that the Finance function operates effectively and to the highest possible professional standards.

Lead the promotion and delivery of good financial management across the council, so that public money is safeguarded at all times and used appropriately, economically, efficiently and effectively.

Responsible for the strategic and general management of the Finance function in line with priorities laid out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy, Borough Plan and departmental service plans.

Key Unit Accountabilities

Working with Corporate Director and Director colleagues, develop Lambeth’s financial strategy which will underpin and inform the Borough Plan.
Preparation of annual statutory financial statements and manage the annual closure of accounts, ensuring that statutory deadlines are met and that accounts are accurate and of good quality.
Provides high quality financial information to Corporate Directors, Directors and elected Members.
Develops approaches and advice so that the council maximises financial efficiency.
Responsible for the leading the annual budget setting and MTFS process
Provide a strategic overview of financial performance across the council through benchmark comparisons, providing a sound basis for policy development across service areas.
Development of the Council’s financial and investment affairs, ensuring there is a financial and investment strategy for the Council and working in collaboration with key stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve the Council’s position through income generation and operating efficiency.
Promotes high levels of financial probity across the Council.
Leads the Council’s commercial portfolio including the development of an excellent procurement service.
Accountable for the development delivery of an effective FM service to the Council.
Develop and implement an effective Pension strategy and take full responsibility for the financial administration of the Council’s Pension Fund
Develops an excellent financial service to Directors and managers across the Council. This includes having effective workforce plans in place, motivating and developing staff and fostering talent.
Works well with partners to ensure the best use of the resources available to serve the Lambeth community.
Promote a partnership working style within own service area and with other support services across Finance and Governance.

This position has been identified as a politically restricted post under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Therefore, the post holder is restricted from undertaking or participating in any political activity.

Strategic/Operational Planning and Organisational Leadership
As a member of the council’s leadership team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners, and stakeholders to deliver the council’s objectives and priorities.

To drive positive cultural change, embodying and promoting the values and behaviours of the council and empowering staff to reach their full potential.

To lead on and ensure the effective implementation of corporate initiatives and transformation programmes that cut across the whole or part of the council’s activities.

You will provide strategic leadership and direction to ensure effective delivery of services, and work as part of the senior leadership team to promote a culture of collaboration, empowerment, and efficiency.

Management of resources and continuous improvement
Ensure effective Financial Management, cost controls and income maximisation in an ever-changing environment, fluctuating demands and priorities. Ensure resources are well managed and effectively deployed to the best possible effects assuring value for money in all activities.

To manage people, delegated budgets, and other resources, utilising them innovatively and creatively to improve service outcomes, ensuring expenditure is contained within cash limited budgets, that risk and need are balanced and ensuring that timely corrective action is taken to deal with any variances that arise.

Ensure the service complies with the Council’s corporate governance including risk management, performance monitoring, information governance, and staff supervision and performance management.

Person Specification

It is essential that in your written supporting statement you give evidence or examples of your proven experience in each of the short-listing criteria marked Application (A)

You should expect that all areas listed below will be assessed as part of the interview and assessment process should you be shortlisted.

If you are applying under the Disability Confident scheme, you will need to give evidence or examples of your proven experience in the areas marked with “Ticks” (✓) on the person specification when you complete the application form.

Each criterion will be assessed at application (A), interview (I) or test (T) as indicated below.

Key Knowledge

Excellent understanding of the overall context in which local authorities operate, the challenges and opportunities. (✓A)
In-depth, relevant financial management knowledge applied in a local authority context.
Extensive knowledge of strategic and operational planning and transformation approaches at a board and/ or system level.

Relevant Experience

Substantial experience of leading local authority Finance teams. (✓A)
Track record of developing strategic financial plans and managing accounts in large complex organisations. (✓A)
Track record of developing and leading professional finance teams. (✓A)
Track record of developing a financial and investment strategy in a local authority. (✓A)
Experience of working in collaboration with colleagues across agencies, the council, and partners to develop joined up solutions.
Experience of resource management, including financial management, human resources and delivering outcomes through effective contract and performance management.

Qualification

Relevant professional qualification eg. CIPFA. (✓A)

Core Leadership and Management Behaviours

Equitable

Listen to the views of others and ask for their opinions making sure that everyone in my team inputs into the things that matter. (I)
Ensure fairness and justice is at the heart of my decision making and support to my team and others.
Take time to build trust, building the respect of our stakeholders and ensuring as a team we take accountability for doing what we agree to do.
Develop others and ensure we work as one team for Lambeth, encouraging everyone to play their part
Take positive action to ensure everyone in my team has opportunities to learn and grow at work
Encourage everyone to be themselves at work and value who they are
I am inclusive and actively celebrate diversity, recognising everyone in my team as individuals.

Kind

Treat each member of my team with respect and dignity just as I would want for myself. (I)
Encourage each member of my team to do their very best work and am available to them to provide support and guidance. (I)
Personalise my support to each team members and look out for them, lending a hand wherever I can
Encourage everyone to try and learn from mistakes and use integrity to take action with my team to put things right together
Work with empathy seeking to understand each and every member of team, their unique perspective and circumstances and ensure everyone is heard
Take the time to communicate, being honest, open and genuine and taking the time to get to know team members as individuals.
Show compassion and patience recognising that everyone in the team has unique experience and celebrating the great work they do for Lambeth.
Look after the health and wellbeing of my team members and encourage open and regular discussions about the issues that impact on them, working together to find solutions.

Accountable

I encourage and support my team to do the right thing even when it’s tough and we communicate our decisions in a timely way. (I)
I ensure my team and employees take individual and collective accountability for performance and delivery, making sure that they have clear plans and performance objectives.
I ensure my team plan ahead, getting the basics right and take swift action when problems arise
I encourage my team to be risk aware and ensuring that our decisions and actions are informed and understood and communicated to others.
I provide regular, timely and constructive feedback to my team members on their performance and behaviours and act quickly when performance is not on track.
I share my learning, knowledge and skills with others thorough coaching and mentoring and encourage others to do the same.
I ensure that my team and I put residents, communities, customers and their needs at the centre of everything we do.
I encourage my team to learn and grow and ask questions to find the information they need to do their jobs

Ambitious

Am proud of our borough and my team and encourage everyone in the team to aim for the highest possible standards of excellence in everything we do.
Encourage my team to be flexible and try new things when it’s appropriate to do so and tell me what could be improved.
Promote a one team for Lambeth approach reaching out to our stakeholders to face our challenges together
Encourage and support my team to be courageous for our residents and communities and stop at nothing to ensure they have the best possible outcomes
I make time for the team to Innovate and look for creative ways to do things better, being curious about possibilities.
Positively challenge and encourage the team to collaborate and look for solutions together across service and team boundaries.
Make time for my team to grow and develop taking advantage of opportunities to learn from each other and others. We plan our learning and career growth.

Apply today

Director of Finance Up to £150,000 per annum