Chief Accountant - Inside IR35

Position: Chief Accountant

Hours: 37 per week

Duration: 6 months

Rate/Salary: negotiable

Remote or on-site: hybrid, ideally at least once a week on-site

The Chief Accountant will play a pivotal leadership role within the Finance and Corporate Resources Directorate, reporting to the Assistant Director of Finance and Customer Services and managing a small team including a Technical Accountant, Systems Accountant and Reconciliation Officers.

The postholder will lead the delivery of the annual Statement of Accounts for the client, ensuring compliance with IFRS, CIPFA requirements and statutory deadlines, while maintaining responsibility for treasury management, the councils’ balance sheets, fixed asset registers, corporate finance budgets and general ledger controls.

The role will oversee budget coordination and monitoring across revenue and capital programmes, support the annual budget-setting process, monitor savings delivery, manage grants and external funding, and provide strategic financial advice to service managers, senior leaders and stakeholders. Responsibilities also include liaising with external auditors, authorising financial transactions, overseeing treasury activities and borrowing decisions, ensuring robust reconciliations and systems development, and driving continuous improvement across financial processes and controls.

As a senior finance professional, the successful candidate will be expected to lead and develop staff, maintain strong governance and regulatory compliance, communicate effectively at all levels, and contribute strategically to the financial management and long-term sustainability of both authorities.

The ideal candidate will be a fully CCAB-qualified accountant with at least five years’ post-qualification experience, a proven track record of producing local authority Statements of Accounts, managing teams and budgets within a complex financial environment, and the ability to provide strategic leadership, excellent stakeholder engagement and high-quality financial advice.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• 5 years post CCAB qualification experience
• Experience of producing Statement of Accounts
• Experience of Managing Staff
• Experience of managing and monitoring budgets
• Thorough knowledge of Accounting Principles
• Experience of working in a complex financial environment

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

• Fully CCAB qualified
• Full Driving Licence
• Degree
• 5 GCSE grades A-C inc Maths and English

Rate of Pay

Negotiable