Accountant

Coventry City Council; Coventry; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Coventry is seeking an Accountant to join the Treasury Team within Corporate Finance. This role involves managing a debt portfolio, assisting with financial planning, and preparing statutory accounts. Ideal candidates will be detail-oriented, with strong accounting experience and a passion for public finance. The role requires communication skills to present financial information effectively and a commitment to working under pressure. Successful applicants will contribute to enhancing financial operations within the Council.

Benefits

Rewards and benefits package

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills to prepare and interpret complex financial information.
• Ability to meet deadlines and deal with conflicting demands.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in accounting tasks.

Responsibilities

• Manage a debt portfolio of £250m and ensure optimum daily cash position.
• Assist with the annual statement of accounts and preparation of statutory returns.
• Support the Council’s monthly VAT return submission to HMRC.

Skills

Communication skills

Technical accounting

Attention to detail

Financial planning

Education

Qualified Accountant or active studier (CCAB or CIMA)

Job description

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

We are a diverse and dynamic Financial Management Team responsible for providing a diverse range of functions to drive the Council to fulfil its transformational journey We deliver the full range of financial management and accounting services to facilitate effective delivery of services to support the people of Coventry and deliver projects which are redefining the infrastructure of the city.

Working flexibly with internal officers and external partners we aim to ensure finance is at the heart of everything that the Council does.

The organisation has a high expectation of our service, and we will continue to support and develop our staff to have the skills to deliver a quality service.

Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

What is the job role?

We are excited to offer the role of Accountant to join our Treasury Team within Corporate Finance to assist in the management of the Council’s Treasury function. This is a key role in safeguarding and managing our cash resources, supporting strategic financial planning and investment decisions. If you’re detail-driven with strong accounting experience and a passion for public finance, this is your opportunity to make a real impact.

The post-holder will be responsible for

Treasury Management

1. Managing a debt portfolio of @£250m
2. Accurate cash flow forecasting
3. Investments of @£70m
4. Ensuring an optimum daily cash position is maintained
5. Assist in the preparation of quarterly reports

Statutory obligations

1. Assist with the annual statement of accounts
2. Preparation of statutory returns

Banking Activities

1. Bank Reconciliation
2. Card Acquiring
3. Anti Money Laundering

Value Added Tax

1. Assist with the Council’s monthly VAT return submission to HMRC
2. Provide advice on VAT compliance

You will be part of a team of officers that support the daily requirements of these activities.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a qualified Accountant or active studier (CCAB or CIMA) who:

• Is a conscientious individual with excellent communication skills.
• Has an aptitude for technical accounting with an attention to detail and accuracy.
• Can prepare/interpet complex financial information and present this to key stakeholders including budget holders, senior managers, management teams and project teams as appropriate.
• Will work effectively under pressure including meeting unpredictable deadlines and dealing with conflicting demands.
• Work with various stakeholders including external partners to build, maintain and promote effective working relationships.
• Develop financial planning solutions based on an understanding of service policy issues and developments.

If you have just become an accountant, this post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Standard DBS check.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete your application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date(s): Week commencing 12/01/2025

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies