Chief Accountant

Huntsdc; Huntingdon; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Huntingdonshire District Council is seeking a Chief Accountant to provide senior professional leadership across the Finance function. You will oversee the annual Statement of Accounts, year-end closedown, and external audit coordination, ensuring compliance with CIPFA codes and statutory requirements.

You will lead a diverse finance team, support the MTFS and budget development, and provide clear, balanced advice to colleagues and stakeholders while upholding the icare values of the Council.

Qualifications

• A full CCAB professional accountancy qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role.
• Knowledge of local government finance, CIPFA Code and accounting standards.
• Experience of statutory accounts, external audit, and financial planning.
• Ability to lead a diverse team and work with internal/external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead preparation and production of the annual Statement of Accounts and year-end closedown.
• Coordinate internal and external audit responses and implement recommendations.
• Develop and maintain accounting policies and oversee general ledger integrity.
• Support the MTFS, corporate financial modelling and scenario analysis.
• Provide clear, balanced financial advice to colleagues and stakeholders.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to explain complex issues

Leadership and staff development

Public sector financial governance

Strategic financial planning

Education

CCAB professional accountancy qualification

Job description

Hours 37 Hours Weekly (2 year fixed-term contract)

Location Huntingdon

Contract Type Fixed term full time

Closing Date 22 November 2026 09:00

Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is passionate about providing high-quality services to our communities, residents and businesses. This means we must employ and retain the most talented and dedicated people.

Situated within the heart of the Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Area, Huntingdonshire is a beautiful district that boasts thriving market towns and many attractive villages, each with its own identity. We are an innovative and forward-thinking local authority whose residents are at the heart of our decision-making.

At HDC we want to employ staff who embody our icare values (Inspiring, Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful, Enterprising), all of which support our ultimate purpose of putting our customers first.

As local government continues to evolve, Huntingdonshire District Council is preparing for an exciting period of change through Local Government Reorganisation . While organisational structures may change in the coming years, our commitment to delivering excellent services for our communities remains unchanged.

Joining HDC now gives you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact today whilst helping to shape the future of local government across our area. We are looking for people who are motivated by public service, embrace innovation, and want to play a part in building the organisation of tomorrow.

Job details

Provide professional leadership and help safeguard public money

Are you an experienced, professionally qualified accountant with strong technical knowledge of local government finance? Can you lead complex financial reporting and provide clear, balanced advice that helps an organisation make sound decisions?

Huntingdonshire District Council is looking for a Chief Accountant to provide senior professional and technical leadership across its Finance function. Reporting to the Head of Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer, you will help ensure effective financial management, governance and stewardship of the Council’s resources.

This is a key role in maintaining high-quality financial reporting, robust financial controls and compliance with legislation, accounting standards, the CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting and the Council’s financial framework.

About the Role

You will lead and coordinate important corporate accountancy activities, including:

• Leading the preparation and production of the annual Statement of Accounts, ensuring compliance with the CIPFA Code, accounting standards, statutory requirements and agreed deadlines.
• Leading year-end closedown arrangements, including timetables, instructions, working papers, quality assurance and supporting evidence.
• Managing the Finance response to internal and external audit, ensuring audit requests are coordinated and recommendations are appropriately addressed.
• Acting as a senior technical accounting adviser on complex issues and interpreting changes in accounting standards, legislation and professional guidance.
• Developing, maintaining and applying the Council’s accounting policies, and maintaining oversight of the integrity of the general ledger and corporate financial accounting arrangements.
• Supporting the annual budget-setting process and development of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), including corporate financial modelling and scenario analysis.
• Supporting revenue budget and capital programme development and monitoring, identifying and escalating financial risks, pressures and opportunities.
• Providing analysis and constructive challenge to savings proposals, growth bids, investment proposals and business cases.
• Working closely with Finance Business Partners to promote consistent forecasting, budget monitoring and financial management standards.
• Reviewing and improving finance procedures, accounting processes and controls, and supporting the maintenance of Financial Regulations and associated procedures.
• Leading and developing colleagues, supporting good performance, delegating appropriately and providing development opportunities.

About You

You will be a confident and credible finance professional, able to understand complex issues quickly and explain them clearly to both finance and non-finance colleagues. You will be comfortable working across the organisation, providing constructive challenge, making timely decisions and balancing competing priorities and deadlines.

You will bring a strong commitment to public service and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues and stakeholders.

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications

• A full CCAB professional accountancy qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role.
• Knowledge of local government finance and accounting, the CIPFA Code and relevant accounting standards, statutory reporting and closedown, revenue and capital accounting, budgeting, forecasting and financial control.
• A thorough understanding of the environment and financial framework in which local government operates, including relevant national and regional policy issues.
• Significant post-qualification experience, including statutory accounts and external audit, financial planning and monitoring, complex technical advice, and improving controls and processes.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organisational goals.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to provide clear, balanced advice to financial and non-financial colleagues.
• The ability to analyse complex issues, make effective and timely decisions, manage competing responsibilities and work to tight deadlines.
• The ability to lead by example, enable others to perform, delegate appropriately and support colleagues’ development.
• Knowledge of treasury management, the Prudential Framework, wider local government funding and grants.
• Experience of inclusively leading and motivating a diverse team.
• Experience of preparing, managing and controlling complex budgets and capital programmes and deploying resources to achieve corporate objectives.
• Understanding of equality and inclusion measures and interventions, and local authority safeguarding duties and responsibilities.

What We Can Offer

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Employee wellbeing support and benefits
• Opportunities to contribute to exciting projects, transformation programmes and the future of local government services

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to play a central role in the stewardship of public money and the quality of the Council’s financial management. You will work with colleagues across Finance and the wider organisation, helping strengthen financial reporting, support effective decision-making and continuously improve the way finance services are delivered.

We are looking for someone who embraces our icare values: Inspiring, Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful and Enterprising. If you have the experience and professional judgement to make a positive contribution, we would welcome your application.

An offer of employment is conditional upon having the right to work in the UK. HDC does not hold a Sponsorship Licence and is unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or take over sponsorship for any role.

However, this is a rolling campaign and we'll be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and will close the advert early should we receive suitable applications, so please don't delay in applying!

For many of our roles, our hybrid work model enables employees to work remotely while allowing for in-office collaboration opportunities across the district, with an expectation of being in the office at least two days a week. However, please note that some positions may require a more consistent presence in the office due to the nature of the work.

Working for the council

As an employer who values diversity of thought, we seek to employ candidates from a range of backgrounds in order to make our organisation more innovative. We are seeking candidates who are looking for their next career opportunity and are supportive employers, enabling our staff to work in an environment that produces high standards of work in an employee-led environment.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our recruitment and along with our values we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment, where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community and we offer a range of benefits, including flexitime, to encourage a work-life balance.