Chief Accountant

Belmont Recruitment; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local governmental body is seeking a Chief Accountant to lead financial accounting tasks and manage the preparation of annual accounts. The ideal candidate will possess a relevant accounting qualification and have a strong background in financial management, including knowledge of complex VAT regulations. This role will involve overseeing a team and ensuring robust financial controls are in place, providing essential financial advice for strategic decision-making. The position offers a daily salary of £400 for a contract length of 3 months.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing financial accounting and strategic management.
• Strong understanding of complex accounting and finance principles.
• Ability to lead a team in a technical financial role.

Responsibilities

• Oversee budget management for staff and resources.
• Lead preparation of the Council's annual financial statements.
• Provide high quality financial advice to support decision-making.

Skills

High quality financial accounting

Financial modeling

Strategic financial advice

Understanding of VAT regulations

Education

Relevant accounting qualification

Job description

Chief Accountant - Wiltshire Council

Salary: £400 Per Day
Hours: 37 Hours
Working Schedule: Monday to Friday
Contract Length: 3 Months +
Location: Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA148JN

Job Details

A team manager responsible for a small team of specialist and professional staff in a discrete service or a large team of operational staff within the same service area. There may be more than one postholder at this level within the same functional or service area but each within a defined specialism. Will have responsibility for management of a direct budget for staff resources. Will report to a L3 head of service or a director. This role is a technical lead for the Council's accounts. It will report to the Director of Finance who is the professional lead reporting into the Corporate Director.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Providing high quality financial accounting and strategic management information in relation to the functions performed by the team.
• This role leads on the production of the whole of the statement of accounts which is a series of highly technical and complex financial statements which is a 3-month project and runs to hundreds of pages of statements for which the statutory guidance changes each year.
• Council's professional lead on the delivery of annual accounts to ensure that there is high quality financial data across the council throughout the year including assurance and robust financial controls.
• Providing strategic financial advice to support the short, medium and longer term decision shaping and making process.
• Modelling multiple scenarios and assumptions over 5-10 years for capital and revenue, building financial models.
• Council's professional lead on the delivery of the council's production of annual accounts and returns, including grant claims and VAT return.
• Knowledge of complex partial exemption regulations for VAT, and manipulation of data and systems for the compilation of government returns across all services in the organisation.
• Leading on the preparation of excellent annual Statement of Accounts.
• Ensuring that financial data is robust on which to undertake modelling and base decisions, providing technical financial advice to the council in relation to complex accounting issues.
• Professional lead on the setting on the council's treasury management strategy, and relevant policy, procedures and controls.
• Managing investments and borrowings, multimillion pounds, with judgement regarding levels and timings.
• Professional lead in all relevant policies to mitigate financial risk and manage an effective financial control environment, responsible for compliance to these policies.
• Providing a high quality, centre of excellence for all financial transactions, in line with national best practice and be the business owner of all practices and processes.
• Being the council's owner of financial data and steward of retention and archiving policies.

If you wish to discuss this position further, please send over an up-to-date CV.