External Reporting Manager

Wollborg Michelson Personnel Service Inc; Stafford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council invites applications for a Capital Finance role within the central Capital team. You will track expenditure forecasts, maintain the capital grants register, and manage budgeting and monitoring processes for capital projects.

This role also covers fixed assets, asset register management, and liaison with Finance Partners to maximise resources for Staffordshire. Interviews begin the week of 23 November 2026; informal chats with the Corporate Accountant can be arranged.

Qualifications

• Membership of a CCAB body, preferably CIPFA, or AAT with minimum 2 years post-qualification.
• Experience working in Local Government Finance, including financial statement prep and analysis.
• Knowledge of statutes and codes of practice for Local Government Finance, with ability to interpret and apply them.
• Experience of preparing statutory returns and/or grant claims.
• Ability to analyse complex financial information and present results clearly; excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate timely completion and submission of statutory returns and grant claims to maximise income and ensure compliance.
• Create and manage a schedule for grant claims and statutory returns, allocating staff resources accordingly.
• Advise Finance Partners on potential external grants to maximise resources for Staffordshire.
• Oversee collection of statutory information for Government Returns and obtain sign off.
• Support Finance Partners in preparing estimates with timely grant claim intelligence.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

CCAB CIPFA or AAT with 2 years post-qa

Education

CCAB body CIPFA or AAT with 2+ years post-qualification

Job description

Staffordshire County Council,

An opportunity has arisen to be at the heart of a dynamic and flexible finance team, helping Staffordshire to face the issues currently challenging local government and to overcome them successfully.

The role is within the central Capital team and involves tracking forecasts of expenditure and funding for capital projects, maintaining the capital grants register and the system processes required for capital budgeting and monitoring.

The team will also focus on fixed assets, maintaining the asset register including processing revaluations, impairments and disposals alongside monitoring capital receipts and developer contributions.

Main Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include:

• Accountable for co-ordinating the timely completion and submission of statutory returns and grant claims to ensure compliance with regulations and maximise income for Staffordshire
• Create and manage a schedule for grant claims and statutory returns, allocating staff resources accordingly, to ensure that all required evidence is submitted when required
• Liaise with Finance Partners and Corporate Accountants to offer advice and guidance on potential external grants, to maximise resources available to Staffordshire.
• Oversee the timely collection of statutory information required for Government Returns and forward these for sign off
• Support Finance Partners in the preparation of estimates, by providing intelligence on grant claims in a timely manner

The Ideal Candidate

The minimum criteria that will be used to shortlist for this role will be:

• Membership of a CCAB body preferably CIPFA (or AAT Member with minimum 2 years post-qualification)
• Experience working in Local Government Finance, including the preparation and analysis of financial statements
• Knowledge and understanding of the statutes, codes of practice and other rules in respect of Local Government Finance, and the ability to interpret and apply them
• Experience of preparing statutory returns and/or grant claims
• Experience of analysing complex financial information and presenting resultsAble to analyse complex financial information or statistics and identify errors or inconsistencies
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Interviews will be held during the week starting 23 November 2026.

For an informal chat about the role please contact Sarah Magill (Corporate Accountant) on [e-mail] to arrange a time.

Our Recruitment Process

We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council: Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively. Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy. We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future. We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities.

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.