Finance Business Partner

Walsall Council; Walsall; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

LGPS

Car Lease Salary Sacrifice

Professional development support

Annual leave 29 days + BH

Job summary

Walsall Council is seeking a qualified Technical Accountant (Finance Business Partner) to contribute to the council's statutory financial reporting and technical accounting needs. The role covers statutory accounts, VAT, leasing, external audit and charity accounting, with hybrid working in Walsall.

The successful candidate will apply accounting standards, produce high-quality financial reporting, and support trustee meetings while developing expert knowledge of local government accounting.

Qualifications

• Qualified CCAB/CIMA or actively studying towards qualification.
• Strong technical accounting experience and ability to apply accounting standards.
• Experience with statutory accounts, external audit, VAT and charity accounting.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the preparation of the Council's annual Statement of Accounts and supporting papers.
• Support external audit process, respond to queries and facilitate audit.
• Prepare monthly VAT returns and advise on VAT legislation.
• Manage vehicle leasing accounting, journals, and monthly monitoring.
• Prepare financial journals and technical accounting adjustments.
• Prepare monthly management accounts for council charities and attend trustee meetings.
• Collaborate with services across the Council to gather statutory reporting information.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IFRS, CIPFA Local Authority Code, UK GAAP and Charity SORP.
• Build strong relationships to provide high-quality technical financial advice.

Skills

Technical accounting

IFRS knowledge

VAT legislation

Audit liaison

Statutory accounts

Analytical skills

Education

CCAB/CIMA qualification

Job description

Technical Accountant (Finance Business Partner) - Ref: RT00826

G10: £47,181 - £50,269 per annum

Location: Walsall / Hybrid working

Contract: Full Time, Permanent

Join our Financial Reporting Team

Are you a qualified accountant who enjoys applying accounting standards, solving technical accounting issues and producing high-quality financial reporting?

We're looking for an experienced accountant to join Walsall Council's Financial Reporting Team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a passion for technical accounting who wants a varied role covering statutory accounts, external audit, VAT, leasing, financial reporting and charity accounting.

This is not a traditional management accounting or budget monitoring role. Instead, you'll play a key part in ensuring the Council meets its statutory financial reporting responsibilities while providing specialist accounting advice across a wide range of technical areas.

Alongside financial reporting responsibilities, you'll also support several Council charities through the preparation of management accounts and attendance at trustee meetings, giving you a varied and rewarding workload.

About the Role

As a Technical Accountant, you'll work alongside experienced finance professionals and play a key role in delivering the Council's financial reporting responsibilities.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting with the preparation of the Council's annual Statement of Accounts and supporting working papers.
• Supporting the annual external audit process, liaising with auditors, responding to audit queries and helping ensure a smooth and efficient audit.
• Preparing monthly VAT returns and providing advice on VAT legislation, including Local Authority partial exemption rules.
• Managing the Council's vehicle leasing programme, working with operational teams to assess lease versus purchase options and carrying out the associated accounting, journals and monthly monitoring.
• Preparing financial journals and technical accounting adjustments.
• Preparing monthly management accounts for Council charities, supporting charity financial administration, attending trustee meetings and acting as Finance representative.
• Working collaboratively with services across the Council, schools, partner organisations and other local authorities to obtain information required for statutory reporting.
• Deputising for senior colleagues at meetings where required.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting, UK GAAP and Charity SORP.
• Building strong relationships with colleagues across the organisation to provide high-quality technical financial advice and support.

No two days are the same, and you'll gain exposure to a broad range of complex accounting issues while making a real contribution to the Council's financial governance.

About You

We're looking for someone who enjoys technical accounting and takes pride in producing accurate, high-quality financial information.

You'll be a qualified accountant (CCAB/CIMA) or actively studying towards qualification, with excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret and apply accounting standards.

Ideally, you'll have experience of:

• Preparing statutory accounts or year-end financial statements.
• Financial reporting and technical accounting.
• Working with external auditors and responding to audit queries.
• VAT legislation and VAT administration.
• Preparing management accounts.
• Applying accounting standards and interpreting technical guidance.
• Producing clear and accurate financial working papers.
• Building effective working relationships with both finance and non-finance colleagues.

Experience within Local Government is advantageous but not essential. We welcome applications from candidates with strong technical accounting experience from a range of backgrounds who are keen to develop their knowledge of local government accounting.

Why Join Walsall Council?

At Walsall Council, you'll be joining a supportive and collaborative finance team where you'll have the opportunity to develop your technical expertise while helping deliver services that make a real difference to our communities.

In return, we offer:

• Salary of £47,181 - £50,269 per annum.
• Annual nationally negotiated pay awards through the NJC (subject to national agreement).
• Hybrid working, providing flexibility to work from home alongside office attendance and meetings where required.
• 29 days annual leave, plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 34 days after five years' continuous local government service.
• A generous Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Car Lease Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Ongoing professional development and support to maintain your professional qualification.
• The opportunity to work on interesting and varied technical accounting issues within one of the West Midlands' largest local authorities.

View Job Description and Employee Specification

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.

Closing Date: 31st August 2026