Finance Business Partner - Housing Revenue Account

East Suffolk Council; Lowestoft; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible home working

Local government pension scheme

25 days annual leave (rising to 31) +

Training and development opportunities

Employee wellbeing programmes

Job summary

East Suffolk Council is seeking an experienced Finance Leader to drive the annual revenue and capital budget for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and prepare the HRA year-end statement in line with statutory requirements.

You will manage financial advice across allocated service areas, supporting Service Managers, Senior Managers and Councillors, while contributing to corporate financial initiatives and ensuring compliance with legislation and policy.

Qualifications

• Experience in Finance Business Partnering within HRA or Housing, including monitoring budgets against actual spend and advising decision-makers.
• Experience supervising staff to deliver accounting services.
• Advanced use of accounting tools and applications (financial ledgers, Excel pivot tables, financial modelling).
• Knowledge of accounting principles, investment appraisal techniques and budgetary control.
• Experience in financial management and planning.
• Experience delivering services in a changing environment.
• Qualified in CIMA, ACA, ACCA or CIPFA (desirable).
• Local government experience advantageous.
• Availability to attend occasional evening meetings.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the production of the annual revenue and capital budget for the HRA and the HRA year-end statement.
• Provide financial advice, guidance and support to Service Managers, Senior Management and Councillors.
• Ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements and relevant financial legislation.
• Contribute to corporate initiatives and ensure professional delivery of the service.
• Collaborate with colleagues to deliver the whole service in a compliant manner.

Skills

Finance business partnering

Staff supervision

Budget monitoring

Budgetary control

Financial management & planning

Change management

Evening meetings availability

Advanced Excel (Pivot tables)

Financial modelling

Financial appraisals

Education

CIMA/ACA/ACCA/CIPFA qualification (desirable)

Tools

Excel (Pivot Tables)

Financial ledgers

Job description

Job Description

• East Suffolk Council
• Address: Riverside, Lowestoft NR33 0EQ and Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1RT
• Salary: £47,754 - £ 51,802 per annum (Band 9)
• Hours: 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent

East Suffolk Council

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work, delivering essential local services and making a real difference to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.

Your role

To lead on the production of the annual revenue and capital budget for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the HRA year-end statement all within accordance of statutory reporting requirements.

To be responsible for the financial management of allocated service areas in the Council giving advice, guidance and support to Service Managers, Senior Management and Councillors.

To contribute to the progression of various corporate initiatives in accordance with relevant statutory requirements and policies and to ensure the Council is compliant with all relevant financial legislation and statutory requirements.

In collaboration with colleagues, ensure that the whole service is delivered in a professional manner in accordance with relevant statutory requirements and policies.

What You Will Need

• Previous experience in Finance Business Partnering within HRA or Housing, including monitoring budgets against actual spend, funding and reserve monitoring, establishment monitoring, statutory returns and providing financial advice to assist with decision making.
• Experience of supervising staff to deliver accounting services.
• Advanced use of appropriate accounting tools and applications, such as financial ledgers, Excel including pivot tables, financial modelling and financial appraisals.
• Knowledge of accounting principles, investment appraisal techniques and budgetary control process.
• Experience in financial management and planning.
• Experience of successful, operational delivery within a changing environment.
• Qualified in CIMA, ACA, ACCA or CIPFA (desirable).
• Advantageous to have local government experience.
• Availability to attend occasional evening meetings.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work (YouTube).

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)
• Local government pension scheme
• Flexible working arrangements, including home working
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes.
• Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.

Find more information about what we offer in our benefits brochure (pdf).

Most of our teams are working in an agile way, with a mixture of home and office working, depending on individual preferences and service requirements. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements if you were the successful candidate, please contact the recruiting manager listed at the bottom of this advert.

For more information

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Holly Antill by emailing [e-mail].

Closing date

11.30pm 1 October 2026

Interview date

Week commencing 12 October 2026

About Us

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people’s lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk.

We hugely value our staff and know that in order for us to remain successful, it is essential for us to recognise talented employees, developing and retaining them within the organisation. We are therefore committed to investing in our staff and providing first-class support to ensure a positive culture and rewarding careers.

To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council and to hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work, take a look at our video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSWedQksWt0