Finance Manager

Milton Keynes City Council; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension

Family policies

Employee benefits program

Salary sacrifice car

Blue Light Card

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is recruiting a Finance Manager to lead financial planning, manage complex budgets and provide clear financial advice across Children and Families services. You will lead a team within the Finance Service and work with senior leaders to support informed decisions.

The role offers hybrid working with some home-based work after assessment, and interviews are scheduled for 16 November 2026. This is a great opportunity for an experienced public sector accountant.

Qualifications

• A qualified accountant with membership of a Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies organisation, relevant post-qualification experience and evidence of continuing professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial support provided to your allocated service areas and contribute to the effective management and continuous improvement of the Finance Service.
• Manage, support and develop colleagues within the team, setting clear priorities and maintaining high professional standards.
• Lead the Medium Term Financial Plan process for allocated services, reviewing pressures, savings proposals, funding, grants, risks and business cases.
• Report clearly on complex and changing budgets, challenge forecasts, identify ways to manage overspends and ensure that agreed savings are delivered.
• Oversee the year-end closure of accounts for allocated services, maintaining accurate records and working effectively with external audit.
• Provide clear financial advice on council projects, procurement and contracts, while ensuring compliance with financial regulations and governance requirements.

Job description

Job Introduction

We're recruiting a Finance Manager to help Milton Keynes City Council remain financially sound and make the best use of its resources.

Our Finance Service supports teams across the council by providing clear financial advice, constructive challenge and accurate information.

You'll be the finance lead for Children and Families service areas and a member of the Finance Management Team.

You'll work closely with senior leaders and service managers to strengthen financial planning, manage complex budgets and support well-informed decisions.

You'll also lead and develop a team, improve financial processes and help ensure that public money is managed transparently and responsibly.

This is a rewarding role for a qualified accountant who can combine professional expertise with a practical and collaborative approach.

This role may be suitable for home working, following an assessment. Home-based roles require a minimum of one day per week working from the office or site.

Interviews for this role will be held on 16th November 2026.

At Milton Keynes City Council, we aim to make a difference every day. We're dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We act as one council, and we work hard to create cleaner, safer and healthier communities while tackling inequalities and supporting people to thrive.

We take pride in our supportive work culture and try to go that extra mile when it comes to investing in our colleagues.

Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk

Main Responsibility

• Lead the financial support provided to your allocated service areas and contribute to the effective management and continuous improvement of the Finance Service.
• Manage, support and develop colleagues within the team, setting clear priorities and maintaining high professional standards.
• Lead the Medium Term Financial Plan process for allocated services, reviewing pressures, savings proposals, funding, grants, risks and business cases.
• Report clearly on complex and changing budgets, challenge forecasts, identify ways to manage overspends and ensure that agreed savings are delivered.
• Oversee the year-end closure of accounts for allocated services, maintaining accurate records and working effectively with external audit.
• Provide clear financial advice on council projects, procurement and contracts, while ensuring compliance with financial regulations and governance requirements.

The Ideal Candidate

• A qualified accountant with membership of a Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies organisation, relevant post-qualification experience and evidence of continuing professional development.
• An inclusive manager who can motivate, support and develop colleagues while creating a positive and accountable working environment.
• Experienced in financial planning, control and reporting within a complex organisation, with some experience of working in the public sector.
• Clear and confident when explaining complicated financial information to people with different levels of knowledge, including senior stakeholders.
• Skilled in producing accessible reports, presentations, financial models and evidence-based recommendations.
• Ready to challenge assumptions, find practical solutions and deliver high-quality work in a demanding environment.

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can lease an electric or low-emission vehicle at a reduced cost through salary sacrifice, subject to National Minimum Wage and other eligibility requirements.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Why join us? Along with more on our Benefits, discover why Working at the City Council could be the right move for you here Working at the Council | Milton Keynes

Roles are either 'site based' or 'home based'.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We're very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share the values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.

Please note that this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have an independent and unrestricted right to work in the UK, without the need for employer sponsorship now or in the future.