Finance Systems Accountant

Stockport Council; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Stockport Council is seeking an experienced finance professional to join as Interim Finance Systems Accountant. The role focuses on configuring, maintaining and developing the council's core financial management systems, linking Finance, ICT, suppliers and auditors to deliver accurate financial reporting and governance.

You will lead system upgrades, testing, automation and data quality improvements, translating complex accounting requirements into practical system solutions and supporting

Qualifications

• Fully qualified AAT or CCAB/CIMA, or a relevant degree with significant experience in finance systems.
• Substantial experience administering, configuring and developing enterprise financial management systems.
• Experience supporting upgrades, implementation projects, reporting developments, testing cycles and change control.
• Advanced knowledge of local government finance, accounting standards, regulations and audit requirements.
• Strong understanding of financial data structures, COA, workflows and data quality controls.
• Experience developing and validating financial reports, dashboards and data extracts using finance systems and SQL.
• Strong analytical and communication skills with stakeholder engagement ability.

Responsibilities

• Lead configuration, maintenance and development of finance system structures, controls, workflows and data quality arrangements.
• Support system upgrades, implementation projects, testing, automation and process redesign.
• Act as a link between Finance, ICT, suppliers, auditors and service users to translate requirements into practical system solutions.
• Collaborate with Finance colleagues and budget holders to deliver reliable, well-controlled finance system solutions.

Skills

Accounting qualifications

Finance systems experience

Enterprise finance system experience

System upgrades & projects

Local government knowledge

Data structures & COA

Reporting & SQL skills

Analytical skills

Education

Accounting qualification or CCAB/CIMA or relevant degree

Tools

SQL

Finance ERP

Job description

Finance Systems Accountant
MB4 (£46,579 - £53,051)
37 Hours, Full Time
Temporary (18 Months)
Hybrid: Stopford House and homeworking

Application Deadline: Thursday 22nd October 2026 11.59pm
Shortlisting Date: 23rd October 2026
Interview Date: 2nd November 2026
Interview Type: Interview and Presentation

Join us at Stockport Council Best for Inclusion winner at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards 2026

Your Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced finance professional to join Stockport Council as an Interim Finance Systems Accountant.

You will provide specialist technical and professional finance systems expertise, ensuring the Council's core financial management systems are properly configured, controlled, maintained and developed. Acting as a key link between Finance, ICT, system suppliers, auditors and service users, you will translate accounting, governance and business requirements into practical system solutions.

The role will lead the configuration, maintenance and development of finance system structures, controls, workflows, reporting hierarchies and data quality arrangements. You will also support system upgrades, implementation projects, testing, automation and process redesign, helping to deliver accurate financial management, statutory reporting, audit assurance and effective decision-making.

About You

Please use your application to tell us how well you meet the criteria listed below:

We are looking for an experienced finance professional who combines strong technical accounting knowledge with substantial finance systems expertise, sound professional judgement and a practical approach to problem-solving and service improvement.

You will have:

• Fully qualified AAT or part qualified CCAB/CIMA, or a relevant degree, together with significant experience in finance systems administration, reporting, financial control or a specialist finance systems role.
• Substantial experience of administering, configuring and developing enterprise financial management systems in a large and complex organisation.
• Experience of supporting finance system upgrades, implementation projects, reporting developments, testing cycles, change control and post-implementation support.
• Advanced knowledge of local government finance, accounting standards, financial regulations, statutory reporting, financial governance and audit requirements.
• A strong understanding of financial data structures, chart of accounts, workflows, interfaces, approval routes, reporting hierarchies, validation rules and data quality controls.
• Experience of developing and validating financial reports, dashboards, management information, data extracts and reconciliations using finance systems, spreadsheets, SQL or equivalent reporting tools.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including the ability to explain complex financial and technical issues to non-specialists and challenge requests that could compromise controls or data integrity.

About Us

This role offers an excellent opportunity to take professional responsibility for the financial design, configuration, control, reporting and data integrity of the Council's corporate finance systems.

You will work collaboratively with Finance colleagues, ICT teams, system suppliers, auditors, service managers and budget holders, contributing to significant organisational transformation while developing reliable, well-controlled and user-focused finance system solutions.

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We're keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

This post is open as a secondment opportunity for Stockport Council Employees, however, you must seek the permission of your current manager prior to making an application.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

Privacy Notice

Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.

We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.