Financial Accountant

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job description

Buckinghamshire Council is the backbone of making our county the best place to live, raise a family, work, and do business. As the second largest council by population, we deliver thousands of services to our community. Join our fast-paced Financial Accounting and Control team, managing net assets of over £2bn and gross income of over £1bn annually. Our numbers are big, and our ambitions are even bigger.

About us

Our Financial Accounting and Control team ensures robust financial controls and compliance with regulatory, accounting, and auditing standards. We are proud of the services we deliver and the people who deliver them.

Why Join Us:

• Culture: Experience a fair and inclusive culture that promotes a positive work-life balance.
• Benefits: Enjoy generous leave entitlement, competitive pay aligned with our performance pay scheme, and a substantial employer pension contribution through the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Development: Opportunities for career growth and development, along with various discount schemes and more.

About the role

As a Financial Accountant, you will support the delivery of excellent financial reporting, treasury management, and taxation services. You will assist in driving improvements in our financial control environment and identifying and reporting on risks and opportunities. Reporting to the Senior Financial Accountant, you will provide technical guidance and support to the team of qualified and part-qualified accountants as well as the wider organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support: Assist in mentoring a team of accountants, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Statutory Reporting: Support statutory reporting processes, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Treasury Management: Assist in treasury management activities, ensuring effective cash flow and investment strategies.
• Taxation: Support taxation activities, ensuring compliance and optimizing tax strategies.
• Financial Control: Help drive improvements in the financial control environment, identifying and mitigating risks.
• Communication: Provide clear and persuasive communication, both verbally and in writing.

About you

• Qualifications: Part-qualified/finalist CCAB or CIMA accountant, AAT qualified.
• Experience: Experience in finance within a medium to large organisation, with a track record in supporting the delivery of statutory financial accounts and working with external auditors.
• Skills: Excellent communication and collaboration abilities, attention to detail and a commitment to continual improvement.
• Attributes: A desire to excel in technical areas of accounting and a collaborative approach to driving service change.

Other information

Application Process: For further information on this role, please see the attached job summary. If you would like to have an informal conversation about this role, please contact Nicola Gyselinck (Chief Accountant) via [e-mail]

Working Arrangements: Any desk worker, working 2 days in the office (Aylesbury) and 3 days from home.

Closing Date: 18 May 2025

Interview Date: To be confirmed, in person.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently.

As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.