Financial Improvement Manager

Cedar; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is looking for an Interim Finance Improvement Manager in London. This role involves leading a financial workstream for a service review, focusing on service redesign to achieve efficiency and sustainability. The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with experience in local government finance and strong stakeholder management skills. The position offers a hybrid work model and a competitive day rate.

Qualifications

• Significant local government finance experience.
• Understanding of local government services and public sector funding mechanisms.
• Ability to lead financial improvement programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial workstream of a service review.
• Develop comprehensive costing models.
• Present evidence-based recommendations to governance boards.

Skills

Financial modelling

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Communication

Education

Qualified accountant (CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)

Job description

Interim Finance Improvement Manager

Day rate: £500-£550 per day (Inside IR35), Duration: 6 months, Location: Hybrid.

We are seeking an Interim Finance Improvement Manager to lead the next phases of a complex service review within a local authority. This critical role will focus on redesigning services to improve efficiency, enhance financial sustainability, and ensure services deliver maximum impact for communities.

The Opportunity

You will lead two phases of an ongoing improvement programme, bringing together financial insight, strategic thinking, and operational collaboration. The role will combine hands‑on financial analysis with high‑level stakeholder engagement to drive meaningful change.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the financial workstream of a service review, ensuring strategic alignment and measurable outcomes.
• Develop comprehensive costing models that fully reflect direct, indirect, and overhead costs.
• Benchmark service performance internally and externally to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Undertake financial modelling, forecasting, and scenario planning to inform future delivery models.
• Conduct rigorous options appraisals to evaluate financial viability, risk, and value for money.
• Collaborate across departments to integrate financial insights into broader service redesigns.
• Ensure robust financial governance, data integrity, and transparent reporting.
• Present evidence‑based recommendations to governance boards and senior leadership teams.

Essential Experience

• Fully qualified accountant (CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with significant local government finance experience.
• Deep understanding of local government services, CIPFA frameworks, and public sector funding mechanisms.
• Advanced capability in financial modelling, scenario planning, and business case development.
• Proven track record of leading complex financial improvement or service redesign programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with political awareness and the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Confident communicator able to deliver impactful reports and presentations.

Desirable Experience

• Understanding of commercial strategy and income generation within the public sector.