Head of Finance

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 69,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Aylesbury is seeking a Head of Finance for Children’s Services. This strategic role involves leading financial strategy for safeguarding and education while ensuring sustainable service delivery. Applicants should be CCAB or CIMA qualified, with a strong background in children's services finance. Flexible working is supported, promoting a good work-life balance.

Benefits

Generous annual leave and flexible working arrangements

Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme

Focus on personal and professional development

Exclusive discounts on various services

Qualifications

• Substantial experience leading professional finance services within local government.
• Track record at Head of Finance level or equivalent.
• Experience managing the Dedicated Schools Grant in a large authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Children’s & Schools finance teams to deliver effective services.
• Assure delivery of statutory s151 financial responsibilities.
• Provide support and advice to senior staff and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Financial Management

Communication Skills

Budget Management

Strategic Planning

Education

CCAB or CIMA qualified

Job description

Champion financial leadership in one of the most vital service areas—supporting children, families, and futures.

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking an exceptional Head of Finance for Children’s Services—a strategic leader ready to take on one of the most rewarding and complex roles in local government finance. This is your opportunity to shape the financial future of services that directly impact the lives of children and young people across our county.

In this crucial role, you will lead financial strategy and stewardship for Children’s Services, including safeguarding, education, and early help. You will partner with the Children’s Services Leadership Team, elected Members, Senior Finance Officers, and Schools Forum to drive transformation, improve outcomes, and ensure sustainable service delivery. You will lead a resilient, collaborative finance team that thrives on challenge and delivers expert financial insight to support key change activities—such as our Finance improvement programme, Children’s transformation programme, and SEND Delivering Better Value programme.

At Buckinghamshire Council, you’ll be part of something bigger. As a large and forward-thinking unitary authority, we’re on a mission to make Buckinghamshire the best place to live, raise a family, work, and do business. This is your chance to help shape the future of our county—supporting residents, driving innovation, and making a real difference every day.

We’re proud to be one of the largest local authorities in the UK, working in close partnership with a wide network of public and private sector organisations. Our scale and ambition mean you’ll have access to exciting challenges, meaningful work, and the opportunity to grow your career in a supportive and dynamic environment.

We’re committed to flexible, modern ways of working that promote a healthy work-life balance. From the moment you join us, we’ll invest in your development and wellbeing—helping you to be your best, every step of the way.

About us

About Our Finance Team

Our Finance team plays a vital role in delivering the Council’s strategic vision. We support the Corporate Management Team, Cabinet, and key committees with expert financial insight and guidance. From shaping long-term financial strategies and setting budgets, to business partnering, procurement support, and statutory reporting—we’re at the heart of sound financial decision-making across the organisation.

What We Offer

In addition to a rewarding role and the chance to make a tangible impact, we offer:

• Generous annual leave and flexible working arrangements
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A strong focus on personal and professional development
• Exclusive discounts on a wide range of services, shops, and restaurants

Join us and be part of a team that’s shaping a better Buckinghamshire—for today and for generations to come.

Salary up to £81,995 per annum dependant on experience.

About the role

As Head of Finance, you will report into the Assistant Chief Finance Officer for Financial Analysis & Business Partnering and be an integral member of the Children’s Services Leadership Team, working closely with the Corporate Director for Children’s Services and s151 officer. Primary responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage the Children’s & Schools finance teams to deliver an effective finance business partnering service that works in partnership with the service to achieve excellent financial management
• Provide assurance around the delivery of the statutory s151 financial responsibilities.
• Provide professional support, advice, and guidance to Members, the Corporate Director, Schools Forum, and other senior officers.

Please see the attached job summary for further information on this position and the person specification criteria.

About you

To thrive in this role, you’ll bring substantial experience leading professional finance services within a large and complex local government environment. You’ll be a CCAB or CIMA qualified accountant, with a proven track record operating at Head of Finance level (or equivalent), ideally within the public sector.

Experience in Children’s Services finance—particularly managing the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in a large authority—is highly desirable. You’ll be confident navigating the financial intricacies of Children’s Services and understand the pressures and priorities that come with supporting vulnerable children and families.

You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to manage large-scale budgets with precision, ensuring services are delivered within agreed resources while maintaining financial sustainability.

Exceptional communication and presentation skills are essential. You’ll be translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insights for a wide range of stakeholders—from senior leaders to frontline teams.

We’re looking for a proven leader—someone who can inspire and develop high-performing teams, build trust across the organisation, and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability. Your resilience, strategic mindset, and drive for results will be key to succeeding in this high-impact role.

Other information

At Buckinghamshire Council, we follow a hybrid working model. As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital files and systems—but you can do this from home or from one of our offices.

You will be required to work as a minimum 2 days per week in the office, depending on your role and team needs, with the remainder working from home.

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.

Interview date: w/c 15 September or 22 September

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the relevant recruiting manager, please contact:

Elspeth O’Neill (Assistant Chief Finance Officer, Financial Analysis & Business Partnering), 01296 382130, emailprotected

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-focused, and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserve 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 cafes, restaurants, shops, and auto-enrollment 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.