Head of Finance

Berry Recruitment; London Borough of Hillingdon, London, West Midlands Combined Authority; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Head of Finance to manage a strategic financial team in the Hillingdon area. This role involves overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and financial direction for community-focused services. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in public sector finance and strong leadership skills. This pivotal position offers a chance to influence service delivery and investment in the community.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in public sector finance and strategic business partnering.
• Proven track record in financial modelling, forecasting, and managing large budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Finance Business Partnering teams for Homes & Communities.
• Provide strategic financial advice to senior leadership.
• Oversee transformation project support with financial modelling.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Financial Modelling

Forecasting

Education

Fully qualified accountant (CIPFA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent)

Job description

Head of Finance – Homes & Communities
Location: Hillingdon (Hybrid – 2 days in the office, requirement to attend some evening meetings)
Pay Rate: £538.37 per day
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Contract: 3–6 Months (with possible extension)

Berry Recruitment are seeking a Head of Finance on behalf of our client in the Hillingdon area, to manage a strategic financial team supporting the Homes & Communities directorate. This is a vital role in overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and financial direction for transformation projects and service delivery. The successful candidate will provide robust financial leadership across the division and ensure compliance with all corporate and statutory financial obligations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the Finance Business Partnering teams for Homes & Communities.
• Provide strategic financial advice to senior leadership to shape service delivery and investment.
• Oversee transformation project support—delivering insight through robust financial modelling and analysis.
• Develop and maintain accurate medium-term financial forecasts (MTFF).
• Ensure budget managers and directorates are fully supported and compliant with council financial policies.
• Lead demand-led budget modelling and apply data trends to strategic planning.
• Support statutory accounting processes and liaise with external auditors.
• Represent the Council in external stakeholder discussions with government, community, and industry bodies.

Requirements:

• Fully qualified accountant (CIPFA, ACCA, ACA or equivalent).
• Extensive experience in public sector finance and strategic business partnering.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills across complex directorates.
• Proven track record in financial modelling, forecasting, and managing large budgets.
• In-depth understanding of statutory accounting, audit, and financial governance in local government.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders.

This is a pivotal opportunity for an experienced finance leader who thrives in strategic roles and is passionate about supporting community-focused services. If you are interested, we would love to hear from you.

Please note that no terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. Every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and ability to perform the duties of the job.