Interim Accountant - Public Sector

Grant Thornton UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Grant Thornton UK in Birmingham is seeking an experienced Interim Accountant to join their Agile Talent Community. This role focuses on short- to medium-term finance projects that enhance skills and offer freedom without being locked into a single path.

Candidates should be fully qualified with a recognized accounting body and possess strong experience in local government finance functions. The position entails supporting varied accounting services in both the public and private sectors.

Responsibilities

• Engage in short- to medium-term projects within finance functions.
• Work on accounting and audit support.
• Support finance change programs.

Skills

Fully qualified member of a professional accounting body (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)

Experience working in the finance function of Council / Local Government

Problem solving mindset with a strong drive for best practice

Half and full-year-end accounts preparation

Audit liaison and project management

Preparation of monthly management accounts and forecasts

Financial reporting under CIPFA Code of Practice, IFRS, NAO Code

Finance process improvement

Reconciliation and remediation of accounting data

Education

Fully qualified accounting degree

Job description

Overview

At Grant Thornton we’re building something bold. We’re doing things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity. Our journey from great to exceptional is well underway. With significant investment behind us and a clear strategy for growth, there’s real momentum.

Our Agile Talent Community (ATC) brings together experienced contract professionals who want choice without losing connection. You work where you add the most value, alongside teams who treat you as a partner rather than a placeholder.

Joining us in CFO Solutions – Finance Placements

Grant Thornton’s CFO Solutions provides strategic, transformation and execution support for CFOs, through multiple services including finance consultancy, finance placements, business process outsourcing and technical accounting advice. The Finance Placements team focuses on providing an on-demand and project-focused accounting service, deploying individuals and teams of interim finance professionals into our clients’ finance functions to help them through periods of challenge or change.

If you’re an experienced Interim Accountant who’s tired of choosing between freedom and meaningful work, there’s another route. Within our CFO Solutions team, you’ll be given the opportunity to take on short- to medium-term projects that sharpen your expertise, stretch your thinking, and give you a different angle on familiar challenges - all without locking you into a single path. These projects are very varied, encompassing a wide range of skills and organisations within the private sector, including accounting and audit support, finance function remediation, and supporting finance change programs.

These projects are very varied, encompassing a wide range of skills and organisations within the public sector, but with wider opportunities in private sector where desirable - including accounting and audit support, finance function remediation and supporting finance change programs. Grant Thornton is a well-established partner to the public sector with extensive experience working with Central Government, Local Government, NHS and other public bodies supporting organisations with a variety of services from large scale transformation and change to audit and governance, as well as delivery of large-scale public service programmes.

You can engage with us through your own limited company or on inside IR35 terms - whichever way gives you the freedom you’re looking for.

Qualificat ions

Skills we are looking for

• Fully qualified member of a professional accounting body such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent.
• Experience working in the finance function of Council / Local Government.
• Problem solving mindset, with a strong drive for best practice.
• A one or more fields within accountancy and finance, including but not limited to:
• Half and full-year-end accounts preparation.
• Audit liaison, project management and query resolutions.
• Preparation of monthly management accounts and forecasts.
• Financial reporting under CIPFA Code of Practice, IFRS and NAO Code of Practice.
• Finance process improvement.
• Reconciliation and remediation of accounting data.

Why Consultants choose the ATC

Work that moves you forward

When a project fits your skills, we’ll get in touch, but you choose whether it’s right for you. That means working on engagements that genuinely build your portfolio and expand your expertise.

The freedom of contracting without the hidden admin

You’re not left to navigate the freelance world alone. Our Agile Talent team helps you understand freelance regulation and connects you with people who broaden your thinking through our teams and clients.

Community you can actually feel

Connection shouldn’t disappear just because you’re contracting. From market insights to wellbeing sessions to networking events, you’ll be part of a community designed to make the independent path less isolated and more impactful.

Our culture and values

We have a culture where talented people thrive – where high performance is not just expected but enabled. It’s a culture built on clarity, curiosity, and care. One that challenges us to aim higher, where we’re encouraged to make the most of an abundance of resources to fuel our own development, and where we support each other to grow, learn, and succeed.

Our open and accessible culture means you’ll interact with leaders who are interested in you and everything you bring to our firm. The things that set you apart, we value them. That’s why we give you the freedom to bring your whole self to work and pursue your passions inside and outside of work.

How to join

We keep the process straightforward, because the real work happens once you’re here.

• Submit your CV and basic details through our online application.
• If there’s a match, a recruiter will reach out to discuss.
• Meet key stakeholders for a focused conversation.
• Complete your background checks, join the Agile Talent Community, and start exploring the opportunities we have to offer.

If you need adjustments at any point in the process, please let us know during the application stage - we aim to make sure our roles are accessible to everyone.