Local Authority Accountant

JoRecruitment Limited; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 67,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Medway Council in Maidstone is seeking an experienced Closedown Accountant to support the year-end closedown and Statement of Accounts preparation within the Corporate Accounting team. This hybrid role combines analytical work with detailed reconciliations to ensure timely financial reporting.

You will bring local government accounting experience, knowledge of the CIPFA Code of Practice, and strong Excel skills.

Qualifications

• Experience of local government finance, year-end accounts and closedown activities.
• Knowledge of CIPFA Code of Practice for local authorities.
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support preparation of the Council's Statement of Accounts and disclosure notes.
• Produce and review year-end working papers and reconciliations.
• Assist with statutory returns and financial reporting requirements.
• Support external audit by providing evidence and addressing queries.
• Liaise with finance colleagues to ensure timely, accurate information.
• Contribute to improvements in closedown processes and financial controls.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Reconciliation expertise

Financial management systems

Education

CCAB-qualified OR part-qualified

Experience in local government finance

Tools

Excel

Financial management systems

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Closedown Accountant to provide additional support during the preparation of the annual Statement of Accounts and completion of the year-end closedown process on behalf of a Local Authority.Hybrid, 37 hours per week paying 421.80 per day PAYE; which is equivlent to 109,668 salary

Medway Council is seeking an experienced and motivated Closedown Accountant to provide additional support to the Finance Team during the year-end closedown and annual accounts process.

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified or part-qualified accountant with experience of local authority finance to play a key role in the preparation of the Council's Statement of Accounts and supporting working papers. Working within the Corporate Accounting team, you will help ensure that statutory deadlines are met and that high-quality financial information is provided to support the external audit process.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the preparation of the Council's Statement of Accounts and associated disclosure notes.
• Producing and reviewing year-end working papers and reconciliations.
• Assisting with the completion of statutory returns and financial reporting requirements.
• Supporting the external audit process by responding to audit queries and providing evidence.
• Liaising with finance colleagues across the organisation to ensure accurate and timely financial information is collected.
• Contributing to improvements in closedown processes and financial controls.

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience of local government finance, particularly year-end accounts and closedown activities.
• Knowledge of local authority accounting requirements and the CIPFA Code of Practice.
• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience of financial management systems.
• Ideally a CCAB-qualified accountant, part-qualified accountant, or an experienced finance professional with relevant closedown experience.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive and professional finance team and make a significant contribution to the delivery of the Council's statutory financial reporting obligations.