Management Accountant (Headquarters, Essex)

Essex Police and Kent Police; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent Police and Essex Police invite applications for a Management Accountant position based at Headquarters, Essex. The role focuses on providing financial expertise, forecasting, and analysis to senior managers and budget holders while ensuring robust financial controls and value for money.

You will work in a hybrid pattern with a predominant office presence in Chelmsford and some home working. Applicants should have professional accounting qualifications and relevant public sector experience.

Qualifications

• Understanding of devolved financial management and ability to interpret reports and forecast budget outturns.
• Knowledge of costing techniques for value assessments of proposals and plans.
• Experience in financial control, analysis, and trend reporting within a public sector or similar environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial expertise and support to senior managers and budget holders.
• Collaborate with Corporate Finance Management Team and officers to deliver forecasting and complex costing.
• Identify efficiency opportunities and ensure compliance with financial regulations and controls.
• Attend strategic meetings and contribute to department objectives and priorities.

Skills

Devolved financial management

Forecasting

Costing techniques

Budget reporting

Education

AAT

IPP

CII

CCAB level 7

Job description

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Management Accountant (Headquarters, Essex)

Location of Role: Chelmsford

Advert Closing Date: 17/11/2026

Part/Full Time:Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri

The Role

This is a challenging role that requires the successful candidate to provide financial expertise, information and support to senior managers, allocated budget holders and service users, including the provision of financial analysis and forecasting methodologies.

Work closely with Budget holders and their teams, Corporate Finance Management Team, Chief Officers and PFCC staff in providing financial expertise in response to the business requirements, including financial control, analysis and trend reporting, financial performance, future forecasting, and complex costing exercises.

Develop areas for efficiency improvement within their portfolio, working as part of a team and recommend effective resource usage whilst ensuring compliance with financial regulations, audit requirements and financial controls.

Attend strategic corporate meetings as part of main portfolio including, project boards and Command team meetings which support operational efficiency and effectiveness and contributes to the Force in achieving its strategic objectives and priorities.

This opportunity would suit a highly motivated and dynamic Accounting Technician or Accountant who can utilise their wide experience of working within Corporate Finance roles within Essex Police or other organisations in order to contribute to the strategic objectives of the Force.

Within your reason for application please provide evidence and/or experience of the following:

• AAT, IPP, CII or equivalent qualification (level 4 Diploma, and represents a professional qualified accounting technician)
• An understanding of the principles of devolved financial management and the ability to correctly interpret associated reports and information, and able to accurately forecast budget outturns.
• A knowledge of costing techniques that allow best value comparisons to be made when evaluating proposals, projects, operations and business plans

It would also be desirable: for applicants to hold CCAB level or equivalent professional body (level 7 diploma and masters degree and represents a professional qualified accountant); post qualification experience (3 years) desirable; management accounting experience in the financial environment (2-3 years); experience in an accounting environment, ideally within a medium or large size public sector organisation (3-5 years).

Join us and be a part of a dynamic team dedicated to excellence in financial management!

This is an Office based agile working role with a designated team area. You will work predominantly (60% or more) in one office space. The rest of the time you will work at home or at another police site locations.

The role will offer flexibility in terms of place of work, including some home working. The extent of flexibility will be agreed through individual assessment with the line manager to assess operational requirements and individual’s suitability for home working. In the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate, there will be a requirement to regularly attend the contractual workplace.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at [e-mail] stating 'Application Support and Adjustments' in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you're not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you're from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn't apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

As a Disability Confident Leader we:

• have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to externalchallenge and validation
• are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping otheremployers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusionare central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.

Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.

Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.