Principal Accountant - Capital

Sellick Partnership; Wealden; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS access

Flexitime arrangements

25 days leave (29 after 5 years)

Job summary

Sellick Partnership is recruiting a Principal Accountant for Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council. The role is predominantly home-based with periodic attendance in Eastbourne and Lewes, offering a broad senior finance remit and exposure to two councils.

You will provide high-level financial advice, lead on planning and modelling, and mentor a finance team of up to seven staff, shaping strategic financial decisions across the shared service.

Qualifications

• AAT qualified or qualified by experience with extensive senior accountant experience.
• CCAB qualification desirable but not essential.
• Experience with local government accounting codes and CIPFA knowledge is advantageous.
• Experience managing finance staff, including mentoring up to seven staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert financial advice to Directors, budget holders and elected Members.
• Lead on financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and budget monitoring.
• Produce high-level financial modelling and analyse complex information.
• Influence strategic decision-making and support service improvements.
• Oversee capital accounting, final accounts, treasury, VAT, reconciliations and cash flow.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial modelling

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

AAT qualification or qualified by experience

CCAB qualification desirable

Tools

Finance systems

Job description

Principal Accountant

£50,269 - £53,460 | Permanent | 37 hours per week

Predominantly home-based | Eastbourne & Lewes

Are you an experienced accountant looking for a senior role where you can combine technical expertise, business partnering and team leadership?

We are recruiting for a Principal Accountant to join the Finance & Performance service supporting Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council. This is an excellent opportunity to take on a broad and influential finance role, working closely with senior leaders and elected Members while helping shape and continuously improve the finance service.

The role is predominantly home-based, offering significant flexibility, although you will need to be able to attend offices in Eastbourne and Lewes and other locations across the two council areas when required.

The opportunity

As Principal Accountant, you will act as a technical finance lead, providing high-level financial advice and insight to Directors, senior managers, budget holders and elected Members.

It's a varied role that goes beyond producing the numbers. You'll have the opportunity to influence financial decision-making, improve systems and processes, develop colleagues and contribute to projects that will help shape future service delivery.

With Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council operating an established shared-services partnership, you'll also be joining at an interesting time for local government, with the opportunity to contribute to the evolution of Local Government Reorganisation and future delivery models.

What you'll be doing

• Providing expert financial advice to senior managers, Directors and elected Members
• Leading on financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and budget monitoring
• Producing high-level financial modelling and analysing complex financial information
• Supporting and influencing strategic and operational decision-making
• Leading on areas including capital accounting, final accounts, treasury management, cash flow, VAT, reconciliations, collection fund and financial advice to services
• Managing, mentoring and developing finance colleagues, with responsibility for teams of up to seven staff
• Presenting and contributing to Council Committees, Boards, working groups and project teams
• Reviewing and improving financial systems, controls and processes
• Ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards, legislation and audit requirements
• Supporting business cases, option appraisals and projects, identifying financial implications, savings and benefits
• Deputising for senior finance colleagues when required.

About you

We're looking for an experienced finance professional who can operate confidently at a senior level and translate complex financial information into clear, practical advice.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Strong accountancy experience across areas such as budgeting, monitoring, reconciliations, financial modelling and year-end reporting
• Excellent financial and management accounting skills
• The ability to analyse complex information and identify the key financial drivers
• Strong financial modelling capability
• Experience of managing and developing finance staff
• The confidence and communication skills to influence senior stakeholders and explain finance to non-finance colleagues
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work collaboratively across an organisation
• Knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems and external audit requirements
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver against demanding deadlines.

You’ll need to be AAT qualified or qualified by experience with an extensive track record in a relevant senior accountant role. A CCAB accountancy qualification is desirable rather than essential, so applications are welcomed from experienced candidates who have built their expertise through their career as well as formally qualified accountants.

Previous local government experience would be advantageous, particularly knowledge of the local authority accounting Code of Practice and CIPFA requirements, but the person specification also recognises relevant experience gained within a private‑sector financial environment.

What's on offer?

• Salary of £50,269 to £53,460
• Permanent contract
• 37-hour working week
• Predominantly home-based working, with attendance in Eastbourne and Lewes as required
• Flexitime arrangements within operational requirements
• Minimum 25 days' annual leave, increasing to 29 days following five years' service
• Public holidays in addition, subject to the demands of the role
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• The opportunity to take on a genuinely broad senior finance position with exposure across two councils
• A role where you can influence change, improve services and develop your leadership experience.