Senior Accountant

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Ipswich is seeking a Senior Accountant to lead financial innovation and efficiency. You will work closely with leadership to streamline processes and ensure financial control amidst challenges. The ideal candidate should be CCAB or CIMA qualified and possess extensive financial knowledge, preferably in the public sector. This role also involves mentoring staff and represents opportunities for career development. Flexible working options are available, and the role is permanent.

Benefits

Up to 29 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Travel and health benefits

Performance-related pay progression

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• CCAB (e.g. CIPFA, ACCA) or CIMA qualified.
• Experience in public sector finance.
• Ability to mentor and manage staff.

Responsibilities

• Shape the council’s financial future during challenges.
• Collaborate across service areas for financial decisions.
• Lead key projects delivering financial advice and analysis.

Skills

CCAB qualified (e.g. CIPFA, ACCA)

Broad financial experience

Teamwork

Trustworthy and diligent

Adaptability

Education

CCAB or CIMA qualification

Job description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich IP1 2BX - Hybrid working
• Salary: £48,163 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week - Flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

Here at Suffolk County Council we are passionate about improving the future for our customers, our communities and the environment. If you share this passion, join us as a Senior Accountant and make a huge and meaningful impact. Your innovation and drive will help us to continue improving and evolving. Our opportunities and support will enable you to make a difference and leave a positive, lasting legacy.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

In this pivotal role, you will be at the heart of shaping the council’s financial future during a time of unprecedented challenge. Working closely with the Section 151 Officer and Finance Leadership Team, you will drive innovation and efficiency, streamlining processes and ensuring robust financial control as resources tighten. You will collaborate across diverse service areas, providing clear, insightful financial information to support critical business decisions. Leading on key projects, you will deliver high‑quality advice and analysis, championing transformation and developing creative solutions to complex problems. From managing essential accounting functions and completing financial returns to interpreting new legislation and assessing policy impacts, your expertise will help steer the council through change with confidence and clarity.

This is an interesting and diverse role where you will liaise and support budget holders and business support staff for the council’s directorates in all aspects of financial management, as well as being an integral part of a supportive team within Finance.

You will need

• to be CCAB (e.g. CIPFA, ACCA) or CIMA qualified
• a broad base of financial experience and knowledge, preferably gained from a public sector background
• ability to work well as part of a team, mentor and manage staff as required
• to competently represent the Chief Financial Officer as required
• to be trustworthy, diligent and motivated, and able to work without close supervision
• to be adaptable to meet changing requirements and needs.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, we will still welcome your application as we are keen to develop talented individuals into roles in which they can perform well. You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word).

The team

We are a diverse, supportive and enthusiastic team who will offer help and guidance to get you settled in. This role will offer you the opportunity to get involved and take responsibility for a broad range of financial and accounting work, providing you with stimulation and opportunities to broaden and deepen your experience and knowledge to enable you to develop your career further. Our structure chart demonstrates the wide range of senior jobs within the Finance Team giving potential opportunities for future career progression.

Empowering Everyone

We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Lea Minnican (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 01473 260664 or emailing [e-mail] .

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click Apply Now to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.

1. Can you give an example of how you have supported a service or department in overcoming financial challenges? What strategies did you use?
2. How have you used advanced Excel skills or managed complex financial data to carry out detailed analysis and present results?
3. Tell us about a time when you had to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously. How did you prioritise your work and ensure deadlines were met?
4. Describe a situation where you had to interpret new legislation or policy changes. How did you determine the financial implications and communicate these to non‑technical audiences?

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [e-mail] or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11:30pm, 11 January 2026.

Interview date: 26 and 27 January 2026.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance‑related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost‑of‑living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .