Senior Finance Assistant

Cheshire West and Chester; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Skill development opportunities

Inclusive workplace

Value for money governance

Supportive management

Job summary

Cheshire West and Chester Council is seeking a Senior Finance Assistant to join the Adults Social Care & Public Health Finance Team. This hands-on role focuses on budgets, forecasting, and financial analysis to support managers.

You will help ensure timely, accurate information and maintain strong financial controls. You’ll work with service managers and finance colleagues, contributing to financial reporting, reconciliations, and training where required.

Qualifications

• AAT qualification or relevant finance, business or performance qualification.
• Experience working with financial information.
• Good working knowledge of financial systems and Excel with ability to analyse, reconcile and present data.

Responsibilities

• Assist with budget setting, monitoring and forecasting.
• Analyse financial and operational information to identify trends and variances.
• Support managers in understanding their financial position.
• Carry out reconciliations and data quality checks; maintain working papers.
• Support financial modelling and costing exercises.
• Prepare accurate financial information including reporting and statutory returns.
• Provide financial guidance and support training when required.
• Ensure processes follow Council policies and procedures.
• Take ownership of assigned work and escalate issues when needed.
• Look for opportunities to improve financial processes.

Skills

Excel

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication of financial information

Organisational skills

Problem solving

Teamwork

Coaching and supervising

Education

AAT qualification

Tools

Financial systems

Job description

Senior Finance Assistant

Grade 7 | Hybrid working

Cheshire West and Chester Council is looking for a knowledgeable and reliable Senior Finance Assistant to join our Adults Social Care & Public Health Finance Team.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working with budgets, analysing financial information and supporting managers to understand their finances. You’ll be involved in forecasting, variance analysis and ensuring financial information is accurate, timely and useful.

You’ll play an important part in helping services manage public money responsibly, while maintaining strong financial controls. You’ll be joining a high-performing and supportive finance team committed to delivering high-quality services, improving processes and securing value for money for residents.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your expertise in public sector finance, support the delivery of key services and contribute to the financial sustainability and performance of the Council.

You’ll need to be comfortable working with detailed financial and operational data, understanding what is driving financial performance, identifying emerging issues and recognising where further investigation is required.

The role

As a Senior Finance Assistant, you’ll work closely with service managers and finance colleagues and report to a Finance Officer.

You’ll play an important role in supporting effective financial management across Adults Social Care and Public Health. Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting budget setting, budget monitoring and forecasting, ensuring financial information is accurate and reflects the latest available information.
• Analysing financial and operational information to identify trends, investigate variances and highlight emerging financial pressures, savings and underspends.
• Working with budget managers to review forecast assumptions, understand financial pressures and help them understand their financial position.
• Undertaking reconciliations and data quality checks, investigating discrepancies and maintaining clear supporting working papers.
• Supporting financial modelling and costing exercises, helping Finance Officers and managers understand the financial impact of service changes and decisions.
• Supporting the preparation of accurate financial information, including financial reporting and statutory returns.
• Providing practical financial advice and guidance and supporting the delivery of financial training when required.
• Ensuring financial processes are undertaken in accordance with Council policies and procedures.
• Taking ownership of allocated areas of work, following issues through to resolution and escalating significant matters where appropriate.
• Identifying opportunities to improve financial processes and ways of working.

We welcome applications from people with an interest in public service finance, whether you’re looking to build your expertise or bring valuable experience from another sector.

The candidate

We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds. We’re looking for someone who combines solid financial skills with a practical and supportive approach to working with others.

You’ll need an AAT qualification or relevant finance, business or performance qualification, together with experience of working with financial information.

You’ll also bring:

• Good working knowledge of financial systems and Microsoft Excel, with the ability to analyse, reconcile and present financial data clearly and accurately.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to undertake reconciliations and data quality checks, investigating and resolving financial discrepancies.
• The ability to communicate financial information clearly, particularly to non-finance colleagues.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• A practical approach to problem solving.
• The ability to build effective working relationships across finance and service teams.
• A willingness to learn, share knowledge and support colleagues.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to take ownership of tasks, identify issues and follow them through to resolution.
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• The ability to support, coach and supervise the work of others when required.

Local authority or public sector experience would be useful, but it isn’t the only route into the role. If you can bring relevant financial experience from another sector and have the right skills, attitude and commitment to public service, we’d be keen to hear from you.

What we Offer

• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• The chance to work across a wide range of services that make a real difference locally.
• Supportive management and opportunities to develop your skills and experience.
• The opportunity to develop your knowledge and experience of public sector finance.
• A role where your work genuinely contributes to value for money and good financial governance.
• An inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and supported to thrive.

This is a hybrid and flexible role, so you’ll split your time between home and Council locations across Cheshire West and Chester, depending on the needs of the service.

Interviews are due to take place w/c 2nd November 2026.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Alexandra Williams at [e-mail].