Service Accountant

Cornwall Council Jobs and Careers; Truro; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornwall Council is seeking a Service Accountant to join our finance team at New County Hall, Truro. You will lead support to budget holders and provide financial management and advice to help maintain budgetary control.

You will support budget setting, monitoring, reporting and closure of accounts, working with the wider finance team and presenting financial information in a clear, accessible way to non-financial managers.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience of operating in a similar role
• Strong understanding of medium-term financial planning and forecasting and budgeting processes
• Ability to provide financial advice on standard closure of accounts and financial modelling
• Ability to ensure a commercial approach to provide financial considerations
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to non-financial managers
• Proven ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Produce accurate budget reports and attend budgetary control meetings with clients, focusing on more complex areas across the Council
• Collaborate with client services to identify, quantify, and elevate significant financial issues
• Lead and attend strategic meetings with business reporting managers and client departments
• Establish and review arrangements for ensuring data security and accuracy within the Council’s electronic financial management system
• Ensure in the Council’s annual budget setting process reflect corporate objectives and priorities within timeframes
• Ensure the completion of the Council’s final accounts and external reporting requirements are met on time and in line with standards
• Support major projects, capital schemes, and business opportunities to ensure they align with corporate objectives and are financially robust
• Deliver financial training to key stakeholders
• Provide leadership, coaching and development to Management Accountants and Accounting Technicians

Job description

• Supportive Environment: You'll be welcomed into a friendly atmosphere that encourages both personal and professional development.
• Influence and Impact: Use your skills to influence various services and see the direct impact of your work on our communities.
• Positive Culture: Work in a people-centred, value-based organisation that promotes a positive culture and values your opinions.

What We Offer:

• Supportive Culture:Be welcomed into a friendly environment that encourages your personal and professional development.
• People-Centred Values:Grow in an organisation that promotes a positive culture and values your opinions.
• Impactful Work:Use your skills to influence a variety of services and witness the direct impact of our work on our communities.

Your Voice Matters:At Cornwall Council, your opinions will help shape how we do things. Join us and be part of a team where your contributions make a real difference.

The Role: Service Accountant

We are seeking a Service Accountant to join our team. You will lead the support to budget holders and provide financial management and advise helping maintain budgetary control. You will support budget setting, monitoring, reporting and closure of accounts, supporting more complex areas of the Council. You will excel at presenting financial information in an easy-to-understand format, establishing effective relationships with budget managers and work across with the wider finance team, promoting a productive work environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Produce accurate budget reports and attend budgetary control meetings with clients, focusing on more complex areas across the Council.
• Collaborate with client services to identify, quantify, and elevate significant financial issues.
• Lead and attend strategic meetings with business reporting managers and client departments.
• Establish and review arrangements for ensuring data security and accuracy within the Council’s electronic financial management system.
• Ensure in the Council’s annual budget setting process reflect corporate objectives and priorities within timeframes.
• Ensure the completion of the Council’s final accounts and external reporting requirements are met on time and in line with standards,
• Support major projects, capital schemes, and business opportunities to ensure they align with corporate objectives and are financially robust.
• Deliver financial training to key stakeholders.
• Provide leadership, coaching and development to Management Accountants and Accounting Technicians

What You’ll Need:

• Extensive experience of operating in a similar role
• Strong understanding of medium-term financial planning and forecasting and budgeting processes.
• Ability to provide financial advice on standardsg closure of accounts and financial modelling.
• Ability to ensure a commercial approach to provide financial considerations.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly to non-financial managers.

Proven ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

What you’ll get in return:

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance, whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• A defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions.
• A generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme.

Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national good and services.

Additional Information:

Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.

We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be foundhere - flexible working options .

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender reassignment status, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.

Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, youngpeopleand adults at risk.It’sa vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.

Job Info

• Job Identification 700004877
• Job Category Business Support & Administration
• Posting Date 09/18/2026, 12:08 PM
• Apply Before 10/01/2026, 10:59 PM
• Locations New County Hall, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3AY, GB
• Job Type/Contract Type Permanent
• Available Hours 37
• Interview Dates 15/10/2026
• Advertised Salary Range £40,452 - £47,885