Strategic Financial Reporting Accountant

Sandwell Council; Oldbury; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in England is seeking a Strategic Financial Reporting Accountant to join their Finance team. This permanent role involves leading the year-end processes and acting as the primary expert on financial accounting regulations. The successful candidate will manage a team and support the Deputy Section 151 Officer in ensuring compliance with fiscal regulations and achieving statutory deadlines. Ideal candidates should have a full accountancy qualification and experience in local authority finance.

Qualifications

• Experience producing complete statutory accounts.
• Background working within a local authority.
• Up to date with financial legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate the Financial Reporting & Regulatory Accounting function.
• Be the primary advisor on financial accounting regulations.
• Ensure statutory accounts are completed within deadlines.
• Manage a team of two direct and seven indirect reports.
• Support the Deputy Section 151 Officer with financial controls.

Skills

Financial accounting regulations

Leadership and team management

Understanding of VAT

Effective communication

Education

Full accountancy qualification

Job description

Sandwell Council is partnering with Robertson Bell in the recruitment of a Strategic Financial Reporting Accountant on a permanent basis. This is a core role in the Finance team that will take the lead at year-end, fostering strong relationships with external auditors and acting as a subject matter expert on technical accounting queries across the organisation. The organisation: Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the Black Country, which is made up of six towns - Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. Located in the West Midlands, Sandwell borders Birmingham city, Dudley borough, Walsall borough and Wolverhampton city. The borough has excellent access to the national motorway network with five junctions feeding in to the M5 and M6 motorways serving the South West, South East and North West regions of the UK. Sandwell also benefits from a mainline train station - Sandwell and Dudley and the Midland Metro. The borough has 1,200 hectares of parks, playing fields and local green space, and over 30 miles of canals. Sandwell Council is on a powerful journey of improvement and transformation. Having become the fastest council ever to exit intervention, and shortlisted for Most Improved Council at the 2025 LGC Awards, they are proud of the progress they're making and the direction they're heading. The Finance team is growing and ambitious, with a strong focus on learning and development, supporting colleagues to build rewarding careers while helping shape outstanding public services. As they work towards becoming a CIPFA‑accredited employer, this is an exciting time to join a team that values talent, invests in people, and is committed to excellence. The role:

• Support the Deputy Section 151 Officer in the motivational leadership of the Financial Reporting & Regulatory Accounting function ensuring clarity of direction, effective communication and the development of employee's full potential.
• Be the primary expert on financial accounting regulations and be the primary advisor on this subject matter to the Council's statutory Section 151 Officer.
• Ensure that the closure of statutory accounts and returns (including VAT and other appropriate taxes) are completed within statutory deadlines, and be responsible for assisting the Deputy Section 151 Officer to incorporate the outputs within the relevant Corporate Reports to Leadership Team and Councillors.
• Support the Deputy Section 151 Officer in fulfilling their responsibility for the Council's system of financial controls, and ensure that key reconciliations within their service area are produced monthly, quarterly or yearly depending on their importance and regularity.
• Manage the team of two direct and seven indirect reports, encouraging CPD and training across all levels.
  Full accountancy qualification.
• Up to date understanding of financial legislation and experience producing full statutory accounts.
• Background working within a local authority.
• Desire to, or strong understanding of VAT.