Transformation Programme Accountant

Sellick Partnership; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 101,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sellick Partnership is recruiting a Transformation Programme Accountant for a local government organisation in Dorset on a 6‑month contract with hybrid working (1 day on site per week). The role covers ERP transformation budgeting, financial governance, and portfolio reporting across multiple transformation streams.

Fully qualified accountants with public sector experience are preferred. Key duties include budget baseline management, forecasting (ETC/EAC), supplier spend governance, and

Qualifications

• Fully qualified finance professional with programme/project finance experience.
• Experience in forecasting, modelling and reconciliations within local government or public sector.
• Advanced Excel skills are essential for financial planning and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Define and baseline budgets for ERP programme and Transformation Portfolio.
• Track actuals, perform month-end closes, and support accruals and recharges.
• Own ETC and EAC forecasts and liaise with PMO and workstream leads.
• Maintain supplier spend trackers, verify invoices against contracts and milestones.
• Update budgets and reporting following change requests (CRs).
• Produce monthly finance packs for programme board and leadership groups.
• Ensure audit-ready evidence packs and compliance with governance standards.
• Support benefits tracking and business case cost realization.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Forecasting & modelling

Reconciliations

Public sector finance

Education

ACA

ACCA

CIMA

Job description

Transformation Programme Accountant

Rate: £550 - £650 per day - Outside IR35

Location: Dorset - hybrid working - 1 day per week on site

Contract: 6 months +

Overview of the Transformation Programme Accountant role

Sellick Partnership is pleased to be supporting a local government organisation, in their search for a Transformation Programme Accountant for an initial 6 month contract.

The Transformation Accountant provides senior financial leadership across two major areas:

• The ERP Transformation Programme - managing the full programme budget, financial governance, cost control and forecasting across all ERP lifecycle phases (design, build, test, cutover, go‑live, hypercare)

• The whole council Transformation Portfolio - leading financial planning, monitoring and reporting for the organisation's broader transformation activity, ensuring alignment and clear traceability back to the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP)

As a qualified finance professional, the postholder ensures all programme and portfolio activity is financially robust, compliant with internal processes, and supported by accurate, timely and strategic financial insight. They will work collaboratively with Finance Business Partners, PMO, Benefits Realisation colleagues and Programme Managers to maintain financial discipline and governance across multiple workstreams.

Key responsibilities of the Transformation Programme Accountant will include:

• Budget Definition & Baseline Control
• Establish and maintain budget baselines for both the ERP Programme and Transformation Portfolio.
• Build and maintain the cost breakdown structure (CBS) including internal resources, suppliers, and contingency.
• Maintain budget version control and phased forecasting aligned to programme plans and milestones.

• Actuals Tracking & Month-End Control
• Reconcile actuals through council finance systems, ensuring accurate allocation to workstreams and cost categories.
• Produce monthly variance analysis with clear narrative and recommended actions.
• Support the year end cycle including accruals, prepayments and recharges.

• Forecasting (ETC / EAC)
• Own the programme and portfolio Forecast to Complete (ETC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC).
• Work with PMO and Workstream Leads to refine assumptions, phasing, and cost drivers.
• Quantify financial impacts of risks, delays, scope changes or extensions.

• Supplier Spend Governance & Invoice Assurance
• Maintain supplier spend trackers and invoice logs for SI partners and all vendors.
• Validate invoices against contractual terms, POs, milestones, deliverables and agreed rates.
• Track commitments and remaining contract values to support forward planning.
• Maintain audit ready documentation for all approvals and spend decisions

• Change Control Financial Management
• Maintain a financial impact log for all Change Requests (CRs).
• Support the Change Control Board (CCB) with affordability analysis and funding recommendations.
• Update budgets, forecasts, POs and reporting following CR approval.

• Programme Financial Reporting (programme board, TMO & steering group)
• Produce monthly finance packs for programme board, TMO and steering group.
• Provide clear narrative explaining variances, forecast movements, risks, mitigations and decisions required.
• Maintain dashboards and KPIs to monitor financial health.

• Controls, Audit & Assurance
• Maintain complete audit ready evidence packs including approvals, reconciliations and spend assurance.
• Support internal/external audit requests.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies, processes, and programme governance standards.

• Benefits Tracking Support
• Provide cost evidence to support benefits realisation and business case tracking.
• Report programme spend to date and cost to achieve benefits

Required experience/qualifications for the Transformation Programme Accountant:

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)
• Programme/Project Finance experience within local government or wider public sector
• Forecasting, modelling and reconciliations experience
• Advanced Excel
• ERP Programme finance experience

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.