Strategy Finance Manager

3 months contract with a Local Authority

Job Summary:

• As a member of the council s senior management team to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council working collaboratively with Members services across the council partners and stakeholders to deliver the council s objectives and priorities.
  
• Lead by example in modelling and embedding the council s values and behaviours to help build a sustainable highly effective organisation and develop our reputation as a successful council delivering great value for its residents.
  
• Provide outstanding leadership and direction to the service driving service transformation and ensuring excellent joint working with Members and other stakeholders.
  

Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample):

• Help shape the direction of the council to drive forward the public service reform agenda and ensure delivery of its priorities and value to residents. Provide a strategic vision for the future development of the service to enable the council to meet its future challenges fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
  
• As a senior leader working as part of the distributed leadership network of the council work together to drive forward and accept collective responsibility for a range of departmental and crosscutting initiatives which are required to ensure changes are embedded in a sustainable way throughout the organisation. Provide corporate leadership that encourages our staff to recognise their contribution to the strategic objectives the council has set.
  
• Lead the integrated delivery improvement management and performance of the service commissioning and directing activity within the council and externally as required and ensuring overall objectives are translated into effective plans and that the service is efficient and locally responsive. Provide inspirational and professional leadership to staff strengthening skills and competence and fostering a strong culture of standards performance and accountability.
  
• Ensure tight budgetary control and prioritise use of resources and assets to support the delivery of the council s corporate vision and help ensure that the council receives value for money from its expenditure. Drive and/or support the development of outcomebased commissioning models to better ensure strong price competition and transfer of risks through contracts with third parties. Champion and drive the development of commercial opportunities where appropriate.
  
• Actively engage communicate and influence within the council across partners and with the wider local and central government community to champion the council s approach to unified public services. Foster the bringing together of local services and decisions across agencies to reduce demand and help communities more independently support themselves.
  
• Lead develop and ensure implementation and review of change management programmes to deliver continual improvement. Assist the Chief Executive and Executive Directors in developing a single councilwide corporate culture to engender a strong and shared approach to delivering services and providing better support for staff to deliver savings.
  
• Ensure that all activities within the service comply with the council s constitution Standing Orders financial regulations health and safety and safeguarding responsibilities and that effective systems operate within the service to manage performance and risk.
  
• Uphold and promote the aims of the council s equality and diversity policies to ensure nondiscriminatory practices in all aspects of work and that diversity is embedded in everything from workforce planning and policy development to planning service delivery.
  

• Lead on the closure of accounts for the relevant team ensure that income and expenditure accounts are accurate all balance sheet items are reconciled and all holding accounts cleared on a regular and timely basis; ensure achievement of full monthly or quarterly close downs of relevant areas; ensure production and presentation of financial management information budget monitoring trading reports financial models etc which are accurate and timely appropriate to the audience
  
• Foster a highperformance culture including carrying out internal service reviews to improve value for money efficiency and ensure the service is at the leading edge of service delivery and development and deliver an efficiency savings target for their service to be determined by the Director of Finance s Management team annually
  
• Negotiate with a wide variety of external contractors partners government departments and suppliers investment banks and brokers and other organisations financial advisers; lead on developing complex financial models commercial agreements on multimillionpound contracts securing funding for the Council investigate innovative financing and funding methodologies and representing the Council on national working groups
  
• Be an effective lead on improving finance projects including leading a team of staff developing a project initiation document and a project plan ensuring projects deliver agreed outcomes successfully and on time; drive a planning and programme and project management culture and lead on post. implementation reviews
  
• Rapidly assess the implications of all emerging and potential issues / new policies and ensure the Director of Finance is promptly and fully briefed
  
• To undertake any other duties within the team commensurate to the post as required and to be rotated to other posts within the department as required in line with the business needs of the department.
  

Skills/Experience:

• Substantial experience evidenced by a track record of success leading and developing a significant organisational function or service in a large multidisciplined organisation with comparable scope budgets and resources.
  
• Demonstrable experience of establishing and building partnerships and productive working relationships within a complex policy and service environment with senior managers and councillors and a wide range of other bodies such as partner organisations communities public agencies and statutory bodies.
  
• Evidence of successful resources management in a multidisciplinary environment as well as a successful track record in managing large budgets business planning quality and performance management including formulating budgets and financial models resolution of conflicting priorities applying rigorous planning challenge monitoring and control procedures.
  
• Experience of commissioning and leading the analysis of a range of data e.g. comparing the Council s income and expenditure against other local authorities and other organisations drawing together suggestions about future strategy and policy.
  
• Managing and successfully delivering several projects simultaneously a knowledge of project management and of implementing and operating major changes to service provision; advising on preparation of full business cases for investment decisions including the ability to apply options appraisals and evaluation techniques.
  
• Proven ability to manage political and cultural issues and deliver project programme and change management programmes.
  
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into operational plans.
  
• Ability to deploy advanced interpersonal skills to inspire motivate coach and develop team members to high levels of performance.
  
• Advanced relationship and stakeholder management skills and skilled in written and verbal communication to influence and engage others effectively.
  
• Excellent financial and budget management skills with the ability to deliver economies through creative and efficient working practices.
  
• A commitment to equality and diversity both as a leader and a service deliverer with an ability to demonstrate personal leadership on the importance of diversity.
  
• Superior and demonstrable commercial financial and analytical skills for example to analyse complex problems develop business models investigate and evaluate options and opportunities advise on full and robust business models and risk management.
  
• Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities together with the legal financial and political context of public sector management and the statutory responsibilities of this post.
  
• Ability to deploy a substantial body of knowledge of leadingedge business financial and commercial techniques and of all the accounts and systems that underpin the financial integrity of the council a relentless drive for efficiency continuous improvement and high standards of excellence including actively seeking customer feedback and responding to it effectively.
  

Additional Information:

• The closing date: 02/09/24 @20:00.
  
• Relevant professional qualification: CCAB / CIMA or overseas equivalent.