Principal Accountant (Career Grade G11-G12)

Wakefield Council is a financially responsible Local Authority. We have delivered on our commitments through economically buoyant and challenging times. We are a Council with strong political and managerial leadership, high skills and competencies, and dedicated and empowered people.

We have a clear and ambitious vision for a 21st Century district where everyone benefits from the strengths of the district and its continued growth.

We are ambitious yet realistic and grounded in the social values that are at the core of our organisation. We have continued to protect our most vulnerable people and maintain the core services on which ordinary families rely, while also delivering significant savings.

………………And we have more to do. Why not come and help us?

We have an opportunity for a career minded individual to develop within a framework and progress through the career grade based on qualification, skills, knowledge, experience and opportunity within the financial management structure.

This permanent post will play a vital role within financial management and will provide timely business focussed and professional advice and support on a range of financial issues to the Council’s senior managers and budget holders focussing on enabling service delivery and compliance with financial procedures and regulations.

The successful candidate will possess excellent communication and IT skills and be able to work both independently and as part of a wider team within financial management.

In return we offer very attractive terms and conditions of employment, including generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working hours, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and access to numerous other salary sacrifice schemes and staff benefits/discounts. We offer qualifications based development via our Apprentice Levy as well as other types of experience based development to ensure that our people continue to develop throughout their career.

Wakefield Council embraces flexible ways of working to ensure that we can attract the best talent and get the most from our employees so we are happy to discuss your options, should you wish to apply for a job with us.

Wakefield Council could be a great career move for you because we have a working environment which will encourage you to excel.

What can I expect?

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave
• Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)
• Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.
• We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.
• Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.
• Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about the role, the recruitment process or working for Wakefield Council, feel free to contact.

Name: Anne Speak, Group Finance Manager

E-mail: aspeak@wakefield.gov.uk

Join us and make a real impact in the community. Apply today to become a valued member of our team!

Safeguarding

Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and vulnerable adults are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and vulnerable adults whilst promoting their welfare. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service)

The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.

Probation

In accordance with the Council Probation Procedure, this post is subject to a 6-month Probationary Period.

Fluency Duty

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), public facing roles will be subject to the Fluency Duty.

Diversity

Having a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve helps us to achieve the best outcomes for all. We encourage applications from everyone and actively seek to ensure that everyone feels included in the workplace so that we can make the most of our differences.

Why Wakefield

To find out more about the benefits of working at Wakefield Council, click here.