Senior Finance Assistant

Senior Finance Assistant

Senior Finance Assistant

Grade 7 | Hybrid working

Cheshire West and Chester Council is looking for a knowledgeable and reliable Senior Finance Assistant to join our Adults Social Care & Public Health Finance Team.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working with budgets, analysing financial information and supporting managers to understand their finances. You’ll be involved in forecasting, variance analysis and ensuring financial information is accurate, timely and useful.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

You’ll play an important part in helping services manage public money responsibly, while maintaining strong financial controls. You’ll be joining a high-performing and supportive finance team committed to delivering high-quality services, improving processes and securing value for money for residents.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your expertise in public sector finance, support the delivery of key services and contribute to the financial sustainability and performance of the Council.

You’ll need to be comfortable working with detailed financial and operational data, understanding what is driving financial performance, identifying emerging issues and recognising where further investigation is required.

The role

As a Senior Finance Assistant, you’ll work closely with service managers and finance colleagues and report to a Finance Officer.

You’ll play an important role in supporting effective financial management across Adults Social Care and Public Health. Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting budget setting, budget monitoring and forecasting, ensuring financial information is accurate and reflects the latest available information.
• Analysing financial and operational information to identify trends, investigate variances and highlight emerging financial pressures, savings and underspends.
• Working with budget managers to review forecast assumptions, understand financial pressures and help them understand their financial position.
• Undertaking reconciliations and data quality checks, investigating discrepancies and maintaining clear supporting working papers.
• Supporting financial modelling and costing exercises, helping Finance Officers and managers understand the financial impact of service changes and decisions.
• Supporting the preparation of accurate financial information, including financial reporting and statutory returns.
• Providing practical financial advice and guidance and supporting the delivery of financial training when required.
• Ensuring financial processes are undertaken in accordance with Council policies and procedures.
• Taking ownership of allocated areas of work, following issues through to resolution and escalating significant matters where appropriate.
• Identifying opportunities to improve financial processes and ways of working.

We welcome applications from people with an interest in public service finance, whether you’re looking to build your expertise or bring valuable experience from another sector.

The candidate

We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds. We’re looking for someone who combines solid financial skills with a practical and supportive approach to working with others.

You’ll need an AAT qualification or relevant finance, business or performance qualification, together with experience of working with financial information.

You’ll also bring:

• Good working knowledge of financial systems and Microsoft Excel, with the ability to analyse, reconcile and present financial data clearly and accurately.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to undertake reconciliations and data quality checks, investigating and resolving financial discrepancies.
• The ability to communicate financial information clearly, particularly to non-finance colleagues.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• A practical approach to problem solving.
• The ability to build effective working relationships across finance and service teams.
• A willingness to learn, share knowledge and support colleagues.
• A proactive approach, with the ability to take ownership of tasks, identify issues and follow them through to resolution.
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• The ability to support, coach and supervise the work of others when required.

Local authority or public sector experience would be useful, but it isn’t the only route into the role. If you can bring relevant financial experience from another sector and have the right skills, attitude and commitment to public service, we’d be keen to hear from you.

What we Offer

• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
• The chance to work across a wide range of services that make a real difference locally.
• Supportive management and opportunities to develop your skills and experience.
• The opportunity to develop your knowledge and experience of public sector finance.
• A role where your work genuinely contributes to value for money and good financial governance.
• An inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and supported to thrive.

This is a hybrid and flexible role, so you’ll split your time between home and Council locations across Cheshire West and Chester, depending on the needs of the service.

Interviews are due to take place w/c 2nd November 2026.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Alexandra Williams at Alexandra.Williams@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

To find out more information about what it is like to work for Cheshire West and Chester Council including our rewards and benefits please see www.cwcrecruitment.co.uk

Candidates may use AI tools to support proofreading, editing and presentation. However, all application materials should represent the candidate's own experience, perspectives and thinking. We are seeking original and authentic responses, and applicants should ensure that any submission reflects their own analysis, judgement and vision for the role. No candidate will meet every single requirement - if your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Cheshire West and Chester Council are committed to equality and diversity in employment. Please see the Equality Policy for more information.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have adopted a Local Living Wage for our employees which means that all employees will receive a minimum of £13.45 per hour for all contracted hours.

For any technical enquiries please email Sourcingteam@ecwip.co.uk and quote job reference number in all correspondence.

Attachments

• BABB 6428 Senior Finance Assistant JDPS.docx