Senior Finance Officer
The Role
This role sits within the Commercial Services Team reporting to the Divisional Commercial Manager. Working alongside the Senior Quantity Surveyor this role provides services to the Asset Management Service - predominantly Public Realm; Pest Control Service and Fleet Service in both client and contractor capacities.
The SFO provides professional commercial and financial services to ensure the Traded Services Division and the Council achieves best value in delivering services and maximises the commercial opportunities available to it.
As well as traditional financial and management reporting responsibilities, the Senior Finance Officer will work alongside the SQS in contract management and compliance and performance evaluation of income generation, costs and margins from a wide range of services, projects and contracts.
The Senior Finance Officer will liaise with stakeholders including Delivery Managers, Business Service Managers, Senior Management teams, Councillors and Cabinet members on commercial issues relating to the division, and support in the delivery of complex written reports complete with analysis.
The successful candidate will be involved in developing and continuously improving services using business process review techniques, reviewing procedures, and monitoring their implementation.
An excellent communicator with strong written skills this person will use their commercial and financial knowledge to help improve Traded Services.
The successful candidate will be committed to their continuous development as a leader.
About Southwark
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
The areas of work will initially focus on public realm street lighting and metalworks fabrication.
The initial focus will be on pricing and cost value reconciliations. Applicants will need to be able to understand how costs are built up using standard costing techniques involving materials, labour and overhead, and work with the Senior Quantity Surveyor on existing books of rates, and also develop and build from scratch a mixed variety of SOR's and evidence base they are fit for purpose.
Business process maps and supporting procedures will need to be developed and/or maintained in relation to all elements of the delivery process, including but not restricted to materials, quantities/volumes, costs/pricing, labour and other direct costs, time/productivity and overhead recovery.
Applicants will need to have been exposed to procurement and the various frameworks
A fit for purpose suite of KPI's will need to be developed and maintained.
Applicants must be able to work with and provide support, guidance and understanding to delivery staff that may have limited financial expertise and understanding.
Recruitment timetable
Closing Date: 20/07/2025
Interview Date: 07/08/2025
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Additional Information
Join us on an 18-month fixed-term contract and help shape the future of our service.
Attachments
Salary range
- £44,430 - £51,663 per year