Principal Accountant

Job Title: Principal Accountant
Starting Salary: £52,138 progressing to £57,652 per annum - pay award pending
Hours: 37
Location: Stevenage with hybrid working opportunities
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Resources

About the team

We have two opportunities within the Finance Team at Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) for Principal Accountants, working within the Corporate Finance or Adult Care Services team. Not only will you know that your role is providing value to over 1.2 million people within Hertfordshire, your contribution will be invaluable in achieving our core values, improving residents lives and working with integrity.

Corporate
This is a role which is at the heart of strategic financial planning at the County Council. As a senior member of the Corporate Finance team, your responsibilities will include leading on areas of the Council's financial budget setting and monitoring process, including work on the co-ordination and completion of the annual budget pack, leading on the preparation of the Council's monthly budget monitor and working closely with Business Partner teams to provide advice and support, as well as looking to continually challenge and improve processes. The role line-manages a small team consisting of a Senior Accountant and Accountancy Officer.

ACS
This role is within the Business Partner Finance team supporting Adult Care Services, (ACS), which has a net budget of over £500m. The role reports to the Finance Manager and you will have responsibility for the line management of two Senior Accountants in the team. As a senior member of the ACS Finance team, your responsibilities will include leading on all areas of the ACS budget setting and monitoring process, incorporating work on inflation modelling and monitoring of key transformation savings programmes.

About the role

Corporate Finance

• Leading on the Council's financial budget setting process and development of the medium-term financial strategy.
• Leading on the preparation and coordination of the Council's budget monitor report.
• The role will have exposure to senior management, and you'll contribute to strategic financial decision making.
• You'll be involved with technical areas of local government funding, including local taxation, which will involve co-ordinating with Hertfordshire District and Borough Councils.
• Other responsibilities will include the monitoring of grant income, co-ordination of key government returns, supporting with year-end working papers, and promoting best practice in financial processes.
• The role will line-manage two members of staff (senior accountant and accountancy officer)

ACS

• You will lead on the budget setting process for Adult Care Services and have responsibility for the monitoring of key transformational savings programmes.
• You will also lead on the support to our In-House services, developing appropriate operational costing models in conjunction with Heads of Service in ACS.
• Other responsibilities will include leading on the monitoring of capital programmes within the Department and overall co-ordination of the ACS revenue monitor.

About you

Essential

• Be a fully qualified accountant (CIPFA or equivalent), or be qualified by experience
• Have the ability to build relationships up to Chief Officer level both within HCC and partner organisations, creating trust and confidence and fostering a partnership approach.
• Have the ability to problem solve. Determine solutions that reflect wider implications, (eg political, managerial etc), and stakeholder needs. Ensure identification and delivery of improvements and negotiating the delivery of actions where these are outside of your direct control, (and even outside of your organisation).
• Have the ability to explain complex financial information and risks associated with the information to senior leaders within both HCC and partner organisations.
• Have extensive experience of managing key financial processes, and be able to interpret and apply financial policies, procedures, guidance and legislation.
• Be able to challenge effectively and influence others where those people may not be within HCC
• Experience with modelling

Desirable

• Previous exposure to Adult Care Services or Corporate Finance would be beneficial, although not essential.
• Experience in working for local government would be beneficial

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Corporate Services level 13 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Corporate services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Anita.Zala@hertfordshire.gov.uk - ACS; Matthew.Nendick@hertfordshire.gov.uk - Corporate for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: to be confirmed

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.