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Job Description

Are you an experienced technical accountant with a strong understanding of local authority financial accounting, balance sheet management and financial controls? London Borough of Harrow is seeking a highly skilled Senior Technical Analyst (Balance Sheet and Controls) to join the Finance Division and play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of the Council’s financial position and strengthening its financial control environment.

Reporting to the Chief Accountant, you will provide specialist technical expertise across a broad range of financial accounting activities, including balance sheet management, collection fund accounting, financial governance, general ledger maintenance and statutory reporting. You will take ownership of balance sheet assets and liabilities of approximately £217 million and oversee collection fund income of approximately £255 million, ensuring robust accounting treatment, compliance with statutory regulations and the delivery of accurate and reliable financial information.

The role will lead on complex balance sheet reconciliations, collection fund forecasting and monitoring, corporate control accounts, chart of accounts governance, support service charge methodologies, statutory returns and group accounting activities. You will be instrumental in identifying financial risks, resolving technical accounting issues, improving financial processes and controls, and supporting the production of the Council’s Statement of Accounts. Working closely with finance colleagues, service managers, external auditors, consultants and other stakeholders, you will use your technical expertise and analytical skills to drive continuous improvement, strengthen governance arrangements and support the Council’s wider transformation agenda. This is an excellent opportunity for a technically strong finance professional who enjoys solving complex problems and influencing positive change within a large and diverse local authority environment.

Why join Harrow?

At Harrow, we are proud to be a diverse, ambitious and resident-focused council. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where our people can thrive, develop their careers and make a meaningful difference to the communities we serve. In return, you will have the opportunity to work alongside talented professionals, contribute to important corporate priorities, support our climate ambitions and help shape the future of local government finance. If you are looking for a rewarding role where your expertise will be valued and your contribution recognised, we would love to hear from you.

We are seeking a technically capable finance professional with a strong understanding of financial accounting, balance sheet management and financial controls, ideally gained within local government or a similarly complex public sector environment. The successful candidate will be confident in interpreting statutory accounting requirements, applying sound professional judgement to resolve complex financial issues, and ensuring high standards of governance, compliance and accuracy. They will demonstrate excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, identifying opportunities to improve processes, strengthen controls and enhance financial reporting. A strong communicator, they will be able to explain complex financial matters clearly to a range of audiences, build effective relationships across the organisation, and support the development of colleagues through technical guidance and collaborative working. They will also bring extensive experience in statutory accounting, balance sheet reconciliations, financial controls and continuous improvement, helping to drive excellence in financial management and reporting.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Professional knowledge and qualifications – AAT qualification, part-qualified CCAB qualification (or equivalent), or significant relevant experience, supported by a commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining up-to-date technical knowledge.
• Strong technical accounting expertise – Comprehensive understanding of local authority financial accounting, including IFRS, SeRCOP, statutory reporting requirements, Statements of Accounts preparation, Whole of Government Accounts, and statutory returns such as RO and QRO.
• Balance sheet and financial control experience – Extensive experience managing complex balance sheet reconciliations, control accounts, chart of accounts governance, financial control frameworks, and resolving technical accounting issues.
• Specialist local government finance knowledge – Experience of collection fund accounting, monitoring and forecasting, including Business Rates Retention arrangements, together with knowledge of group accounting and consolidation principles.
• Continuous improvement and risk management skills – Proven ability to investigate financial discrepancies, identify and mitigate risks, implement robust financial controls, and lead process improvements, automation initiatives and system enhancements.

For more information, please refer to the Role Profile/ Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn