Chief Accountant

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Chief Accountant on behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position:

• To determine the Council's accounting policies and ensure their consistent application throughout the Council, in conformity with best practice, professional standards and relevant voluntary codes of practice, in order to facilitate the proper administration of the Council's financial affairs.
• To advise on the development and application of the Council's financial policies and practices and provide corporate advice to ensure the Council's financial health.
• To lead, manage, motivate and direct the Accountancy Division of Finance, and consult with, liaise with, and direct Finance Managers of each directorate in accounting matters
• To contribute through the Finance divisional management team to the overall management of the Finance Division, and the achievement of its aims, objectives, statutory obligations and targets
• To act as Deputy Section 151 Officer and play a key part in the development of the Council's financial strategies.

You will be responsible to:

• Determine and document consistent accounting policies for the Council in accordance with best practice, proper professional standards, and relevant codes of practice, ensuring their application throughout the Council by consulting with, instituting regular liaison with, and providing definitive guidance to all Finance Managers across the Council's departments.
• Lead, manage, develop, inform and motivate employees of the Accountancy Division to ensure the timely delivery of cost-effective, continually improving corporate financial services to the Council, its Executive, and departments, while continually focussing on improving efficiency and minimising cost. Contribute to the corporate management of the division in its role of developing and implementing policy, reviewing and monitoring operational and performance issues.
• Plan, secure, allocate and manage resources within the Accountancy section so that service delivery standards can be met, including developing, maintaining and monitoring working practices and methods to ensure that these remain cost-effective, efficient, and economic, reflect best practice and provide equality of opportunity. Resolve operational problems and issues as they arise -giving guidance to employees as appropriate.
• Lead the Council's preparation of the revenue budget and capital programme, ensuring the forecasting of resources and expenditure requirements, working in collaboration with Councillors, the Chief Executive and Directors, the Heads of Resources, Finance Managers, and cost centre managers, taking into account robustness, value for money, health, safety and equalities issues. Advise Councillors on the implications of their proposals. Present the budget and capital programme to the Head of Finance, Corporate Directors, and Councillors in accordance with Council and legal requirements. Ensure that budgets are provided correctly, implemented, managed, continuously monitored and reported on to Corporate Directors, Executive and Scrutiny thereafter, and that access to external funding sources are maximised and income generation initiatives promoted. Ensure that the budget of London Luton Airport Limited is prepared appropriately and reported to the Council's Airport Board.
• Lead and play a major role in the closure of the Council's accounts and the preparation of the Statement of Accounts, ensuring that the Statement is prepared in accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations, relevant codes of practice, local authority accounting panel advice, and the requirements of the external auditor. Manage the external audit process ensuring that audit queries are answered quickly and appropriately, minimising cost.
• Facilitate the co-ordination and development of medium and long-term strategic financial planning and policy development within Luton Borough Council and for London Luton Airport Limited, working with accountancy staff, Heads of Service, and Corporate Directors, integrating financial planning with corporate planning, to produce financially viable strategies, plans and policies, which embrace best practice, equality of opportunity and continuous improvement. Monitor all new legislation, regulation and accounting standards, and, working in collaboration with relevant officers and other stakeholders, analyse and advise on its impact and ensure its implementation where appropriate. Co-ordinate the development and review of annual and long-term work programmes, development plans and action plans and ensure that they are kept up to date, monitored and that any deviations are addressed.
• Establish and maintain constructive and influential working relationships with other Council officers and members, relevant external agencies, partners and other stakeholders in order to ensure that the Council is able to deliver real and effective transformation on an ongoing basis, balancing effectiveness with the need to reduce net budgets on an ongoing basis. Play a key role in any relevant formal consultations and service reviews.
• Develop and maintain effective corporate management systems for setting, monitoring and reviewing statutory and operational performance indicators and targets including financial reporting, writing and presenting reports as required, and responding to Member enquiries, and take early constructive action to remedy deviations in performance including responding to and resolving service related complaints.
• Manage the Council's banking arrangements, ensuring that they are maintained effectively and in accordance with financial regulations.
• Ensure that Section 151 responsibilities are discharged in respect of the postholder's accountabilities, deputising as the Council's statutory Chief Finance Officer in the absence of the Head of Finance to ensure that proper and effective financial administration is maintained throughout the Council.

Skills and Experience:

• Substantial experience of managing complex financial systems or procedures, including project management
• Substantial Financial and Budget management experience
• Experience of working within a political environment
• Able to consult, influence and negotiate with a range of people at senior level, both internally and externally to the Council
• Able to self-motivate, plan and prioritise workload to achieve a variety of tasks/objectives/ targets within tight deadlines
• Able to successfully apply high-level strategic and creative thinking combined with an ability to see tasks through to successful
• Able to prepare and present reports on complex matters in an articulate and comprehensible manner with a style appropriate to the subject/audience

About Us

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

Our heritage and being local government owned which means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Connect2Luton is a trading style of Luton & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Luton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Luton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.