Job Description:

Position:  Head of Finance Business Partnering (Interim) Bexley 16
Location: Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, DA6 7AT
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 6+ Months - typically 2 days in the office per week but varies week on week
Working Hours: 36 hours per week
Pay Rate: PAYE: £ 650.00 per day
Job Reference: OR(phone number removed)

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the Finance Business Partnering function for Children's Services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality financial support and strategic advice.

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of Finance Business Partners, promoting high performance, accountability, and continuous professional development.

• Build strong partnerships with senior leadership teams, providing financial insight, challenge, and support to inform strategic decision-making.

• Lead the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring, and reporting processes for the assigned service area.

• Provide expert financial advice to support the development, delivery, and evaluation of service plans, business cases, and transformation initiatives.

• Drive the development of innovative service delivery models that achieve efficiencies, deliver cost savings, and maximise outcomes for residents.

• Monitor financial performance, identify financial risks and opportunities, and ensure appropriate mitigating actions are implemented.

• Produce accurate, timely, and insightful financial reports, analysis, and management information for senior stakeholders.

• Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations, accounting standards, governance requirements, and organisational policies.

• Support the discharge of Section 151 responsibilities by maintaining high standards of financial stewardship and control.

• Lead on financial aspects of change programmes, service transformation, and strategic projects across Children's Services.

• Develop effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to promote collaborative working and informed financial decision-making.

• Contribute to the development of finance policies, procedures, and best practices to enhance service delivery.

• Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and a customer-focused approach within the Finance Business Partnering team.

• Represent the finance function at senior management meetings and provide professional financial leadership across the organisation.

Person Specification
Essential Requirements

• CCAB-qualified accountant (or equivalent recognised professional accounting qualification).

• Significant post-qualification experience in finance management, business partnering, or financial leadership roles.

• Demonstrable experience of leading and managing finance teams within a large, complex organisation.

• Strong knowledge of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and management accounting.

• Experience providing strategic financial advice and challenge to senior leaders and service managers.

• Excellent understanding of local government finance, public sector financial management, and financial governance.

• Knowledge of statutory financial responsibilities, including the principles supporting Section 151 responsibilities.

• Proven ability to lead service transformation, financial improvement, and efficiency programmes.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to interpret complex financial information.

• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.

• Experience developing robust business cases and supporting strategic decision-making.

• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes within demanding timescales.

• Strong leadership, coaching, and people management skills with a commitment to developing high-performing teams.

• Proficient in the use of financial management systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working within Children's Services finance in a local authority.

• Experience supporting organisational transformation and change management programmes.

• Knowledge of local government funding arrangements, financial regulations, and statutory reporting requirements.

• Experience working in politically sensitive environments with senior elected members and executive leadership.

• Commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering value for money across public services.

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