Sandwell Council is partnering with Robertson Bell in the recruitment of a Finance Development Accountant on a permanent basis. This is an important role within the Finance and Transformation directorate, focused on supporting service improvement, strengthening financial capability across the organisation, and driving consistent, high quality financial practices.
You will work closely with finance colleagues and wider stakeholders to support the development of people, processes and systems, helping to embed best practice and support the Council’s ongoing improvement journey.
The organisation:
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough in the Black Country, which is made up of six towns Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich.
Located in the West Midlands, Sandwell borders Birmingham city, Dudley borough, Walsall borough and Wolverhampton city. The borough has excellent access to the national motorway network with five junctions feeding into the M5 and M6 motorways serving the South West, South East and North West regions of the UK.
Sandwell also benefits from a mainline train station Sandwell and Dudley and the Midland Metro. The borough has 1, hectares of parks, playing fields and local green space, and over 30 miles of canals.
Sandwell Council is on a powerful journey of improvement and transformation. Having become the fastest council ever to exit intervention, and shortlisted for Most Improved Council at the LGC Awards, they are proud of the progress they’re making and the direction they’re heading.
The Finance team is growing and ambitious, with a strong focus on learning and development, supporting colleagues to build rewarding careers while helping shape outstanding public services. As they work towards becoming a CIPFA accredited employer, this is an exciting time to join a team that values talent, invests in people, and is committed to excellence.
The role:
1. Support the development of financial capability across the organisation, working with finance and non-finance colleagues to improve understanding of financial processes and controls.
2. Contribute to the design, delivery and continuous improvement of finance policies, procedures and guidance.
3. Support finance transformation initiatives, including system developments, process reviews and ways of working.
4. Assist in the development and delivery of finance training and support materials for a range of stakeholders.
5. Work with finance teams to identify areas for improvement and support the implementation of consistent best practice.
6. Support financial reporting, analysis and project work across the Finance function as required.
7. Contribute to the year-end accounts process and support statutory reporting activity where needed.
8. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and learning across the Finance service.
The successful candidate will have:
9. A full CCAB accountancy qualification, or be actively studying towards one.
10. Experience working within a finance function in a complex organisation.
11. An understanding of local authority finance, or a strong interest in developing a career in the public sector.
12. Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain financial concepts clearly to non finance colleagues.
13. A proactive and organised approach, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
14. A positive mindset towards change, improvement and professional development.
15. A strong appreciation of financial governance, controls and best practice.
The closing date for applications is 22nd February, with interviews due to take place the week commencing 9th March. Applications will be under continuous review before the closing date, so please submit your CV to our exclusive search agent Robertson Bell as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
To find out more about Sandwell Council and the opportunity, please visit our dedicated