3 months contract with a Local Authority Job Summary: • The Head of Finance will lead and manage a finance team within the Service Finance and Business Partnering Division, providing strategic financial leadership, advice, and direction across a major council directorate. • The role is responsible for delivering high-quality financial management, including budget setting, budget monitoring, forecasting, year-end closure, and long-term financial planning aligned to the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). • The postholder will act as a senior business partner, supporting service transformation, shaping strategic decision-making, and ensuring compliance with Financial Regulations. • They will also drive financial improvement initiatives, lead demand-led financial modelling, and ensure robust financial governance across all directorate services. Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample): • Lead, manage, and develop a professional finance team within the Service Finance & Business Partnering function. • Provide strategic financial advice to directors, Heads of Service, and senior stakeholders, ensuring budgets, forecasts, and financial plans are robust and aligned to the MTFS. • Lead directorate budget setting, identification of savings, and financial strategies to address cost pressures. • Manage in-year budget monitoring, forecasting, variance analysis, and regular reporting. • Oversee the closure of directorate accounts and contribute to the statutory accounts and external audit process. • Support service transformation and business-led change projects with high-quality, timely financial information. • Lead financial modelling of demand-led services and use trend analysis to inform strategic decisions. • Ensure compliance with Financial Regulations, Financial Standing Orders, and corporate finance policies. • Promote a self-service approach to financial management while providing specialist support through the business partnering model. • Deliver financial training to managers, budget holders, and senior leadership to improve financial capability. • Build effective internal and external relationships with senior officers, elected Members, partner agencies, and professional bodies (e.g., CIPFA). • Contribute to Council-wide corporate initiatives, cross-departmental projects, organisational development, and business continuity planning. • Drive continual improvement, process optimisation, and changes required under the Finance Modernisation Programme. • Lead internal service reviews to improve value for money and support efficiency programmes. • Represent the Finance Directorate professionally and support the Corporate Director of Finance in delivering the Council’s strategic financial objectives. Skills/Experience: • Significant post-qualification experience in local government finance. • Proven experience of preparing annual budgets, monitoring reports, and final accounts for a local authority. • Strong senior-level management experience, with direct leadership of professional and managerial staff. • Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver strategies, policies, and programmes across service areas. • Strong communication, influencing, and negotiation skills with the ability to present complex financial information clearly. • Experience in leading and managing change across large, multidisciplinary organisations. • Proven involvement in service improvement and major transformation programmes. • Evidence of continued professional development. Additional Information: • Fully qualified accountant (CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA). • Hours: 36 hours per week. • Working Pattern: 09:00 – 17:00.