Principal Accountant (Strategic)
Vacancy Summary Employer: Adur & Worthing Councils Salary: Starting from £47,181 to £51,356 per annum Location: Worthing Town Hall Contract: Permanent Working Pattern: Full Time Hours: 37 hours per week. DBS Check: No Closing Date: 21/08/2025 at 23:55 Reference: SRD/25/320084 Vacancy Description
Principal Accountant (Strategic)
Post No: 10213
Salary: Starting from £47,181 to £51,356 per annum
Grade: Grade 8
Hours: 37 hour per week
Place of work: Worthing Town Hall/Flexible hybrid working – office-based with some home working
Closing date: 21st August 2025
Interview date: TBC
Are you an experienced and driven finance professional ready to lead a high-performing team and influence strategic decision-making across multiple Councils? Then join our ambitious and friendly Finance Team and make a real impact in public sector financial management.
As Principal Accountant, you will lead our Strategic Finance Team, with responsibility for managing our Treasury Management function, supporting three local Councils.
You will play a key role in:
1. Strategic financial planning and treasury management
2. Closure of accounts and statutory reporting
3. Driving service improvements and digital transformation
4. Advising senior leadership and influencing key financial decisions
We are seeking a qualified or time qualified accountant with:
5. Proven experience in treasury and strategic finance
6. A track record of successful team leadership and process improvement
7. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail
8. Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
9. Confidence to influence senior stakeholders and work autonomously
10. A proactive and tech-savvy mindset
This is an exciting opportunity in a much-varied role. You will be joining a supportive and forward-thinking finance team with opportunities for personal and professional growth in a culture that values innovation, initiative, and inclusivity.
At Adur & Worthing, we are committed to supporting care leavers, in accordance with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017. To that end, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for anyone meeting the essential criteria of the role they are applying for. In order to be considered for this, you will need to be a care leaver under the age of 25 at the time of application. Please confirm that you are a care leaver in the "Showing how you meet the person specification and job description" section of the application form.
As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of applicants declaring a disability, that meet the essential criteria for this position, will be offered an interview.
Staff are our most important asset and we therefore have a benefit package which reflects our continuing commitment to our employees. This includes:
11. Generous leave entitlement; a minimum of 26 days + Bank Holiday entitlement
12. Local Government Pension
13. Training & development
14. Occupational Health
15. Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
16. Employee resource groups/networks
17. Buddy Support Programme
18. Flexible working options
We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Staff work in a supportive and safe environment, recognising their responsibility to value and respect each other’s contributions. Standards of conduct must be of the highest level to ensure that no-one is harassed, bullied or victimised. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, staff engagement forums and are keen to hear from applicants from a variety of different backgrounds.