Statement of Accounts, audit, and technical accounting for robust financial governance Your new company We are delighted to be partnering exclusively with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to recruit a highly skilled Corporate Accountant a pivotal role at the heart of a growing and ambitious organisation shaping the future of the region. This is a rare opportunity to own, influence and elevate the Authority s entire technical accounting and statutory reporting function. If you thrive as the go to technical expert, bring excellence to year end processes, and enjoy working with senior leaders to build robust financial governance, this is a role where your impact will be truly visible. As EMCCA s technical accounting lead, you will take full ownership of the annual Statement of Accounts, ensuring accuracy, audit readiness and compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice. You ll lead the external audit relationship end to end, drive organisation wide improvements to year end processes, and shape the Authority s accounting policies and governance framework. This is a key professional role with genuine breadth covering statutory reporting, audit, WGA, fixed assets, VAT, and continuous improvement. You ll be joining a collaborative, forward-thinking finance team at a formative moment, helping build strong foundations for EMCCA s long term success. As Corporate Accountant, you will: Lead the full production of EMCCA s Statement of Accounts, designing the closedown timetable and ensuring full CIPFA Code compliance. Prepare and review high quality working papers and evidence, ensuring audit readiness. Coordinate and manage the external audit, agreeing the audit plan, overseeing evidence requests, and resolving complex technical queries. Strengthen financial governance by developing technical accounting policies, year end procedures and internal control frameworks. Produce and submit statutory returns including Whole of Government Accounts (WGA). Drive process improvements through automation, efficiency and enhanced quality. Lead fixed asset accounting, ensuring a robust asset register, accurate capital accounting, and timely depreciation. Build capability across the organisation through training on statutory accounting and closedown processes. You will be a confident technical specialist who brings expertise, clarity and assurance to financial reporting. You ll thrive on ownership, accuracy and process improvement, and you ll enjoy supporting colleagues and senior leaders with high quality professional advice. Proven experience producing CIPFA compliant Statements of Accounts and audit ready working papers. Strong technical accounting knowledge with the ability to interpret accounting standards and statutory guidance. Experience supporting external audit, resolving complex accounting queries. Excellent communication skills, including explaining technical information to non-finance colleagues. Significant experience leading external audit processes. Flexible working options available. Watts@Hays.