Salary £55,612 – £60,147 per annum | Permanent, Full Time 37 hours per week | Preston
We are currently recruiting…
A dynamic and innovative Principal Accountant – Capital and Strategic Projects to work within Financial Management at Lancashire County Council.
Are you an outstanding Accountant with an abundance of experience and knowledge in the world of finance?
Can you be assertive and decisive whilst remaining approachable and inspirational towards your colleagues?
If so, this role is sure to interest you and it is the perfect opportunity to enhance your career, by getting involved in crucial decision making and getting your voice and opinions heard. We want someone who is ready to tackle financial challenges, providing saliant, practical advice to service areas within the council. You will be managing a team of experts and know exactly how to harness and utilise the talents within your team in the most effective way possible. This role is stimulating and fast paced, so we need professionals who are ready for a challenge representing the views of the service. With your determination and dedication, you will help us to achieve our goals, allowing services to flourish and continue to remain operational
What we are looking for…
Resilience – you will be tasked with reporting findings and details to the Heads of Service, Directors and External Boards, therefore your resilient and tactful persona will be a key element to these meetings – we want you to be persistent and confident when presenting to your senior colleagues with a firm but respectful approach – you will have the ability to build strong, lasting working relationships with your seniors and team, but not afraid to make tough decisions when necessary – you will be responsible for the Capital Programme budgets across the County Council and also be a senior finance representative on Strategic Projects that the council is involved in. It will be your responsibility to decipher where funds are allocated and work with the service to determine where they are needed the most, and work with senior colleagues to support and develop strategic projects.
Challenge – within the current climate finances are restricted and it is not always possible to provide funding for every single requirement – you will be expected to advise and work with the service to enable them to prioritise, make decisions and allocate where funding is needed the most, which can involve challenging conversations with budget holders and Senior Managers across the service and externally – this is why we need you to be persuasive and unwavering in these discussions, getting your point across and taking advantage of your excellent communication skills – you will have the ability to prioritise effectively, paying equal attention to the day to day management of your team as well as helping services to deliver what they need
Service Excellence – this role is an exciting mixture of managing the budget and getting involved and influencing strategic projects across the county council. The role will be dealing with ad hoc queries that can present themselves at any given moment – you will be reactive and proactive when faced with random ad hoc requests, ensuring they are dealt with swiftly and competently – the best part of your job will be seeing the outcomes your advice and direction has achieved within the community, allowing services to make the changes they want to happen – there is so much activity happening and no two days are the same, so this is the ideal chance to push your limits and professionally add real value to the organisation
Closing Date: 04/03/ Interview Date: w/c 16/03/2026
Please feel free to contact us for an initial informal and confidential chat: Kate Lee (Head of Service) on
Why join us?
By joining Lancashire County Council, you can shape the career path that is right for you, with opportunities to gain personal and professional qualifications, coaching, and mentoring. Lancashire County Council truly is the place where you can have the career you've always wanted.
In return for your passion and expertise, we offer a generous benefits package, which includes:
* A competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions.
* A great holiday entitlement of 26 days annual leave, which increases with length of service. You will also be entitled to 8 Bank Holidays, 2 additional statutory Bank Holidays, and have the option to buy additional leave each year.
* Our staff discount scheme in partnership with Vivup, allowing you to access discounts with a range of UK retailers, saving on everything from weekly food shops to white goods and cars.
* Access to fantastic development and career opportunities.
Please ensure you upload a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria for the role.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.
Job Description & Person Specification