Overview
Job title: Finance Manager
Bristol grade: BG15
Managed by: Business Partner
Responsible for: Group Accountants and Teams
Directorate: Resources
Service area: Finance
Purpose of the job
To provide financial advice and guidance to managers to improve business performance and the delivery of the corporate vision, priorities, and values. To take a proactive approach in managing and delivering timely financial and management accounting services including budgeting, medium- and long-term financial planning, project support, forecasting, in-year financial reporting (including the closure of the annual accounts) and control.
Be an integral member of the finance management team, identifying, developing, and supporting opportunities and supporting opportunities and initiatives to transform the delivery of financial services across the Council including debt management and governance. Provide a key consultative role in the strategic and operational development of wide-ranging services, drawing on the post holder\'s specialist expertise and provide confident and clear management to ensure the successful delivery of agreed objectives.
Responsibilities
* To identify, develop and support opportunities and initiatives to transform the delivery of financial services across the council.
* To assist in the preparation of information for officers, elected members and the public in relation to financial issues and collaborate with external partners and agencies as required.
* To progress all the key internal and external financial documents for your respective area of the portfolio; in accordance with council procedures and delegated level of financial authority, having regard to recommended and mandatory professional accounting practices.
* To undertake appropriate development work as required in response to changing financial regimes, new government legislation and initiatives and to determine the financial implications of policy changes/decisions.
* To manage and motivate staff assigned to the post, ensuring robust management and supervisory practices are undertaken, learning and development proactively supported and to provide coaching and mentoring as appropriate.
* To be part of the finance management team, collectively finding solutions to ensure all matters arising are addressed satisfactorily and actions agreed to address any issues.
* Support and embedding culture of budget holder empowerment and delivery of value for money, including application of benchmarking.
* Leading teams on delivery of appropriate training and organisation-wide financial awareness and development.
* Provision of insightful predictive analytics, utilising, economic, social, and demographic data and commercial acumen to support business development and income improvements across the organisation.
* To lead on the co-ordination and production of the in-year monitoring reports, ensuring key monthly financial monitoring tasks assigned are achieved to a high quality, consolidating service finance business partner reports on a monthly basis and producing clear, high quality, easy to read corporate financial positions reports (both on a monthly exception and quarterly detailed basis).
* To lead on the collation of detailed revenue budgets including growth and transformation cost / efficiency programmes for inclusion within the council\'s budget and in line with the council\'s MTFP.
* To update and publish the annual budget monitoring timetable each year, briefing all service finance business partnering teams and ensuring service managers and director sign-off is achieved.
* To be responsible for the close management, support and development of junior staff across the team, which includes staff apprentices requiring coaching/mentoring.
* To be responsible for the management of resource allocation, maintaining the ability to plan for external support as needed such that any peaks and troughs of resource usage can be proactively managed.
* To work collaboratively with Business Partners and a range of accountants in the review and refresh of service based financial policies and plans (for example commuted sums) ensuring alignment with the financial framework, strategic objectives and at the same time promoting continuous improvement.
Specific Role Outcomes - Divisional Financial Management & Transformation
* Develop and support on the detailed revenue and/or capital budgets for inclusion within BCC's budget, in liaison with Heads of Service and Business Partners, and in line with the MTFP, Capital Strategy and transformation, efficiency programmes. Ensuring service managers/directors have a thorough understanding and acceptance of their detailed budgets through workshops and other similar processes.
* To acquire and maintain comprehensive service specific knowledge to support policy development as appropriate, working within and reinforcing the need for corporate governance and financial management best practice.
Specific Role Outcomes - Technical & Reporting: General
* To contribute to the formulation and implementation of financial strategy and policy and recommend changes, where appropriate, to the council\'s accounting policies (in adherence with professional standards) and develop strong robust financial management and reporting arrangements.
* Lead and coordinate development of the council\'s Capital and Investment Strategy, ensuring alignment with appropriate corporate strategies and asset management planning.
* Lead on the development, coordination and financing of the council\'s capital programme, as part of the annual budget process, ensuring alignment to the capital strategy, affordability and optimum use of all available funds.
* Lead on development and refresh of the Council\'s Treasury Management Strategy, reporting to Council, Cabinet and other Council Committees as appropriate, and report on outturn and mid-year review, ensuring compliance with CIPFA\'s Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities and CIPFA\'s Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice.
* Put in place effective banking and appropriate financial systems and processes that support excellent financial stewardship. Manage the council\'s cash finances to ensure appropriate level of working capital and the most effective use of investments and borrowing.
* Lead and coordinate Tax advice for the Council and subsidiaries, including VAT, SDLT and Corporation Tax.
Specific Role Outcomes - Technical & Reporting: Risk & Insurance
* Ensure Council\'s risk management, insurance and associated strategies and plans are effectively delivered.
* Process insurance policies, claims and insurance related correspondence and transactions arising from the Council\'s business in accordance with agreed timescales ensuing losses are minimised and recoveries maximised.
* Co-ordinate investigations in respect of the circumstances of claims, assess their validity, summarise findings and maintain associated records.
* Liaise with the Council\'s insurers and solicitors towards the satisfactory resolution of claims, assisting with the assessment of liability and the level of settlement where appropriate.
* Assist with the renewal process with insurers and brokers and the arrangement of suitable and sufficient insurance cover for the Council\'s assets and services, to include liaising with senior officers to ensure that all necessary information is submitted to insurers.
* Provide risk and insurance advice and training to service managers and key partners.
* Assist in the maintenance of the Council\'s insurance fund, including the calculation of insurance recharges to departments, estimating future liabilities, completing monthly reconciliations and arranging the prompt payment of insurance premiums and other associated costs.
* Assist with the administration, co-ordination and development of the Council\'s risk management Policy.
* Produce summary reports and performance information that aid management decision-making.
* Assists with the development, implementation and management of risk management techniques throughout the Council to minimise premiums, reduce the incidence of claims and provide a framework for the successful defence of claims against the Council.
This job description sets out the key outcomes required. It does not specify in detail the activities required to achieve these outcomes.
General Accountabilities
* So far as is reasonably practicable, the post holder must ensure that safe working practices are adopted by employees and in premises/work areas for which the post holder is responsible to maintain a safe working environment for employees and service users. These are defined in the Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Policy, departmental policies and codes of practice.
* Work in compliance with the Codes of Conduct, Regulations and policies of the City Council.
* To model and promote good equalities practice and value diversity across the service.
* Ensure that output and quality of work is of a high standard and complies with current legislation / standards.
* Ensure that all mandatory training is undertaken as required. For example - Bristol City Council\'s Induction, Health and Safety, Equalities, Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adults. Please note - this is not a comprehensive list.
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