Chief Accountant – Guildford Borough Council
Salary: £68,000 - £77,000
Hybrid working
Guildford Borough Council is entering one of the most significant periods of change in its history — and we are looking for a highly skilled Chief Accountant to help shape that future.
Over the next two years, we will move into a shared finance service with Waverley Borough Council, followed by integration into the new West Surrey Unitary Council. This role will be central to managing that transition while ensuring we continue to deliver robust, transparent, and high-performing financial services for our residents.
As Chief Accountant, you will:
* Provide leadership across our core accounting, systems and capital financing teams.
* Ensure timely, accurate production of the Council’s grouped accounts, working closely with external auditors and senior stakeholders.
* Lead budget setting, medium-term financial planning (MTFS), capital programme oversight and treasury management support.
* Maintain full oversight of the balance sheet, ensuring ongoing financial resilience.
* Develop and mentor a high-performing finance team, embedding strong financial management practices across the organisation.
* Advise senior members, directors and services on complex financial matters in a fast-evolving local government landscape.
You will be a CCAB-qualified finance professional with significant senior-level experience in a complex organisation. You’ll bring a deep understanding of statutory accounting, capital and HRA finances, local government regulatory frameworks, and the ability to communicate with clarity and influence.
This is a rare opportunity to take a leading role in the financial transformation of a major UK authority — and to make a strategic impact well beyond day-to-day finance operations.