Assistant Finance Business Partner

About the role

West Northamptonshire Council has a number of vacancies within their Strategic Finance Team (Finance Business Partners and Assistant Finance Business Partner) to support the Place, Finance and Corporate Services Business Partner Team. As an Assistant Finance Business Partner you will be able to apply a wide range of accountancy skills and business acumen to support two busy finance teams. The successful candidates will be part qualified accountants or committed to studying towards a qualification, with significant financial experience working as an Assistant Finance Business Partner. There will be an expectation that the post holders are comfortable working in a fast-paced organisation, have excellent communication skills, are suitably experienced, and technically proficient in their chosen areas. These roles are part flexible, being office based for two days a week.

The successful candidates will be joining a busy and supportive department, helping to shape a highly performing finance function over a period of significant change for the council.

What will you be doing?

1. Support budget holders in financial planning and budget modelling for different scenarios, advising on financial analysis for both revenue and capital income and expenditure.
2. Working with budget holders to ensure accurate and timely budget monitoring including risk appraisals.
3. Assist in the assessment of business case appraisals, including interpreting/analysing complex financial and non-financial information.
4. Developing financial systems and processes to ensure robust governance and demonstrate best practice.
5. Ensure that services perform their duties and functions in fulfilment of their financial statutory obligations, keeping abreast of the Council's changing legal obligations, mandates and responsible for ensuring relevant compliance with the Council's Financial Procedure Rules and SORPs.
6. Deliver Customer Satisfaction levels to support the Finance Business Partner business plan and deliverables.
7. Support the closedown of the accounts schedule, reviewing processes and timescales to enable deadlines to be met.
8. Support the Council to deliver its strategies with an understanding and inputting into the analysis of changes to accounting and reporting requirements.
9. Support and train budget holders in the use of the Council's e-Business suite including the Council's ERP Gold Agresso platform.
10. Be aware of and demonstrate awareness and understanding of equal opportunities.
11. Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description.

About you

You'll be either AAT Qualified (or recognised professional accounting qualification) or committed to studying and qualifying. You will ensure proper procedure and best practice are followed, and work closely with colleagues across the organisation, as well as working with auditors.

You will be a highly numerate, self-motivated, self-starter and have the ability to build good working relationships within a team and in supporting budget managers.

Using your skills, you will ensure that priorities and objectives are achieved.

Ongoing professional development will also be key to you.

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme
• Professional subscriptions / registration - if your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
• Our West Ways of Working - We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

We're a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we're embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is 'to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive'. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear more from Anna Earnshaw, our Chief Executive, about working for West Northants Council: https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU

At West Northants Council, it's about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.

Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.

Should you require the Job Description in another format or language, please contact: Careers@westnorthants.gov.uk

Attached documents

• Assistant Finance Business Partner Job description Sept 2024.pdf