Head of Finance Business Partnering

Hays PLC; Littlehampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000

Job description

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for finance and leadership? Join our team at Arun District Council

Your new company
Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Littlehampton. The district's other towns are Arundel and Bognor Regis. The district is named after the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district. Parts of the district fall within the South Downs National Park.

Your new role
Overall Job Purpose:
As the Head of Finance Business Partnering, you will lead the Business Planning & Performance Management team, ensuring a professional, technical, and innovative financial function that meets the needs of the Council and its services. You will ensure compliance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and CIPFA statutory requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide expert, technical, commercial, and financial advice, ensuring all relevant reporting is completed, including financial reports to Committees and reviews of financial elements of required reports.
• Lead and aid decision-making while adhering to the Council's Constitution, Financial Governance Framework, and all relevant policies and procedures.
• Manage the delivery of Business Planning and Performance Management through efficient and robust transactional finance activities, monthly meetings, budget setting, and monitoring.
• Create, deliver, and manage financial calendars and content plans, particularly for budget setting and monitoring, including month, quarter, and year-end activities.
• Oversee the Business Planning & Performance Management team's Valuing Individual Performance (ViP) reviews, setting objectives and deliverables for immediate reports, and providing development and training where appropriate.
• Ensure consolidated management and reporting of resources, including a spend budget of circa £100m, covering a workforce of 400+ employees, 50+ members, 23 wards, and a population of circa 160,000.
• Perform other appropriate duties relevant to a functioning Finance department or deputize as DS151 Officer.

What you'll need to succeed
Role Requirements:
Professional Qualifications:

• A qualified accountant with full membership of a Chartered accountancy body qualification as specified in the Local Government Finance Act 1988. (Essential)

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of accountancy/budget management experience. (Essential)
• Experience in managing, motivating, and performance managing a team. (Essential)
• Experience in monitoring and managing financial accounts in a Social Housing or Local Government environment. (Desirable)
• Experience in communicating detailed technical information to Budget holders. (Essential)

Knowledge:

• Analytical approach to financial issues with the ability to make clearly reasoned conclusions and recommendations. (Essential)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex financial issues tactfully and diplomatically. (Essential)
• Strong character and negotiation skills to ensure managers and partners remain within budgets. (Essential)
• Detailed knowledge of the financial climate and funding regime under which local authorities operate. (Essential)
• Ability to give advice and guidance to trainee accountants. (Essential)
• Experience in leading technical projects. (Essential)
• Mentoring and supervision skills. (Essential)
• Problem-solving abilities. (Essential)

Behaviours:

• Reacts quickly to changing strategies or ideas, promotes and facilitates change easily, and navigates staff through periods of uncertainty with positivity. (Essential)
• Actively listens to understand specific challenges, building rapport by showing empathy. (Essential)
• Demonstrates Arun's values in developing working practices and policies to inspire and motivate. (Essential)

Competencies:

• Leadership:
  A role model and mentor for strategic direction, fostering a culture that supports our values and goals by minimizing conflict and inspiring, influencing, and encouraging others. (Essential)
• Change Management:
  Ability to lead change projects with significant strategic impact, effectively planning and managing their implementation. (Essential)
• Strategic Thinking:
  Contributes to the strategic direction of the Council, providing clear leadership and designing services to deliver the Council's vision, values, and strategic objectives. (Essential)
• Influence:
  Respects the authority and influence afforded to the role, able to influence others by persuading, encouraging, and gaining support to ensure positive outcomes. (Essential)
• Communication:
  Able to strategically communicate to all levels, often relating to contentious and complicated matters, respectfully, confidently, and appropriately. (Essential)
• Emotional Intelligence:
  Demonstrates and actively seeks to understand and evolve self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, coaching others to do the same. (Essential)
• Decision Making:
  Makes innovative and transformative decisions that shape the future of Arun as an organization, understanding the potential impacts of their decisions, and challenging the status quo. (Essential)
• Organisational Awareness:
  Understands the work and objectives of the Council's functions and contributes to the delivery of key strategic objectives, with a detailed understanding of working in a political environment. (Essential)

What you'll get in return
Very Flexible working options available
Excellent career progression opportunities

Gym Membership

Generous Annual Leave

Opportunity to accrue extra leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Pension Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Training & Development Opportunities

Health & Wellbeing Benefits

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.