Financial Manager

12 Month Contract With A Local Authority

Job Purpose

To support the effective management of financial planning, performance reporting and governance processes across the organisation. The role will provide high-quality financial and performance analysis, ensuring accurate, timely and reliable information is available to senior officers, elected Members and governance groups to support informed decision-making, effective performance management and strong financial control within a local authority or public sector environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and produce quarterly performance management reports and monthly monitoring packs, ensuring information is accurate, timely and supported by clear narrative, analysis and insight.
  
• Maintain high standards of data quality, consistency and integrity across finance, performance and workforce reporting, working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure information is robust and reliable.
  
• Prepare reports, presentations, briefing papers and other management information for senior leadership teams, boards, committees and governance groups.
  
• Translate complex financial, performance and workforce information into clear, concise and accessible insights for senior officers and elected Members.
  
• Support the monitoring of transformation expenditure against approved budgets, forecasts and business cases, identifying variances, risks and emerging issues and escalating these where appropriate.
  
• Coordinate the annual fees and charges review process, working with service areas to collect and validate information and ensure key deadlines are met.
  
• Manage and reconcile financial control totals throughout the planning and budgeting cycle, ensuring consistency across financial plans, reporting submissions and monitoring information.
  
• Support financial planning, budget monitoring and forecasting activities, providing accurate analysis and highlighting key trends, pressures, risks and opportunities.
  
• Contribute to programme and transformation governance processes, ensuring financial and performance information is appropriately monitored and reported.
  
• Work collaboratively with finance, performance, workforce and service colleagues to resolve data issues and strengthen the quality and consistency of organisational reporting.
  
• Support the preparation of information for senior management and governance meetings, ensuring actions, risks and key performance issues are clearly presented.
  
• Manage competing priorities and reporting deadlines effectively while maintaining a high standard of accuracy and attention to detail.
  
• Provide constructive challenge where appropriate and contribute to the continuous improvement of financial, performance and governance reporting processes.
  

Requirements

• Experience of working in a finance, performance, planning or business management role within a local authority or wider public sector organisation.
  
• Experience of producing high-quality reports, presentations and briefing papers for senior officers, leadership teams, governance groups and elected Members.
  
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret financial and performance information and communicate findings clearly to a range of audiences.
  
• Experience of supporting budget monitoring, forecasting, financial planning or programme and transformation governance activities.
  
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to maintain data accuracy and manage multiple deadlines effectively.
  
• Experience of working with financial and performance data and maintaining high standards of data quality and integrity.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information in a clear and accessible way.
  
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across different service areas and provide constructive challenge when required.
  
• Good organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands in a fast-paced public sector environment.
  
• Ability to work collaboratively while demonstrating initiative, sound judgement and a proactive approach to resolving issues.
  

Additional Information