Financial Reporting Manager

About the company

Brief Description of job role and department Financial Reporting Manager

The Shared Finance Service ambition is to add value, inspire success and this role is part

of the Shared Finance Service (SFS) collectively responsible for delivering SFS activities

to realise this ambition. The role provides direct support to the Head of Financial Reporting

& Control and may be required to deputise as required.

Your tasks

The post holder is required to support the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to

maintain the integrity of financial records and accounts for Kingston and Sutton. The post

holder will take responsibility for leading and managing the annual closing process and in

year financial reporting to senior officers. The post holder will also provide leadership to

the systems and control functions. The post holder will work as part of the Senior

Leadership Team of the service to provide inspirational leadership and drive cultural

change to ensure the service reflects the INSPIRE values and achieves excellent

outcomes.

Representative accountabilities Financial Reporting Manager Apply professional judgement to interpret and apply policies and procedures to meet

specific local or service needs.

Provide day to day management and professional supervision to staff to ensure

operational plans and activities are delivered effectively.

Provide assurance that the Council’s operations are being conducted within defined

regulatory, statutory and professional standards.

Lead small projects and implement changes and improvements within agreed cost,

time and quality standards.

Where relevant manage service level budgets and resources in order to support the

delivery of intended outcomes and demonstrate value for money.

Budgetary accountabilities Responsible for provision of support, advice and challenge on the accounting and

control of both Kingston and Sutton bank accounts and budgets

Responsible for supporting the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to maintain

the integrity of both Councils financial ledgers and financial reporting and

Leadership & Management Take a proactive role in providing inspirational leadership to the finance team as

part of the Senior Leadership Tier of the shared finance service

Provide direct line management of 1-5 staff to deliver financial reporting activities

Support staff development through coaching and mentoring across the service,

helping to fulfil the Shared Finance Service ambition of growing our own talent

Play an active role in Council leadership networks and lead by example to embed

Councils Support the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to provide consistently high

quality support, advice and challenge to the Assistant Directors (Finance) and the

s151 officers in all aspects of financial reporting Support the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to manage and report corporate

financial health and in year budget monitoring updates, ensuring key issues are

communicated effectively to colleagues in the Kingston Financial Planning & Major

Projects Team and Sutton Financial Strategy to inform financial planning

Complete statutory returns related to the collection fund accounts and ensure year

end accounting is completed in line with statutory guidance

Lead on the management and control of the Councils balance sheet, grants,

reserves and corporate funding to protect the integrity of the accounts, to manage

financial risk, and to support the ADs Finance and the S151 officer in strategic

management of the Councils financial position Develop and implement effective financial controls that ensure the accurate and

timely allocation of income, protect the Council against fraud and financial crime,

and provide assurance over both Council’s banking arrangements

Support the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to commission and manage the

Councils banking contracts, tax advisory services, and financial subscription

services Lead the annual closing processes and provide technical accounting expertise to

support the Head of Financial Reporting & Control to produce the statement of

accounts in line with statutory guidance and timescales Develop effective working relationships with internal and external audit to enable

the delivery of external audit opinion on the accounts by the statutory deadline

Take responsibility for creating a centre of specialist expert knowledge of Local

Government accounting, reporting requirements and governance Provide high quality professional advice on the financial accounting implications of

proposals and draft financial comments on Committee Reports to inform decision

making Lead on the development of a SFS culture that encourages challenge and

empowers finance staff to challenge services to deliver more from their financial

resources by testing the status quo and seeking improved outcomes

Empower staff to fulfil their potential and create interesting & varied career paths

through effective apprenticeships and training schemes and supporting individuals

Requirements

to gain relevant financial qualifications Person specification (knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required in the

CCAB (or equivalent) qualified Detailed knowledge & experience of closing the financial accounts for a large Local

Authority, including liaison with Internal and External Auditors.

Experience of leading or contributing to the production of Local Authority statement

of accounts Knowledge and experience of financial reporting requirements for a Local Authority

Experience of identifying and delivering service improvements or digital innovation

to reduce costs and achieve better outcomes Knowledge and understanding of financial control and governance processes that

provide strong stewardship of public monies