Senior Finance Manager

Job Category : Interims

Location :ALEXANDRA HOUSE, London Borough of Haringey

Hours Per Week : 36.00

Start Date : Immediate Start

Start Time : 09:00

End Time : 17:30

Salary: £357.60 Per Day

This role is a fantastic opportunity for a qualified accountant with significant Housing revenue account (HRA) experience.

It requires someone with good communication and analytical skills. The post holder reports to head of finance (housing)

And post holder might be required to have a line management responsibility.

The role requires that the post holder works well with high level internal and external stakeholders.

It is an exciting role that allows one to exercise initiative and good judgement in delivering services, Council aims and objectives.

• Practical experience of preparing of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) annual statement of accounts and notes from start to finish and dealing with subsequent audit queries.

• Practical experience of annual housing rent setting and tenants’ service charge reviews.

• Knowledge of maintaining financial models for rent setting, service charge reviews and the HRA Business Plan.

• Experience of supporting the preparation of HRA budgets for the council’s annual Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) review.

• Experience of submitting financial data for the annual core benchmarking exercise to enable comparison with other local authorities housing services or ALMOs.

• Experience of preparing and submitting statutory housing returns – LAHS / LADR / RO / RA.

• Experience of preparing and submitting VAT returns to HMRC

• To support the Heads of Finance and Business Partnering across a defined portfolio of service finance areas, working with Directorate Management Teams.

• In the absence of the Head of Finance, provide Finance Representation at Priority, Programme and Project Boards, including transformation boards.

• Work with Senior Managers to determine policy responses to Legislative and Demographic Change.

• Review Benchmarking Information and Identify Action Plans for Savings.

• To support services in identification of funding sources for projects and preparation of bidding documentation.

• Partnership working and negotiation with organisations such as the GLA and CCG including pooled budget arrangements.

• Ensure Expenditure is in Line with Corporate Priorities and that budgets are set on this basis.

• Ensure budget monitoring position is understood and mitigating corrective action taken where an overspend is projected.

• High Level Understanding of Costs and Benefits of Alternative Delivery Options.

• Clearance of certain Committee Reports / Provision of Finance Comments.

• In the absence of the Head of Finance attend Committee meetings.

• Key finance representative for senior internal and external stakeholders

• Support to the delivery of projects with a complex financial implications or financial support to strategic service projects.

• Oversee budget modelling to determine financial impact of future service demands, changes in legislation and other factors determining resource requirements.

• Working with external partners in building collaborative proposals and joint working arrangements and delivering positive outcomes.

• Ensuring the financial implication for Cabinet and other reports are robust and fully inform service and corporate decision making.

• Supporting the statutory accounts process and the delivery of the Council’s statement of accounts, the external audit opinion and associated financial returns.

• Participate and network with external agencies and partners nationally.

• Ensure all direct and indirect reports have adequate supervision, training and support and ensure that tasks are allocated in line with current priorities and deadlines, and work is planned and carried out in accordance with deadlines.

• To sign off and authorise work completed by direct and indirect reports, ensuring that best practice is being followed and high standards maintained.

• Participate in all council staff management and development processes including appraisals, my conversation, finance forum etc.

•

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Degree level or equivalent qualification or extensive relevant experience.

• Membership of appropriate professional body by examination e.g. CIPFA, or other CCAB body; plus evidence of continuing professional development (CPD).

• Excellent communication and analytical skills.

• Ability to work with high level internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to exercise initiative and good judgement in delivering service and Council aims and objectives.

• Knowledge of the production of Statutory accounts in accordance with IFRS and the Companies Act.

• Knowledge of Business Planning practices and techniques

• Knowledge of how to establish and operate a performance management regime in a complex professional environment.

• Knowledge of Financial Regulations

• Knowledge of current Banking Rules & Direct Debit procedures

• Knowledge of Local Government Finance and of all aspects of Housing Finance

• Knowledge of local government housing finance and accountancy practice

• Knowledge of Efficiency and Value for Money principles and objectives

• Ability to manipulate and analyse large quantities of financial & non-financial data.

• Ability to set and monitor clear and challenging objectives.

• Ability to originate creative solutions to problems and gain acceptance of them.

• Ability to motivate staff to a high level of personal and professional attainment.

• Ability to interpret legislation and other complex financial regulatory instruments.

• Ability to lead, contribute to, and co-ordinate multi-disciplinary projects.

• Negotiation skills with staff, trade unions and other agencies

• Effective staff management including leadership and team building skills.