Please note there are two roles available, both are on a permanent basis.

One position sits within the Place & Public Health team and other positions sits within the Adults social care team.

As a Management Accountant, you will be responsible for the delivery of all aspects of operational financial management within your functional area.
You will build strong relationships with internal and external partners and be able to competently influence, contribute and challenge, at a broad range of senior management forums to ensure financial forecasts and future budget plans are based on robust financial information.

You will be a qualified professional with strong technical and systems knowledge to actively contribute and influence the decision-making process in relation to medium term planning.

Role requirements

* Responsible for the preparation, quality assurance, detailed analytics and trend analysis in the development of financial forecasts and future budget plans for services across the financial cycle ensuring they reflect operational and strategic objectives
* Leads, manages and motivates a finance team to deliver high quality financial information, analysis and provide constructive challenge to support budget holders. Understand customer needs and provide a greatly valued service.
* Ensure timely and accurate information and advice is in accordance with Financial Regulations and all accounting standards to ensure the effective management of budgets and future budget planning by all budget holders. Maintain a high standard of technical information to ensure your team by working closely with the Chief Accountant throughout the financial cycle in particular the closure of accounts.
* Work collaboratively with the Financial Systems & Processes Manager to support the Finance Hub arrangements and identify and develop system and process improvements to ensure the finance function delivers high quality outputs and information.
* Maintain a high level of service/function understanding across a function to be able to constructively challenge and influence internal and external partners. Advise on the development of cost drivers, the preparation of relevant and accurate financial models, estimates and forecasts to enable the function to highlight opportunities as well as the potential risks.
* To be the Finance expert coordinating understanding of a functions' financial forecasting, modelling and budget planning processes across the financial cycle
* Implement and maintain effective financial management arrangements and promote the improvement of financial awareness, capability and practice to empower budget holders to deliver value for money services. Manage all areas of concern.
* Through a high level of service understanding and financial reporting support budget holders and finance business partners to prepare robust business cases, identifying and quantifying associated costs, benefits and risks.
* Co-ordinates the annual accounts closure for a functional area through active engagement, training and support with budget holders to ensure all relevant timescales are met.
* Manage the analysis, interpretation and support of financial and performance data to complete financial returns, questionnaires and information requests as required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

* Full CCAB and evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area
* Knowledge & understanding of financial management and financial frameworks in a large organisation, preferably within the public sector.
* Experience of leading and managing teams.
* Experience of delivering improvements within a finance setting.
* Providing financial advice & support to management teams.
* Experience of evaluating and supporting innovative and effective means of financing the delivery of large-scale services.
* Experience of working with others to build effective working relationships with finance colleagues and other senior managers.

Qualifications should be brought to interview.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/benefits

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.