Accountant

Description

Description

• Finance is a key enabling service for North Yorkshire Council. It operates a ‘hub and spoke’ business partnering model providing support for the corporate core and organisation generally, as well as specific support to the council’s 5 directorates.
• The team is structured into directorate-based teams led by an Assistant Director (lead finance business partners) which in turn are supported by Heads of Finance and in most service areas, Senior Accountants, which are the key managerial and professional roles within the service with responsibility for a portfolio of services.
• The continued success and development of the service is dependent upon delivering high-quality, value for money services which meet the needs of customers.
• This is a customer facing role and requires the establishment of strong relationships with customers (both internal and external).
• The Finance Team is part of the Resources Directorate. The service is responsible for financial management advice, support and systems for the Council and a number of external clients.

 

Job Purpose:  

• The core focus of this job is to work within a specialist team -providing financial information, advice and support to a range of customers including budget managers, senior management, and partners / external clients.

 

The role of Accountant within the Finance Team is a generic supporting role, in one of the areas of specialism within the following Head of Finance portfolios:

 

• Children & Families, Inclusion and Education & Skills
• Schools, High Needs and Early Years
• Adult Social Care
• Corporate and Technical
• Strategic Finance and Central Services
• External/Commercial
• Planning and Economic Development
• Culture, Leisure and Housing
• Highways and Waste
• Transport, Regulatory and Projects

 

Post holders will work within a team of specialist finance staff to deliver a range of financial support services. Post holders will support the area of responsibility to which they are assigned but will also, as required, provide financial support across the service to help teams manage fluctuating demand.

 

 

Job profile

• The Finance Service operates through a business partnering model.
• As we bring together the former 8 councils in North Yorkshire, service managers will be on a journey towards taking responsibility for the finances of their business using a range of self-serve tools and Finance team support targeted at higher risk and value-added areas.
• The finance team is based at County Hall but the service is delivered through hybrid working including working from any of the Council’s offices or at home to meet the needs of our customers and teams.
• The job involves some travel to visit clients and attend team meetings and training courses.

  

Job specifics – general information

• The core focus of this job is to provide financial information, advice and support to a range of customers including budget managers, senior management, and partners/external clients.
• Post holders will ensure that, as part of a larger integrated Finance team, their own support is in line with the agreed operating model and consistent across the finance service.
• A key feature of this generic job role is the expectation that post holders will rotate according to business needs and individual development needs.
• As an Accountant in the Finance Team, the post-holder would be expected to work across a number of different functional areas depending on business needs, providing a high-quality service that promotes customer self-help.
• Working closely with other support services and customers, the post-holder may be expected to work with key partner organisations including health, schools, and other external customers.
• The Finance Team providers a centre of expertise in commercial work and financial modelling, and the post-holder will be expected to contribute to the Council’s commercial agenda both supporting services to be commercially aware and through identifying and maximising opportunities for the Finance Team to generate income streams.
• The post holder will also provide financial support to services in relation to transformational change projects and focussed service reviews.
• The post-holder will not undertake line management responsibilities, but will be expected to lead on substantial pieces of work and supervise the work of others, which will occasionally include other Accountants.
• The job specific service areas for each role are set out in the Operating Model.

  

   

Operational management    

• Assist and support budget managers through budget setting and monitoring as part of the framework for the finance function as a whole,
• Assess financial implications of initiatives and/or changes to the business of the Council.
• Analyse financial performance, so contributing to medium and long term business planning/forecasts.
• Promote and uphold standard ways of working in line with the framework for the finance function as a whole, as determined by the Corporate Director, Resources.
• Ensure appropriate professional financial and related standards as required by the Corporate Director, Resources and the Council’s Constitution.
• Assist and support budget managers to ensure completion of the annual financial accounts in line with the framework as determined by the Corporate Director, Resources.
• Assist in the development of business cases and commercial ventures, including using a range of estimating, forecasting and scenario testing techniques.
• To deputise for Senior Accountant or Head of Finance as required.
• Undertake financial modelling/scenario analysis on such projects/budgets as assigned to the post.
• Provide financial support to projects.
• Assist in the provision of financial support to higher risk projects and budgets.
• Promote professional standards in line with statutory and regulatory requirements and as determined by the Corporate Director, Strategic Resources.
• Contribute to the preparation of statistical returns, closedown of accounts and other returns

 

 

Communications       

• Offer professional judgement on financial matters and advising on ways of improving business performance.
• Deliver financial and related training to a range of customers.
• Promote a culture of informed and evidence (from a range of sources) based decision making and provide such support as required to a range of customers.

 

Partnership / corporate working      

• Liaise with other teams internal and external to finance including business support in order to ensure the consistency and integrity of data within financial systems.
• Work alongside the finance business partners to provide support in the provision of financial processes and information to the business.

 

Resource Management         

• Ensure a sound budgetary control environment within areas assigned to the post.
• Ensure structural integrity of the ledger and related financial systems relating to the areas assigned to the post.
• Prepare and contribute towards reports to management/Members where there are financial or financially related considerations.
• Supervise such staff as assigned to the post or to the task/project.

 

Systems and information      

• Contribute towards development of key financial and management information systems as part of a team approach with services, ICT and Project Management.
• Ensure structural integrity of the general ledger and related financial systems relating to the areas assigned to the post.
• Prepare and contribute towards reports to management/Members where there is financial or financially related considerations.
• Ensure a sound budgetary control environment within areas assigned to the post.

 

Strategic Management         

• Carry out projects where there is a need for strategic financial input as assigned to the post.