Chief Accountant

Overview:

Recruitment is ongoing for the role of Chief Accountant.

The Chief Accountant will be responsible for the strategic planning in the production and approval of the Organisation's audited statutory Statement of Accounts. The Chief Accountant will also take a strategic approach in company-wide engagement to embed a strong culture of sound accounting knowledge and compliance, to the levels of strategic managers/Heads of Service and Elected Members.

The Chief Accountant role acts as the key point of contact with critical external stakeholders, in particular external auditors and HMRC. Working with the Head of Corporate Finance, the Chief Accountant is a leading officer for developing and maintaining financial standards, compliance and good governance within Finance and across the Organisation.

The Chief Accountant role is a very technical and specialist role which requires extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the latest regulations and best practice.

Key Responsibilities:

• Keeps up to date with developments in the public and private sectors through active involvement in regional and national networks, setting strategies to ensure compliance.
• Equips the Audit Committee with knowledge of the latest accounting practices and the ability to understand the information in the accounts to fulfil their role.
• Manages external auditor interactions, being the lead coordinator of the requests for information, validating responses and ensuring all is provided in a timely manner.
• Plan and direct all accounting processes to ensure that the Organisation's needs and statutory accounting obligations are fully determined, delivered and meet the latest accounting standards.
• Deliver financial training to staff on accounting requirements and standards, including VAT.
• Co-ordinate the Organisation's fees and charges, ensuring that the basis of the charge is clear and the VAT treatment is correct.
• Provide financial advice to the Head of Corporate and Director of Finance on the accounting treatment of technical accounting issues and to the whole company on VAT, providing recommendations on action required.

Qualifications:

• Fully qualified CCAB Accountant and with experience of working in a complex Organisation.
• Evidence of work related continuing professional development.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of latest finanicial accounting standards and highly skilled at intercepting them.
• Extensive experience and knowledge of VAT, its application and implications on courses of action.
• Substantial managerial experience and skills gained at a senior level, including contributing to the Corporate Management of an organisation where required.
• Significant knowledge and experience of the development, agreement and delivery of service plans.
• Sound understanding and practice of multi-disciplinary working.
• Demonstratable experience of the effective deployment, continuing developmment and supervision of professional and other staff resources.

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