Principal Accountant

Connect2Luton are excited to recruit a Principal Accountant on behalf of Luton Borough Council.

Main purpose of position:

To lead, co-ordinate and be accountable for the provision of enabling, customer-focussed accountancy and financial management services relating to the departments served by their finance teams.

To ensure that all estimates (revenue and capital) and accounts (revenue, capital and balance sheet) are accurate, timely, consistent with corporate financial policy, practice and guidance, best professional practice and all pertinent legislation and financial regulations.

To deputise for the Finance Business Partner as required and provide high quality financial advice to managers whenever needed.

You will be responsible to:

• Lead, co-ordinate and be accountable for budget monitoring of revenue capital and balance sheet accounts, and of all trading accounts and business plans that relate to the departments for which the service team is responsible. Accountability for ensuring that all monitoring predictions are made by the most appropriate managers based on the best information available, and in line with the corporate timetable and instructions, and that written reasons for variations are provided in accordance with the timetable, concisely and accurately, in a format appropriate for a committee report and as requested by Corporate Finance
• Undertake specialist project work of a complex nature, preparing reports, representing accountancy services on working groups including some external groups and providing financial management and related expertise as and when required.
• Lead, co-ordinate and be accountable for the preparation of revenue and capital estimates (including trading), budget profiling, and scales of charges for the departments for which the Principal Accountant's service team is responsible.
• Manage the process for finding savings in the departments supported by the finance team, taking responsibility for managing, monitoring and keeping up to date a savings tracker in a corporate format, working with the service departments and the finance team in order to do so.
• Undertake continuous professional development to ensure professional standards are maintained and best practice is strengthened.

Skills and Experience:

• Substantial experience gained in a complex environment of accounting functions including budgeting, monitoring, year-end closure, financial modelling and planning
• In depth experience of using IT based financial management systems and the use and development of integrated spreadsheets to produce financial and management information
• Numerate and analytical with the ability to interpret, present or write complex financial reports and presentations to non-experts in a clear and comprehensible manner
• Substantial communication skills - able to communicate with non-accountants, and negotiate, persuade and influence at a very senior level
• Substantial management skills - Able to lead, motivate, enthuse, inform and develop a group of staff
• Able to manage projects and processes using problem solving and project management techniques & able to manage change and respond flexibly to situations to meet tight deadlines
• Substantial organisational skills - able to plan and organise the work of the team and able to meet conflicting work demands, targets and deadlines
• Qualified accountant (CCAB) - i.e. CIPFA, CIMA, ICA, ACCA - or part-qualified with extensive experience and able to demonstrate continuing professional development

About Us

Luton Borough Council have partnered with Kent County Council to create Connect2Luton, a recruitment managed service for all contingent temporary agency, contract, and interim roles at the Council.

Our heritage and being local government owned which means we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the public sector, with many of our employees having previously worked for the Council or have supplied previously into the Council, for several years.

We are an equal opportunities employment agency and business that positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Connect2Luton is a trading style of Luton & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Luton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Luton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.