Local Government Jobs

Benefits and Allowances

The Directorate will look to support successful candidates in progression of an accountancy qualification where appropriate.

Role Purpose

Following the promotion of the previous postholder, we are looking to appoint an experienced accountant to join the Authority’s Development and Renewal Finance team.

You will lead a small team providing a comprehensive accountancy and financial monitoring service for the Development and Renewal Directorate’s General Fund and Trading Account activities. The Directorate leads on the delivery of sustainable communities, and brings together a number of key services, including strategic planning, strategic transport, regeneration, housing, development control, building control and asset management. It is also responsible for maximising the regeneration impact for Tower Hamlets of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Key Responsibilities

As Senior Accountant, you will support Directorate Managers in undertaking their service delivery roles.You will be responsible for the monthly revenue monitoring, budget setting, closedown and other operational financial issues related to the Directorate’s activities.

You will manage the purchasing and payments role of the Directorate, including the e-procurement function, and the administration of the Energy Services target and monitoring system.You will lead on Value for Money initiatives and assist budget holders in supporting Best Value practices.

You will be responsible for the completion of various government returns, and liaison with the external auditor on these and other accounting matters will be necessary.

The post is currently responsible for the management of five members of staff.

Requirements

You will need to demonstrate relevant experience of financial management and reporting in a large, complex environment as well as detailed knowledge of local authority accounting.

You should be CCAB qualified, or have equivalent extensive experience and knowledge, appropriate to the level of this position. Strong technical management accounting skills are essential, as are excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills, because this role involves a considerable degree of interaction with senior staff, both within the Directorate and across the Council. While a local authority background would be advantageous, it is not essential provided candidates can demonstrate a good understanding of local government finance.

Experience of staff management and an ability to motivate, negotiate and work effectively across organisational boundaries to achieve desired outcomes is also essential, as is experience of advising senior officers and Members.

Additional Information

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is dynamic, vibrant and changing fast. It faces unique challenges – but also offers significant opportunities.

The borough is one of the top growth areas in the country, and is at the heart of the Mayor for London’s plans to retain London as a world city. With the further expansion of Canary Wharf, the Thames Gateway development and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we will see huge growth in population, jobs, homes and infrastructure by 2015. Yet Tower Hamlets is still the third most deprived borough in the country, with stark and persistent inequality.

This combination of deprivation and inequality, on the one hand, and the growth, regeneration and investment that will take place over the next 50 years on the other, makes Tower Hamlets unique, and in the face of a challenging economic climate, the Council has continued to lead wide-scale regeneration.

More than 22,000 applicants are registered on the Council’s housing list, with more than 40% of these classified as living in overcrowded accommodation.

The Authority provides homes for approximately 13,000 tenants and 9,000 leaseholders. Housing services are managed through the Council’s ALMO – Tower Hamlets Homes – which is scheduled for inspection in November 2010.