Management Accountant - Children's Services

Wokingham Borough Council has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Management Accountant to join us as a key member of the Council’s Finance team, on a 2 year fixed term contract.                                     

As the Management Accountant, you will report to the Finance Business Partner for Children’s Service, providing support on all financial matters relating to SEND and High Needs Block, including timely and high quality financial advice to a range of budget managers.

To be successful in this role you will have proven experience of finance in a complex organisation and share a commitment to continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will have a background in schools finance with a good working knowledge of SEND and High Needs Block funding arrangements.

Wokingham Borough Council offers excellent employment benefits including flexible working, an enhanced local government pension scheme, generous annual leave entitlement and much more. The finance team currently operate a hybrid working arrangement, with time split between home and Council’s offices.

Key Duties, Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

• Budget setting, budget monitoring, year-end closedown and statutory returns
• Provide support and advice to budget managers, promoting strong financial governance
• Assisting with preparation and presentation of reports to Management Teams
• Provide advice and support on legislative and guidance changes
• To be the Finance representative on multi-disciplinary groups, such as projects under the Council’s Safety Valve Programme
• Assisting with delivery of training, such as to budget managers / other council colleagues

Skills, Attributes & Experience required: 

• Qualified / part qualified accountant, or able to demonstrate ‘qualification by experience’
• Experience of SEND finance
• Have an outstanding track record in delivering a customer focused service
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Teams, Excel, Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
• Ability to operate in large, complex and political organisations

Interested in the role and want to know more?

For an informal discussion please contact:  Lynne Samuel, Finance Business Partner – Children’s Services 07766 99 8686 or lynne.samuel@wokingham.gov.uk.    

Closing date: 18th June 2023

Interview date: Week Commencing 19th June 2023

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.

Please note, we will be reviewing applications daily, and if suitable candidates are identified this advert may close before the closing date.

Whilst this is a fixed term contract appointment, for anyone already employed by Wokingham Borough Council this would be classed as a secondment if successful.  Therefore, the usual permission requests for secondments apply and you must speak to your line manager in the first instance before applying.