Summary: The role of Accountant for the Local Authority in Leicester involves providing financial support during the year-end and audit processes, ensuring compliance with accounting regulations. The position requires an experienced Financial Accountant, preferably with local government experience, to prepare statutory accounts and liaise with external auditors. The role is hybrid, requiring in-office attendance at least once a week, and is offered on a 6-month contract basis with potential for permanent placement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide financial and other information/advice to agreed timescales.
• Complete and submit statistical information, specialist support, and returns as appropriate.
• Prepare the statutory accounts and lead the year-end planning process, including delivering training on year-end processes.
• Act as a key contact for external auditors, ensuring audit responses are accurate and completed within agreed timescales.
• Support the process to review balance sheet reconciliations.
• Coordinate and monitor revenue budget setting, preparation, and monitoring within agreed timescales.
• Oversee the completion and submission of grant returns, subsidy, and other claims for reimbursement of monies due to the council.

Key Skills:

• Hands-on experience of preparing statutory year-end accounts for a minimum of 3 years.
• Experience of planning and leading a year-end closedown through to audit conclusion.
• Experience of resolving audit queries.
• Experience of maintaining a changes log, with journal entries, and preparing a final set of accounts.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Ability to own the numbers and drive progress.
• Ability to achieve a high level of accuracy and be numerate.
• Experience of working in a large complex public sector organization (ideally local government).
• CCAB qualified (QBE considered for exceptional candidates).

Salary (Rate): £23

City: Leicester

Country: United Kingdom

Working Arrangements: hybrid

IR35 Status: inside IR35

Seniority Level: Mid-Level

Industry: Finance