Interim Finance Analyst - Finance

Reference no: Brent 5257762

Pay Rate: 400.00 per day PAYE 

36 Monday Friday, normal working hours

This opening assignment is for 4-5 months

City: WEMBLEY, LONDON

The role of Finance Analyst will be responsible for financial support to departments and schools including such areas as the annual budget, monthly monitoring, statutory reporting, Tax and VAT, Exchequer, Controls and supporting overall council functions. The role will deputise for the Senior Finance Analyst.

The post holder will support officers, providing them with high level professional advice on a broad range of financial issues, including the administration of banking and prepaid card systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Undertake the preparation of budgets, to assist service areas with budget projections and provide critical challenge on a monthly basis, or as required
• Ensure a system of adequate internal controls exists in respect of financial matters
• Ensure that accurate financial returns, to both internal and external bodies including CIPFA, are made on a timely basis
• Advise on the financial viability of new or existing projects and policy proposals
• Liaison with both Internal and External Auditors
• Provide advice to service managers on financial matters, including interpretation and compliance with financial regulations
• Support month end and year end processes, preparing performance and other reports
• Keep the Council s asset register up to date.
• Support schools and their bursars in their roles and their financial development needs
• Support the development and maintenance of a full range of buy-back services for schools through effective SLA arrangements in a customer focused way. 

Qualifications: 

• AAT qualified, part qualified CCAB or CII + ongoing study OR equivalent experience

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of Oracle Financials reporting Business Objects and ADI
• Knowledge of accounting principals, policies and practices
• Knowledge of financial accounting and control
• Knowledge of local government funding arrangements
• Knowledge of statutory and regulatory reporting requirements in banking
• Knowledge of capital accounting and regulation funding
• A working knowledge of project management methodology
• Knowledge of banking rules and regulations
• Sound understanding of income tax issues

Experience:  

• Experience in investigating changes to accounting rules and areas of potential breach, proposing and implementing viable solutions.
• Experience in producing briefings and reports on specific issues for senior managers. Using information to support arguments and recommendations and able to present complex information verbally as well as in written form. Can produce presentations on specific issues and deliver them to managers and other finance staff
• Experience in identifying major issues and proposing solutions
• Experience with working with managers to identify potential corrective action in response to significant variances, and to develop appropriate action plans.
• Experience of providing advice and support to council service departments whilst at the same time monitoring financial activities and standing on behalf of the Operational Director of Finance.
• Experience of using banking systems
• Experience in local government across both the Housing General Fund and HRA
• Experience in capital year-end
• Analysing information to identify trends and sound inferences from the information. Investigates issues that arise. 
• Income Tax issues / P11D / CIS / VAT / TMA.

Skills & Abilities: 

• Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite). 
• Good organisational skills and ability to get staff from across the organisation to provide information promptly
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to produce written reports collating financial information from across the organisation
• Ability to apply complex technical rules where required, is aware of changes and can explain the impact of them
• Ability to identify potential budget issues and bring them to the attention of the relevant budget manager or finance manager. Takes responsibility for larger areas of budget development. Undertakes analysis on behalf of budget managers or finance managers
• Ability to analyse monitoring information and identify variances and trends, identifying impact those trends will have, producing forecasts and projections
• Ability to support budget managers and investigate more complicated issues
• Ability to make recommendations for decisions by senior officers.
• Able to take decisions on open ended issues with guidance from line manager and be able to clearly explain reasoning behind decisions taken