Finance Partner - Education

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Your new role
As Finance Partner and ideally a qualified Accountant (ACCA/CIPFA/CIMA/ACA), you will be undertaking the provision of financial advice and guidance to managers to improve business performance and the delivery of the Cabinet's vision, priorities and values for the education sector across the council region. This will include being able to identify, develop and support opportunities and initiatives to transform the delivery of financial services across the Council as well as the implementation of business process improvements alongside providing financial advice and guidance for managers in allocated service areas. This will ensure you can acquire and maintain comprehensive service-specific knowledge and support policy development as appropriate. You will be developing capital and revenue business cases and options appraisals in support of strategic business objectives, enabling you to identify, investigate and support the reduction of cost pressures as well as additional income-generation opportunities and/or savings. You will achieve success by undertaking process and service benchmarking and ensuring you provide financial support to specific revenue and capital projects. The ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships to support cooperative ways of working, effective decision-making and management of financial resources, as well as coaching and mentoring where needed, is a fundamental aspect of this role.

What you'll need to succeed
You will ideally hold a professional accountancy qualification or demonstrable commitment to studying for a qualification, and have experience of improving the financial performance of services, including budget setting and the use of benchmarking and other analytical approaches. As well as this, you will be well-versed in providing financial advice, guidance and analysis to non-financial managers - demonstrating well-developed interpersonal and relationship management skills, with the ability to work both independently and also as part of a multidisciplinary team. As an excellent communicator of financial information and concepts, you will also have experience of completing business cases and option appraisals and providing financial support to projects. With a good working knowledge of relevant financial, legal and technical policies, regulations and procedures within a local authority context. Your well-developed ICT skills and a track record of using financial systems and software packages and an open and collaborative working style and effective business partnering skills will complement your ability to proactively understand and resolve business performance issues. In this role you will be managing multiple competing priorities and working to delivery deadlines. Having experience of working in a local government environment and a detailed understanding of current issues in relation to local government finance, and the local, regional and national efficiency agenda will ensure you are successful in this post.

What you'll get in return
With excellent benefits, a collaborative and inclusive working environment, flexibility and a knowledgeable and friendly team around you.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.