Interim Closedown Support Accountant

Job Opportunity – Interim Closedown Support Accountant – South West England

A local authority client of mine is currently seeking an Interim Closedown Support Accountant to provide additional support throughout a busy year-end and accounts closure period.

This opportunity would suit an experienced local government finance professional with a strong understanding of local authority accounting requirements, year-end processes, and statutory reporting.

Job Title: Interim Closedown Support Accountant

Location: South West England

Contract Duration: 4-6 Months (Potential Extension)

Rate: DOE

IR35 Status: Inside IR35

Working Arrangement: Hybrid Working Available

Days: 5 Days Per Week

Start Date: ASAP

Key Responsibilities

• Support the production of the Council's year-end Statement of Accounts and associated closedown activities.
• Prepare and review accruals, provisions, reserves, balance sheet reconciliations, and capital accounting entries.
• Provide technical accounting support, ensuring compliance with CIPFA guidelines and local government accounting standards.
• Produce financial reports, investigate variances, and resolve accounting discrepancies.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors, providing working papers and responding to audit queries.

Essential Candidate Requirements

• Previous experience supporting local authority year-end closedown, including Statement of Accounts preparation and year-end accounting processes.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including CIPFA regulations, balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, reserves, and capital accounting.
• CCAB Qualified (or equivalent experience) with excellent Excel skills and the ability to work independently to meet strict deadlines.