The Role

Are you an aspiring senior manager ready to take the next step in your career?

Do you have high level experience in local authority accounting, year-end close down, capital accounting, or in treasury management?

If yes, we have the perfect role for you!

An exciting development opportunity has arisen to appoint a Head of Accountancy to lead the central Accountancy Team following the successful internal promotion of the existing post holder. We are looking for a qualified accountant who will become an active member of the management team.

About the role

As the successful candidate you will have responsibility for leading a team whose primary task is to close the Accounts for both Councils, including the production of the final Statements and leading the relationship with the external auditors. Alongside this, you will support the Chief Accountant in the continuous improvement in the Accountancy Service through project work, and the planning and implementation of quality initiatives.

The Accountancy team also has the day-to-day responsibility for capital (strategy and reporting, in year monitoring, and financing), financial accounting, the Collection Fund, a large combined investment portfolio of just under £1bn, treasury and cashflow management, banking administration, asset accounting, and VAT accounting and advice – all of which you will lead. Therefore, this wide-ranging role can provide invaluable experience for future development in a wide remit of finance functions that are held within one team at Richmond and Wandsworth.

Our offices are in the Grade II listed building of Wandsworth Town Hall which is centrally located in the heart of vibrant Wandsworth Town. The offices are a 10 minute bus journey from Clapham Junction, or under a 10 minute walk to Wandsworth Town Station where direct trains are 15 minutes to London Waterloo. The Accountancy Service is currently working between home locations and the office.  

About you

You will have an in-depth knowledge of statutory financial reporting requirements and financial regulations combined with proven experience of local authority accounting, you will have an analytical mind, be a well-developed communicator, be self-motivated and be committed to providing good customer care. You’ll also hold a recognised CCAB Accountancy Qualification or equivalent. This post provides an invaluable opportunity for someone to gain experience of working for two London councils in a single role. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and further training will be provided on appointment. 

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about the roles, please contact Alicia Attoe at Alicia.Attoe@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk.

Agile working

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders, and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know. 

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!  

Benefits

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed hours, term time only, job shares and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.  

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments. 

Indicative Recruitment Timeline: 

Closing Date: 19^th November 2023

Shortlisting Date: W/C 20^th November 2023

Interview Date: W/C 27^th November 2023 (at Wandsworth Town Hall) 

Useful Information:  

The salary for this post is up to £78,000 (2022/23 Pay Scale)

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  

Equality

We particularly welcome applications from all sections of the community. Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.  

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.  

The application process for this campaign will be anonymised.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils