Job Description

The post holder will play a crucial in the delivery of service transformation, driving efficiency and productivity improvements and also the optimisation of income opportunities, to contribute towards the achievement of financial self-sufficiency.

Main duties:

• Be the financial expert of the Council for Housing Services, for both the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and General Fund Housing Services.

• Provide a proactive internal financial advisory service to the Council across a range of major corporate initiatives, projects and schemes.

• Co-ordinate the Council's capital budgets and programme, including financing and all associated balance sheet and asset management transactions.

• Contribute to the delivery of service transformation, driving efficiency and productivity improvements and also the optimisation of income opportunities, to contribute towards the achievement of financial self-sufficiency.

• To take a lead in ensuring the proper administration of financial affairs and monitor compliance with relevant financial standards and legislation, whilst supporting the delivery of a programme of continuous improvement.

• Ensure that members and officers are provided with high quality strategic advice and direction on financial strategies, policies, standards and practices, enabling timely and well-informed decisions to be made in the knowledge of the impact of those decisions will have financially on the Council.

• Lead in specialised areas ensuring thorough financial evaluation/analysis and risk identification, resulting in robust financial data that can be relied upon.

• Challenge services where appropriate on proposals which affect the Council's financial resources.

• Provide financial expertise for and attend various officer working parties and Committee meetings.

• Assistance with various strategies, including the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Treasury Management Strategy

• Supervise various other activities within Financial Services, which may include financial system administration and reporting, system reconciliations and grant claims and returns.

• Co-ordination, completion and certification of statutory and non-statutory returns

• Have in-depth knowledge of all relevant current legislation and interpret new legislation and advise other officers on the financial and operational implications.

• Any other appropriate duties as requested.

Housing Finance

• To act as the Council's expert on all financial matters relating Housing Services, including the HRA and General Fund Housing services;
• To lead and coordinate the planning, monitoring and setting of Housing Revenue Account budgets, incorporating annual rent setting, in compliance with regulations and to meet the objectives set in the HRA Business Plan and Council's Corporate Strategy.

• Contribute to the development of the HRA Business Plan covering 30 years.

• Undertake financial appraisals to advise on strategic investment and disposal options, in accordance with the Council's relevant strategies.

• Manage and co-ordinate the planning, monitoring and setting of the Council's Housing General Fund revenue budgets, contributing to overall budgetary management for the General Fund.

• Completion of year-end HRA service revenue and capital accounts and relevant GF Housing service revenue accounts.

• Contributing to the production of the Council's Statement of Accounts, including the preparation of the HRA Comprehensive Income and Expenditure Statement and Movement in Reserves Statement.

Projects

• To provide a proactive internal financial advisory service to the Council across a range of major corporate initiatives, projects and schemes.

• Support the preparation and analysis of business cases for new activities, investment decisions and decommissioning activities - ensuring that appropriate financial targets are set and that systems are in place to collect sufficient, accurate data on performance.

• Recommend and support moves into new income generating areas and advising on the most efficient company structures and other related financial matters.

• To ensure financial systems and process are fit for purpose, enabling the organisation to develop and ensuring financial information is clear and accessible.

• To provide a client role on the development of financial systems liaising regularly with the Councils Information Technology team.

• To undertake financial analysis and options appraisals of investment decisions, transformation programmes and other corporate initiates and make recommendations to Elected Members and Senior Management Team.

Capital

• Manage and co-ordinate the preparation and setting of the Council's capital budgets, including financing and preparation of reports.

• To play a significant role in the closure of the Council's annual accounts and production of the Statement of Accounts, including extracts of the Comprehensive Income and Expenditure Statement and Balance Sheet, plus the Whole of Government Accounts.

• Provide/contribute to the preparation for and implementation of changes to capital accounting regulations.

• Make a significant contribution towards the production of the Capital Strategy, including the monitoring of capital resources and funding sources.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities