Senior Financial Accountant

Ready to take the lead on high-profile financial reporting and audit delivery? Our local council client is looking for an accomplished, fully qualified finance professional to become its go-to technical expert for financial accounting, year-end closure and external audit. This is your opportunity to shape robust financial practice and make an impact across a major London borough.

The Role

Step into a pivotal leadership role where your technical expertise will influence the quality, accuracy and credibility of the Council’s financial reporting. You will lead the technical financial accounting function, drive the timely delivery of single-entity and group accounts, and ensure full compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice. Working closely with external auditors and finance colleagues, you will strengthen controls, improve audit readiness and turn complex accounting requirements into clear, effective action.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the Council’s annual single-entity and group accounts from planning through to completion.
• Lead current and prior-year external audits, resolving issues and driving them to a successful conclusion.
• Be the trusted technical authority on financial accounting regulations and the CIPFA Code.
• Strengthen financial control through rigorous, risk-based monthly, quarterly and annual reconciliations.
• Deliver complete, accurate and audit-ready working papers within demanding deadlines.
• Build productive, solutions-focused relationships with external auditors and HMRC.
• Oversee VAT and indirect tax arrangements while supporting wider tax compliance.
• Lead and develop the VAT and Technical Accountant, sharing expertise across the finance team.
• Turn audit recommendations and lessons learned into lasting process improvements.

About You

• You are a fully qualified CCAB or CIMA accountant with substantial post-qualification experience.
• You bring strong knowledge of local government financial accounting, regulations and year-end closure.
• You have hands-on experience of company accounting, group accounts and complex technical accounting.
• You know how to lead external audits and produce clear, high-quality working papers.
• You combine sharp numerical analysis with practical problem-solving.
• You are an advanced Excel user with strong Word and PowerPoint skills.
• You communicate with confidence and can influence senior officers, councillors and external partners.
• You are an effective leader who can manage projects, priorities and competing deadlines.
• You understand VAT and indirect tax and can apply that knowledge in practice.

Desirable

• Experience using the CIPFA Asset Manager system.
• Knowledge of SDLT, VAT and Corporation Tax.

Why Apply?

Bring your expertise to a senior role where your judgement will be valued and your work will have genuine visibility. Alongside a salary of £62,688–£82,851, you will have the opportunity to strengthen financial governance, lead critical audit delivery and shape lasting service improvements across a major London borough.

Apply Now

Ready to put your technical expertise at the heart of a high-profile finance function? Take the next step and apply today. Submit your CV before 08:00 on 26 October 2026, quoting reference VAC-(phone number removed)-RQ(phone number removed).

DBHRSolutions is acting as the employment business for this vacancy. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

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