Finance Analyst - #2142381

Positive Employment is currently recruiting for a Finance Analyst for our client, a local government organisation based in Wembley, London.

The client is seeking a highly analytical and commercially minded Senior Finance Analyst to support Brent Council's Income and Debt Improvement Programme on a six-month fixed-term basis.

This is a unique opportunity to apply advanced analytical skills to one of the organisaiton's key financial priorities, helping to improve income collection, reduce outstanding debt and strengthen decision-making across a range of services

The successful post holder will work with large and complex datasets, to analyse debt portfolios, recovery activity and customer behaviour to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement. They will be responsible for developing insight-led recommendations, producing high-quality management information and supporting the delivery of targeted interventions across areas including Council Tax, Adult Social Care debt, Housing Benefit Overpayments and Sundry Debt.

The successful candidate will combine excellent analytical capability with strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations.

This role is a temporary contract with an initial contract length of 6 months with the possibility to extend. Hybrid working with 3 days per week in the office.

Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:

• Make a positive contribution to the delivery of the service. This will include working flexibly and positively to achieve the objectives of the organisation.
• Manage and lead staff to achieve high performance and effective operational delivery, including developing and improving staff capability.
• Manage a customer-focused service and the effective use of resources.
• Ensure that the organisation’s overall vision, values and ethos are central to the requirements of the service.
• Support effective working relationships and act as an ambassador and advocate with external organisations.
• Keep up to date with developments in service delivery and best practice to ensure the service performs effectively and to the highest standards.
• Act as a professional role model to junior staff in the department and to senior managers across the organisation, keeping expert professional knowledge up to date at all times.
• Mentor and support apprentices and lead professional training for the department within own area of responsibility.
• Supervise the day-to-day work of junior staff and lead project teams within the department and across the organisation.
• Be the senior professional financial advisor in respect of a significant (e.g. gross budgets in excess of £100m) area of the organisation's budget (for example, housing, schools, social care or other business areas of similar scale and complexity).
• Carry out, independently, unit costing exercises and value for money reviews in order to improve financial performance and play a significant role in the setting and monitoring of substantial budgets.
• Be the organisation's professional accounting lead for a major area of technical financial accounting complexity (e.g. capital finance, collection fund etc.) and co-ordinate complex corporate financial processes for the organisation.
• Appoint and manage specialist financial advisers as may from time to time be necessary for particular projects.
• Lead in statutory financial reporting within own area of responsibility, ensuring that annual accounts, government returns and similar statistical submissions are completed promptly and accurately, and that the financial implications of the information contained therein are understood and acted upon.
• Draft financial implications for formal committee reports, up to and including for Cabinet, and brief senior managers and Directors accordingly.
• Attend committee meetings as may from time to time be required.
• Advise on and maintain effective systems of financial control and intervene as necessary, with a high degree of professional integrity and credibility, to prevent breaches of financial control.
• Manage operational/transactional functions, for example payroll, pensions and HR management information.
• Advise managers on the implications of audit reports and the actions to be taken in response.
• Provide senior financial analysis to support commercial and contract activities, including advising on contract terms, commercial negotiations and contractors' financial position.
• Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults.
• Carry out duties with due regard to the organisation’s Customer Care, Equal Opportunities, Information Governance, Data Protection, Health and Safety and Emergency Planning & Awareness (including providing assistance where available) policies and procedures.

Personal Requirements:

• CCAB Qualified Accountant.
• Experience working with local government systems, particularly NEC, Mosaic, Abacus and Oracle Financials, will be highly advantageous.
• Manage people, performance and budgets.
• Contribute to the longer term development of the service area.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and report upon large amounts of complex financial, accounting and output information and to analyse complex business processes.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to explain complex financial issues to non financial managers, Directors and Members, adapting style to suit the audience and the issue.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyse and interpret legislation and regulation, and to develop strategic policy responses accordingly.

Working Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Pay: £46.56 per hour (potential flexibility on rate)

Please note this role is within the scope of IR35.