Financial Reporting Manager

Kingston Advocacy Group; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - GBP 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A Borough Council in the United Kingdom is seeking a qualified Financial Reporting Manager to lead the annual closing process and produce the Statement of Accounts. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Local Authority accounting and a passion for mentoring staff. This role offers a collaborative work environment focused on professional growth, with excellent benefits including flexible working options and extensive leave entitlement.

Benefits

26-31 days of annual leave plus bank holidays

Flexible Working

Learning and development portal

Discounts on local shops and leisure centres

Local Government Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in closing the accounts of a large Local Authority.
• Ability to work collaboratively with peer managers during peak periods.
• Passion for line managing and coaching staff in financial environments.
• Capability to interpret complex legislation into clear advice.
• Commitment to financial governance and integrity of public funds.

Responsibilities

• Lead the annual closing process for financial reports.
• Produce the Statement of Accounts for assigned Council.
• Act as a key advisor on financial reporting strategies.

Skills

Financial Reporting Expertise

Collaborative Leadership

People Development

Strategic Communication

Integrity and Stewardship

Education

CCAB (or equivalent) qualification

Job description

About The Borough

Joining us, you get to work for not just one high performing London Borough, but two. Sutton and Kingston councils have a number of shared services serving both authorities, with some teams and roles more focused on one Council than the other, but the majority are shared across both, meaning you get multiple opportunities to learn from a wider pool of activities and two different political bodies.

We work flexibly in both Sutton and Kingston offices, and support working at home or flexible working patterns that enable you to tailor your working and personal life. We provide the equipment and tools to enable you to work flexibly, and in return ask you to use that flexibility to be creative and ambitious in the services we deliver. There are exciting projects in both Sutton and Kingston including the London Cancer Hub and large housing regeneration programmes. Both boroughs are committed to tackling the climate emergency and investing in new technologies and societal change to reduce carbon emissions.

You should choose Sutton and Kingston if you are looking for an opportunity that will challenge you to deliver more, support you to achieve personal ambitions, and put borough residents at the heart of what you do.

Sutton is a well-connected part of London with a reputation for excellent schools, green spaces, and a thriving heritage and culture offer. The Council has a Liberal Democrat Administration and an ambitious corporate plan. Kingston is a historic Royal borough on the Thames with excellent schools and a vibrant retail centre, guided by a Liberal Democrat Administration and a plan focused on greener, fairer, safer, together outcomes.

About The Role And Our Ideal Candidate

As our Financial Reporting Manager, you will hold a senior leadership position within the Shared Finance Service (SFS). The SFS supports both the Royal Borough of Kingston and the London Borough of Sutton, with two Financial Reporting Managers working in close partnership. Each manager leads the financial integrity and statutory accounts for one of the two authorities.

Reporting to the Head of Financial Reporting & Control, your primary focus will be leading the annual closing process and the production of the Statement of Accounts for your assigned Council. You will provide high-level technical expertise in areas such as the balance sheet, grants and collection fund, and act as a key advisor to the S151 officer and Assistant Director to ensure accurate and strategic financial reporting.

Our Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a CCAB (or equivalent) qualified professional with a deep technical understanding of Local Authority accounting, who thrives in a collaborative, high-performing environment. You should bring:

• Financial Reporting Expertise: Extensive experience in closing the accounts of a large Local Authority and a deep understanding of the CIPFA Code and statutory reporting frameworks.
• Collaborative Leadership: Ability to work with your peer manager to align accounting practices across the shared service and provide mutual support during peak periods.
• People Development: A passion for line managing, coaching, and mentoring staff, helping us fulfil our ambition to grow our own talent within the finance profession.
• Strategic Communication: Capability to interpret complex legislation and translate it into clear, professional advice for Committee Reports and senior decision-makers.
• Integrity and Stewardship: A strong commitment to robust financial governance and protecting the integrity of the public purse.

About Us

The Financial Reporting & Control team covers financial reporting, systems, control and tax, as part of the Finance Shared Service for the London Borough of Sutton and the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. This includes producing the annual statement of accounts which are up to date and on time for both boroughs. The Shared Finance Service ambition is to add value and inspire success and this role is part of the SFS collectively responsible for delivering SFS activities to realise this ambition.

Our Offer To You

We’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop. We encourage you to share ideas, big or small, and they will be supported by colleagues and our management team. Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable work-life balance, including:

• 26-31 days of annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working – Smarter Working Scheme (role dependent)
• Adjustable and agile working with Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal with courses
• Discounts on local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

Apply online outlining the skills, abilities and experience you can bring to this role. Please refer to the requirements in the job profile and ensure your CV details are uploaded correctly. We recognise the benefits of AI in the workplace but reserve the right to reject applications where AI-generated content is used in isolation and without personalised responses. We value authenticity and PRIDE values. We will assess core values during interview and selection. The closing date is given as a guide and we may close early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.

As part of our Diversity Programme we anonymise applications to reduce bias, and interview panels are encouraged to be as diverse as possible. We are committed to removing barriers and enhancing workforce diversity.

Additional Information

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough and strive to create a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We celebrate and respect differences and welcome applications from under represented groups. We offer family-friendly, inclusive policies and staff networks to support diversity. We are a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer, all employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage regardless of contract length. The UK immigration system applies and sponsorship availability varies. Check GOV.UK for right to work guidance; sponsorship is case-by-case and subject to eligibility and budget.