Head of Finance

Overview

An established local authority in the South West is recruiting a Head of Finance (Adults) to provide strategic leadership across the finance function supporting adult services. This is a senior role responsible for strong financial governance, high-quality reporting, and trusted advice to senior leaders and elected members-helping shape decision-making across complex, high-impact services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Adults finance team, embedding high standards, continuous improvement, and effective performance management.
• Provide strategic financial leadership, ensuring sound planning, budget management and long-term sustainability.
• Oversee delivery of statutory and corporate finance requirements, including Statement of Accounts inputs and grant claims.
• Ensure robust financial controls, compliance, and risk management (including local government statutory duties).
• Deliver clear, timely financial reporting and insight to senior stakeholders to support decision-making.
• Build effective relationships with internal stakeholders, auditors, and external partners; confidently represent finance in formal settings.
• Oversee key finance activities including budget monitoring, financial analysis and wider operational finance delivery.

Qualifications

• CCAB-qualified accountant (e.g., ACA / ACCA / CIMA / CIPFA or equivalent).
• Significant senior finance leadership experience in a complex organisation (public sector/local government strongly preferred).
• Strong technical accounting and reporting capability, with evidence of driving financial improvement.
• Experience managing large-scale budgets and advising senior stakeholders in a politically aware environment.
• Strong systems capability (general ledger/ERP-Oracle experience beneficial) and advanced Excel/analysis skills.
• Prior exposure to Adults / adult social care finance.
• Experience leading transformation or service improvement in a finance function.
• Strong track record of influencing and partnering across a wide stakeholder group.