ERP Programme Accountant

Transformation Programme Accountant

Transformation Portfolio and ERP Programme

Programme Finance (Delivery + Governance)

Dorchester/Hybrid

£650 per day - Outside IR35

Immediately start

6 month rolling contract

About Connect2Dorset

Connect2Dorset is the managed service recruitment partner to Dorset Council, providing temporary, contract, and interim opportunities across the organisation. Built on values of being ethical, trustworthy, and caring, our profits are reinvested back into our Local Authority shareholders.

Role Purpose

The Transformation Accountant provides senior financial leadership across two major areas:

1. The ERP Transformation Programme - managing the full programme budget, financial governance, cost control and forecasting across all ERP lifecycle phases (design, build, test, cutover, go‑live, hypercare).

1. The whole council Transformation Portfolio - leading financial planning, monitoring and reporting for the organisation's broader transformation activity, ensuring alignment and clear traceability back to the MediumTerm Financial Plan (MTFP
2. As a qualified and experienced finance professional, the post holder ensures all programme and portfolio activity is financially robust, compliant with internal processes, and supported by accurate, timely and strategic financial insight. They will work collaboratively with Finance Business Partners, PMO, Benefits Realisation colleagues and Programme Managers to maintain financial discipline and governance across multiple workstreams.

Context of the Role

Dorset Council is delivering a significant and complex organisational change programme through Our Future Council (OFC). This includes whole council service redesign and the implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which will be a core enabler of future efficiency, financial sustainability and operational transformation

The Transformation Programme Accountant plays a pivotal role in maintaining strong financial oversight across this multiyear investment. This includes building and managing programme and portfolio budgets, ensuring sound financial governance, and ensuring all transformation financial activity is clearly aligned to, and reflected within, the MTFP. The role provides an authoritative source of financial control, analysis and reporting that underpins effective decision-making across the transformation portfolio.‑

Key Responsibilities

1. Budget Definition & Baseline Control

• Establish and maintain budget baselines for both the ERP Programme and Transformation Portfolio.
• Build and maintain the cost breakdown structure (CBS) including internal resources, suppliers, and contingency.
• Maintain budget version control and phased forecasting aligned to programme plans and milestones.

1. Actuals Tracking & Month-End Control

• Reconcile actuals through council finance systems, ensuring accurate allocation to work-streams and cost categories.
• Produce monthly variance analysis with clear narrative and recommended actions.
• Support the year end cycle including accruals, prepayments and recharges.

1. Forecasting (ETC / EAC)

• Own the programme and portfolio Forecast to Complete (ETC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC).
• Work with PMO and Workstream Leads to refine assumptions, phasing, and cost drivers.
• Quantify financial impacts of risks, delays, scope changes or extensions.

1. Supplier Spend Governance & Invoice Assurance

• Maintain supplier spend trackers and invoice logs for SI partners and all vendors.
• Validate invoices against contractual terms, POs, milestones, deliverables and agreed rates.
• Track commitments and remaining contract values to support forward planning.
• Maintain audit ready documentation for all approvals and spend decisions Change Control Financial Management
• Maintain a financial impact log for all Change Requests (CRs).
• Support the Change Control Board (CCB) with affordability analysis and funding recommendations.
• Update budgets, forecasts, POs and reporting following CR approval.

1. Programme Financial Reporting (programme board, TMO & steering group)

• Produce monthly finance packs for programme board, TMO and steering group.
• Provide clear narrative explaining variances, forecast movements, risks, mitigation's and decisions required.
• Maintain dashboards and KPIs to monitor financial health.

1. Controls, Audit & Assurance

• Maintain complete audit ready evidence packs including approvals, reconciliations and spend assurance.
• Support internal/external audit requests.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies, processes, and programme governance standards.

1. Benefits Tracking Support

• Provide cost evidence to support benefits realisation and business case tracking.
• Report programme spend to date and cost to achieve benefits

Key Deliverables

• ERP Programme and Transformation Portfolio Budget Baselines
• Monthly Actuals vs Budget Reports
• Forecast to Complete (ETC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC)
• Supplier Spend Tracker and Invoice Assurance Log
• Change Request Financial Impact Log
• Monthly Steering Committee Finance Pack
• Commitments Tracker
• Audit Evidence Pack

Required Skills & Experience

Essential

• Professionally qualified accountant (CIPFA / CIMA / ACCA or equivalent).
• Strong experience in programme or project finance (major transformation preferred).
• Proven ability to manage complex budgets across multiple workstreams.
• Strong forecasting, modelling and reconciliation skills (CAPEX & OPEX).
• Supplier invoice assurance and commercial contract spend tracking.
• Advanced Excel skills (modelling, pivot tables, lookups).
• Ability to produce clear, executive level reporting and financial insight
• High attention to detail with strong governance discipline
• mapping and modelling the benefits scorecards/framework
• transformation modelling and mapping of benefits

Desirable

• ERP programme finance experience (e.g., Oracle Fusion, SAP, Unit4).
• Public sector finance experience.
• Power BI or similar data visualisation skills.

KPIs / Measures of Success

• Monthly finance packs delivered on time and to required quality.
• Forecast accuracy and month to month stability.
• Clear narrative explaining variances and recommending actions.
• 100% compliance on invoice assurance, POs and financial evidence retention.
• All change request financial impacts captured and approved ahead of spend.
• Programme and portfolio budgets remain fully aligned to, and traceable within, the MTFP.
• No significant audit findings arising from weak controls or missing documentation.

Connect2Dorset is a trading style of Dorset & Kent Commercial Services LLP - A joint venture between Dorset Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Dorset is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.