Interim Principal Accountant

🧮 Interim Principal Accountant

📍 Location: Home‑based (office attendance once per month max - Ealing - London)
⏳ Contract: 3 months initially (very likely extension)
💼 Start: ASAP

💰 Rates:
£36.37 per hour (PAYE)
£47.74 per hour (Umbrella)

We're looking for an experienced Principal Accountant to join a London local authority on an interim basis.

Reporting into a Finance Manager and working closely with the Section 151 Officer, you'll provide senior‑level financial advice and business partnering support across key council services.

This role suits someone confident operating at a strategic level, influencing senior stakeholders, and ensuring strong financial governance.

• Lead finance business partnering for allocated service areas
• Provide strategic and operational financial advice to senior managers
• Support capital & revenue budget setting, monitoring and forecasting
• Contribute to delivery of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)
• Identify, manage and escalate financial risks
• Support year‑end accounts closure and audit requirements
• Deputise for the Finance Manager when required
• Promote financial best practice and literacy across services

Essential experience:

• Strong local authority finance background
• Capital budget setting and monitoring experience
• Revenue budget management experience
• Experience managing or leading finance staff
• Comfortable influencing and advising at senior management level
• Able to explain complex finance matters to non‑finance colleagues

• Fully qualified: CIPFA / CCAB / CIMA
• (AAT considered with substantial senior‑level local authority experience)

• Predominantly remote
• Office attendance once per month maximum

Adecco acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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