Principal Financial Accountant

Principal Financial Accountant

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (LBBD)

📍 Barking - Hybrid working - 3 days office
💰 £57,239 per annum (PO7)
🕒 35 hours per week (Monday - Friday)
📄 Permanent
📅 Start Date: ASAP (subject to notice period)

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and qualified finance professional to join the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham as a Principal Financial Accountant within Corporate Finance.

Reporting to the Senior Financial Reporting Manager, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity, accuracy and transparency of the Council's financial reporting and statutory accounts.

This is a high-profile position where you will lead the year-end accounts closure process, oversee financial accounting activities, provide expert technical advice, and support robust financial governance across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the annual closure of accounts process and support the production of the Statement of Accounts, Group Accounts and Whole of Government Accounts.
• Ensure compliance with statutory accounting requirements, CIPFA Codes of Practice and audit standards.
• Oversee balance sheet management, reconciliations, reserves accounting and financial reporting.
• Provide expert advice on technical accounting matters, VAT compliance and complex financial issues.
• Support financial governance, risk management and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead on bad debt provisions and balance sheet monitoring.
• Manage SALIX and other energy efficiency schemes.
• Support internal and external audits and implement audit recommendations.
• Produce high-quality financial reports and present findings to senior stakeholders, elected members and external partners.
• Coach and support finance colleagues, promoting professional development and best practice.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A fully qualified CCAB accountancy qualification with membership of a recognised accountancy body.
• At least 3 years' accounting experience, including 2 years post-qualification experience.
• Significant experience delivering year-end accounts and statutory financial reporting.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge, including financial reporting standards and regulatory compliance.
• Experience working within a large, complex public sector organisation, ideally local government.
• Knowledge of VAT, balance sheet management, reserves accounting and financial governance.
• Excellent analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to influence, challenge and build effective working relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience of driving process improvements and managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits:

• Diverse, inclusive, and safe social work teams, with active employee-led networks that drive inclusive practice
• Flexible working (including "condensed hours", flexi-time, part and term-time working)
• A range of learning & development opportunities, ranging from core and specialist training, accredited post-qualifying modules with our partnership Higher Education Institutions and mentoring
• Access to Perkbox: our new employee benefits & rewards platform that offers a range of deals and discounts, a space that helps you take care of your wellbeing inside and outside of work and access to home and tech essentials without the upfront costs
• Access to a diverse range of employee support networking groups
• Up to 32 days annual leave
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Support for employees with caring responsibilities
• Support for employees who are members of the armed forces reserves or adult cadet volunteers
• Workplace adjustments for employees with a disability or long-term medical conditions
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Credit union membership
• Cycle purchase scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Season ticket and travel loans

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