RQ1724316 – Technical Accountant

Job Details

Job Purpose

 

• To support the Chief Accountant in the maintenance of key accounting records for Redditch Borough Council, including the register of fixed assets and statistical returns to Government.
• To prepare the Final Accounts for RBC/BDC as directed by the Chief Accountant for Capital and Treasury including production of Prudential Indicators.
• To produce the cash-flow for both Councils and keep it updated.
• To manage the Treasury function for both Councils.
• To supervise the Business Support Technician Apprentice posts.

 

Main Duties and Responsibilities

 

• To support the Chief Accountant in the preparation of outturn information and variance analysis for inclusion in the Statement of Accounts.
• To ensure the ledger is fully compliant with accounting requirements.
• To prepare the Treasury Management budgets and accounts for Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council.
• To support the Chief Accountant and Financial Services Manager in the co-ordination and completion of the Final Accounts for both Councils.
• To assist in the co-ordination of the capital budgets for Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council.

 

To manage the Treasury Management function for both Councils including identifying the need to borrow or that surplus funds are available or investment and liaising with the brokers to arrange a deal. Long term decisions will be made in conjunction with the Financial Services Manager, Head of Finance and Customer Services or Director of Finance & Corporate Resources.

 

• To complete the Capital Outturn and other statistical returns for submission to central government for Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council.
• To manage the cash-flow for both Councils on a daily basis.
• To keep the Grants Register and Fixed Asset Registers up to date for both Councils.
• To ensure all reconciliations are completed in a timely manner.
• To actively participate in the budget preparation process.
• To advise on various financial matters as requested by the Chief Accountant.
• To monitor emerging issues that may impact on the financial or accounting arrangements for Bromsgrove District Council and/or Redditch Borough Council and to advise the Chief Accountant accordingly.
• To contribute towards the training of other officers within Financial Services.
• To liaise with the Treasury Management Advisors and Internal and External Audit as required.
• To act in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations and ensure that they are strictly adhered to.

 

General Duties

• To ensure efficiency, effectiveness and equality in service delivery.
• To exercise proper integrity and respect of confidential matters and personal information obtained during the execution of the duties of this post.
• To reflect the Council’s core values and objectives in undertaking the duties of this post.
• To provide outstanding customer services to all customers, colleagues, elected Members etc in line with the “Every Customer, Every Time – Everybody Matters” strategy. In particular by building trust, taking responsibility and assuming ownership of issues, actively listening, communicating with empathy and being flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of others.

To understand and comply with the legal requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and any other relevant regulations as detailed in the Council’s Health and Safety Policy Statement.

• To carry out duties and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998; in particular, to take all reasonable care that no unauthorised loss or disclosure of personal data occurs.

 

General Duties

• To ensure efficiency, effectiveness and equality in service delivery.
• To exercise proper integrity and respect of confidential matters and personal information obtained during the execution of the duties of this post.
• To reflect the Council’s core values and objectives in undertaking the duties of this post.
• To provide outstanding customer services to all customers, colleagues, elected Members etc in line with the “Every Customer, Every Time – Everybody Matters” strategy. In particular by building trust, taking responsibility and assuming ownership of issues, actively listening, communicating with empathy and being flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of others.
• To understand and comply with the legal requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and any other relevant regulations as detailed in the Council’s Health and Safety Policy Statement.
• To carry out duties and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998; in particular, to take all reasonable care that no unauthorised loss or disclosure of personal data occurs.
• To undertake such other reasonable duties as may be requested.

 

Key Deliverables

• Preparation of the Treasury Management reports including Prudential Indicators for budget and year end.
• Management of the cash-flow position for both Councils on a daily basis.
• Production of the fixed assets and grants registers.
• The timely and accurate completion and submission of any financial and/or statistical return, as allocated.

 

Decision Making

 

The post holder, in the absence of the Technical Accountant (Financial Accounts) is responsible ensuring that any financial and statistical returns are completed. This will be done in conjunction with the Chief Accountant.

 

Communication and Contacts

 

• On a day-to-day basis the postholder will have contact with Heads of Service, Service Managers, other officers and members when responding to requests.
• The postholder will be required to liaise with the Treasury Management advisors and External Auditors on specific matters as agreed with the Chief Accountant.
• The post holder will have daily contact with money market broker and regular contact with each Authority’s bankers.

 

Strategy / Policy Development

 

The postholder will contribute to financial policies and to the Medium-Term Financial Plan.

 

Any Other Specific / Relevant Areas of Responsibility

Person Specification

The specific skills, knowledge, abilities, qualifications or behaviours which are needed to effectively undertake the main duties and achieve the job purpose. These will be assessed using the information available from:

 

1 – Application form

2 – Interview

3 – Exercise (eg psychometric, case study, presentation etc)

4 – Evidence (eg certificate, membership card, course registration etc)

 

Knowledge and Experience

 

	Knowledge and Experience	Essential / Desirable	To Be Assessed By
1.	Experience of local authority accounting	E	1,2
2.	Knowledge and understanding of key accounting principles	E	1,2
3.	Working knowledge of Tech One or similar	D	1,2
4.	Working knowledge of Word and Excel	E	1,2
5.	Knowledge of Treasury Management	E	1,2
6.	Management of cash-flow	E	1,2
7.	Experience of budget preparation	E	1,2
8.	Experience of final accounts closedown	D	1,2
9.	Experience of completing financial and statistical returns	E	1,2
10.	Working knowledge of Treasury Management	D	1,2

 

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

 

	Qualifications and Professional Memberships	Essential / Desirable	To Be Assessed By
1.	Fully or part qualified CCAB (or equivalent) or AAT qualified	E	1,2

 

Job Specific Skills, Behaviours and Personal Attributes

 

	Job Specific Skills, Behaviours and Personal Attributes	Essential / Desirable	To Be Assessed By
1.	Flexibility in carrying out a range of duties according to the needs of the service	E	1,2
2.	Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with people with finance and non-finance backgrounds	E	1,2
3.	Ability to readily understand technical information	E	1,,2
4.	Ability to prioritise workloads and meets key objectives/measures	E	1,2
5.	IT literate	E	1,2