Chief Accountant - Bexley - Interims

Job Title: Chief Accountant Team: Finance & Technical Accounting Management Group: Finance and Corporate Services Reports to: Deputy Director of Finance and Property Responsible for: This role has overall responsibility for managing staff up to 10 FTE Main purpose of the job: * To manage the production of the Council's Single entity and Group accounts. * To be the primary expert on financial accounting regulations and be the primary advisor on this subject matter to the Council' s statutory section 151 Officer. * To hold the day-to-day responsibility for the Council's system of financial controls, ensuring that all key reconciliations are produced monthly, quarterly or yearly depending on their importance and the regularity. * To regularly liaise and manage relationships with the External Auditors at a senior level. * To manage the end of year capital and asset accounting processes. * To manage the financial accounting function and present to directors and councillors on the matter, where appropriate. * To ensure that the team provide specialist financial accounting advice to budget holders and officers in other parts of Finance to support decision-making and financial modelling of major business cases. * To manage the completion of VAT returns and corporate advice on VAT issues * To have overarching responsibility for the Balance Sheet. * To manage system improvements in the Council's core financial systems and improve reporting capabilities, as the day-to-day system owner. * CCAB qualification required. This is a hybrid role and the post holder will be required to come to the office once per week plus attendance at evening meetings as required