Head of Finance

**Job Title**:Head of Finance & Deputy RFO**

**Post No: BTC002**

**Team: Finance and Procurement Team**

**Responsible to: Town Clerk & Chief Executive**

**Number of direct reports: 5**

**Budgetary responsibility: All notional responsibility**

**Salary Range: (SCP 44-51) £52,752 - £62,323**

**Contract Type: Permanent**

**Hours (e.g., full or part time): Full time**

**Location: The Town Council Offices, The Old Court House, 4 Saffron Road, Biggleswade**

**Name**:
Overall Purpose

1. To work in partnership with the Town Clerk & Chief Executive in providing leadership, vision, and strategic direction to the Council.

2. To have operational responsibility for managing the Council’s Finance function, Procurement function and the Community Centre.

**Main Responsibilities**

1. Help drive a culture of continuous improvement and innovation and act as a role model to inspire all employees to promote the values of the Council and present a positive image to the community.

2. Manage the Finance function.

3. Ensure that the Finance function fully supports all other areas within the Council with accurate financial information and reviewing of financial statistics on Council and Committee reports.

4. Support the Town Clerk & Chief Executive in promoting strong, inspirational, and effective leadership across the Council.

5. Help promote a performance management culture throughout the organisation, driving the continuous improvement of services towards the Council’s aspiration of being a nationally recognised leading local

council.

6. As part of the Council’s Senior Leadership Team act as an ambassador for the Council and the town.

7. Ensure the Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity for all employees, within a culture of openness and respect, is achieved through the effective implementation of policies.

8. As part of the Operational Management Team, help solve day to day issues and advise on coherent policies.

9. Support the Town Clerk to help achieve a positive and constructive interface between Elected Members and Officers.

10. Regular reviewing of all financial policies, including the Financial Regulations, Grant Policy, Purchase Order Process, Payments process, Credit Control policy etc. Ensure adherence to all these policies.

11. The production of the original estimates and management of the process to include all managers and all Members.

12. Deliverance of budget reports, schedules, growth items, new annual fees for all revenue streams to ensure a very thorough budget process. Deliver to Council for agreement by Members and forward precept request to County Council.

13. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, reviewing Agendas and Minutes. Write frequent reports for Town Council and Committee meetings and deliver these.

14. Acting as the main Finance position for the Council’s projects and ensuring that these are kept within defined budgets.

15. In conjunction with other managers, reviewing grant opportunities for The Council to source.

16. Weekly updating of the Council’s Action Logs to ensure Council and Committee actions are completed in appropriate time.

17. Overseeing and regular updating of the Council’s Contract Database and follow-on actions.

18. Management and regular reviewing of the Council’s Risk register and grading of risks.

19. Ensuring all operational managers participate fully in the risk process and arrange regular meetings to review.

20. Complete relevant Financial Risk Assessments.

21. Monitor the Council’s balances.

22. Transfers between bank accounts.

23. Manage CCLA deposits.

24. Oversee the purchase ledger process, ensuring that all issues are resolved quickly.

25. Ensure all purchase invoices are appropriately coded and accurate and expected.

26. Oversee the purchase order process, ensure correct coding and review fortnightly to ensure deletion of POs no longer required.

27. Ensure that spend is within the Council’s budgetary capacity. Raise agreed virements where required.

28. The production of monthly position statements and report for presentation to Council as part of the Financial Management report.

29. The production of monthly projected outturns, with considered account code analysis.

30. Create 18 monthly accounting reports.

31. Creation for ad-hoc finance schedules for other managers and sometimes, Members.

32. Interrogation of the accounting ICT system.

33. The annual closedown of accounts.

34. The management of the payment of accounts process, ensuring all regulations are strictly adhered to.

35. The management of the payroll, by ensuring payroll reports are reviewed and accurate. Ensuring funds are available for salaries and creating monthly journals.

36. Monthly reviewing of the Balance Sheet, with reconciliations. Create journals for erroneous entries.

37. Liaison with the Council’s internal and external auditors and ensure all required actions are achieved.

38. The management of the revenue functi