Capital Accountant

• Key senior role within the senior management team
• Lead financial strategy, optimise performance, and shape the future direction

About Our Client

Working for South Yorkshire Police doesn't have to mean patrolling the streets; our police staff work side by side with uniformed officers. A strong team of professional support staff work behind the scenes in many different areas of our organisation, including in finance. We need skilled people, like you, to join our police family to keep our South Yorkshire communities safe. We have an annual budget in excess of £300 million and employ over 3,000 police officers and 2,200 support staff. South Yorkshire Police are committed to attracting, selecting, hiring, retaining and developing a diverse and professional workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve, enabling us to meet and exceed our corporate finance goals and objectives.

Like most organisations, South Yorkshire Police is transforming the way we deliver our services and run the organisation to meet ever more demanding challenges. We have a Medium-Term Resource Strategy underpinned by a draft recovery plan to help achieve our mission. The Finance department is very much at the centre of delivering this strategy working collaboratively with all senior leaders across the organisation and our external partners. Therefore, as part of this we are looking for talented individuals who are experienced finance professionals, resilient and driven to achieve change.

Job Description

The Capital Accountant will:

• Oversee the capital accounting function, manage the fixed asset register, record capital transactions, and reconcile capital projects.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards and work with procurement and project teams to authorise and record capital expenditure.
• Conduct detailed analysis of capital expenditure, identify trends, risks, and variances, and provide recommendations to support decision-making, resource allocation, and financial planning.
• Collaborate with the Management Accounting Lead to develop and monitor the capital expenditure budget, support the annual financial planning process, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Prepare regular and ad-hoc high-quality budget reports for Senior Command Team and Business Executive Leaders, highlighting key financial metrics and recommending corrective actions when necessary.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders such as project managers and procurement teams to ensure capital expenditure is authorised, aligned with objectives, and understood by all involved.
• Ensure compliance with regulations, accounting standards, and internal controls, supporting audits and maintaining accurate records to ensure transparency in capital expenditure.
• Review and improve capital accounting processes, proposing changes to streamline work flows, enhance reporting accuracy, and stay updated on best practices.
• Lead, manage, and develop a team of Finance Officers, setting clear objectives, providing feedback, training, and managing performance. Deputise for the Senior Management Accountant when required.

The Successful Applicant

The Capital Accountant will be/have:

• Qualified Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (C.C.A.B.) or CIMA accountant with full membership.
• Significant and recent management accounting experience with a deep understanding of management accounting principles and practices.
• Up to date with current accounting issues and good, practical accounting knowledge.
• Demonstrate IT literacy including advanced Excel, with significant experience of large, complex ERP systems.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to use a range of communication techniques.
• Experience of building strong working relationships and establishing personal credibility with senior managers and budget holders.
• Understand personal and professional strengths and development needs and be able to evidence the steps taken to enhance your continuing professional development.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team in a highly pressurised environment.
• Experience of leading a team and staff management.

What's on Offer

Benefits:

• A highly competitive salary and access to a generous pension scheme (16% Employer Contribution).
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• A wide range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Flexible working arrangements including flexi-time and hybrid working.
• A transparent and collaborative team culture underpinned by our core values of Fairness, Integrity & Trust.
• Comprehensive range of development and leadership courses to develop your career with South Yorkshire Police.
• Employee Assistant Programme (accessible 24/7) offering confidential support and advice.
• Flexible lifestyle benefits such as: Blue Light Card, Company Shop, Cycle to work scheme.
• Committed to embedding sustainability: South Yorkshire Police Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025.
• Membership to the Sports and Social Club.
• Access to a wide range of staff support groups and networks.

Applications close on Monday, 5th May; however, we encourage early submissions as we may close the application process sooner if we receive a high volume of interest.