Chief Accountant
| Posting date: | 05 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £71.77 to £99.98 per hour |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 January 2026 |
| Location: | Bexleyheath, Kent |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 1 day per week |
| Company: | Raynet Recruitment Ltd |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | OR18145 |
Summary
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 postholder will be required to come to the office once per week plus attendance at evening meetings as required.
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 postholder will be required to come to the office once per week plus attendance at evening meetings as required.