Principal Accountant – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

The main purpose of this job roles is to:
Support the Head of Finance and Treasurer in advising the Authority, Principal Officers and Senior Officers on strategic and tactical financial issues; to manage the provision of a wide range of financial services to the Authority; to deputise for the Head of Finance and Treasurer, where necessary, on financial matters; and to act as a Senior Corporate Manager within the organisation.

Duties will cover/ include:

 Managing and developing the Finance Team to provide high-quality financial services, including management accounting, statutory accounts production, budget preparation, treasury management, and ensuring timely and accurate financial returns.
 advising the Head of Finance and Service Managers, on strategic financial issues, ensuring finance aligns with corporate plans and performance management.
 managing the effectiveness of the Authority’s financial systems, ensuring strong control mechanisms and reliable management information for decision-making.
 evaluating new initiatives to inform financial decisions, investigating inefficiencies and budget variances, and providing training to non-financial managers on financial systems and policies.
 representing the Finance Department in multi-disciplinary projects and meetings, ensuring financial implications are considered.
 Supporting the Head of Finance and Treasurer in managing relationships with auditors and other partners is also key.
 you may deputize for the Head of Finance and Treasurer and act as a Senior Corporate Manager as needed.

Requirements of the role include:

 Professional accounting qualification
 Logical thinker who pays attention to detail
 Proven track record in financial and staff management at a senior level
 Ability to interpret and present financial data, statistics / and trends in a meaningful way
 sound working knowledge of public sector accounting practice
 Analytical, ability to research and appraise and evaluate/ financial and strategic issues and options
 Demonstrable problem-solving skills
 Self-motivated and able to influence and motivate others.