Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Deputy Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Financial Services
Business unit	Financial Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Director of Finance
Accountable to (line manager)	Director of Finance
Salary grade	£65,000 to £69,999

1. Key purpose of job

To deputise for the Director of Finance as a deputy S151 Officer
To deputise for Director of Finance at a senior level at meetings with partners, suppliers, subsidiary companies, council meetings, council working parties and the Council’s senior leadership team. At these meetings to provide constructive and robust challenge as required.
To support the Director of Finance in developing and working with Directors to achieve a robust and realistic rolling three-year balanced budget for the Council supported by business plans.
To support the Director of Finance to provide strong and robust constructive challenge and support to services to achieve an absolute reduction in both demand and costs in particular in relation to adults and children social care which are 65% of council net spend and non-delegated education services.
To be responsible for ensuring that financial advice and financial support services are provided to a diverse range of council services.
To be responsible for ensuring that financial advice and financial support services are provided to a diverse range of council companies including SWISCo and Torbay Education Limited and an oversight of the financial management and performance of other council owned companies including Careers South West and the TDA Group of companies.
To be responsible for ensuring that financial advice and financial support services are provided to a diverse range of managers delivering capital projects, in particular a focus on the major regeneration schemes linked to Torquay Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund services.
To ensure the timely accurate and relevant reporting of the revenue budgets for council services that are fully underpinned by accurate and timely financial transactions and budgets are always up to date.
To support services in providing financial advice and support in “managing their business” to achieve both financial and performance targets.
To provide strategic recommendations to Members, Directors and the Senior Leadership Team on a range of financial decisions.
To manage a team of Finance Managers, Principal Accountants and Senior Finance staff ensuring that services are delivered to a high standard, are well co-ordinated and appropriately respond to service demands.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

That the Council’s net cost of housing benefit payments (£66m) and CTSS (£11m) are minimised
That, working with the service managers, to assist on work programmes to achieve an absolute reduction in future demand and cost for social care and education services.
The Council sets, and monitors, a robust revenue and capital budget that meets the strategic objectives of the Council as well as the long-term financial viability of the Council.
The Council has a rolling three-year budget supported by business plans.
All Council services, members and senior managers are supported with timely, accurate and relevant financial advice and information to ensure that the services can make informed decisions as to service delivery.
That services’ net costs are reduced (by reduced expenditure and/or increased income) or performance improved for same cost. Accurate and timely reporting on the financial performance of the council’s companies with robust challenge when required

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

To deputise for Director of Finance at meetings with partners, suppliers, subsidiary companies, council meetings, council working parties and the Council’s senior leadership team.
To represent Director of Finance at a senior level, and present financial information and provide financial advice, at council meetings such as OSB, Cabinet and SLT.
To represent Director of Finance at a senior level, and present financial information and provide financial advice, at key partner and sector meetings such as with the LGA, CIPFA, ICO, CCG and MHCLG.
To provide high level strategic financial analysis and support to Members, Directors and SLT.
To provide a finance support service to all Council services (and SWISCo and TEL) including service budget setting, budget monitoring and year end for both revenue (£300m) and capital budgets (£200m)
To produce accurate, timely and understandable financial reports and information for all Council services to support the mangers to “manage their business”.
To lead on work with services to effectively and efficiently manage the financial aspects of external contracts and contractual partnerships both private sector and public sector providers
To lead on constructive challenge to services on their expenditure and income and support the implementation of changes
To ensure accurate, timely and understandable financial reports and information for all Council companies to support the Council in “manage their business”.
To lead on work with all services in benchmarking their income and expenditure
To lead on work with services in optimising their income and cost recovery to increase overall Council income (approx. £20m)
To lead on work with services in managing their income, such as debt reporting to increase the value of income recovered
To provide relevant financial training to services, to ensure manager sand staff are able to use financial information to support service decision making
To manage the provision of financial services to schools and work directly with the schools forum.
Provision of support and advice to external customers.
To manage finance staff providing financial support and advice to services.
To ensure financial systems and financial reporting is “fit for purpose” and meet both service and statutory requirements. 3.18 To work with health partners and Council commissioning staff to assist them in developing schemes and improve process to both reduce demand and cost in adult social care – current spend £60m per annum.
To work with budget holders to ensure the successful delivery of council capital projects. E.g a Town Deal scheme will require the creation of a joint owned Limited Liability Partnership company, detailed tax and accounting advice and a robust business case for a £60m scheme that will be primarily funded from borrowing that will need to be repaid.
To work with schools and Council education staff to develop schemes and improve process to both reduce demand and cost in non-delegated education services such as higher needs current spend £24m per annum.
Support services and the Director of Finance in identifying expenditure reductions and income opportunities to deliver a robust budget and ensure the council is financially viable. For example, work with services in identifying service budget changes and implementing them to meet £17m of required budget reductions over three financial years.
To provide innovative solutions to services that will support budgetary decision making. For example, is considering the outsourcing if a service ensure there is a detailed financial appraisal of options and financial risks and rewards, accurate financial data to support decision making, apply financial sensitivity analysis and ensure the financial aspects of any new contract are accurate and affordable, such as VAT, inflation, service variations, pension costs, transition costs such as employee exit costs, capital issues etc
Work with a service in costing, pricing and implementing a new income generating service. For example, ensure all service fees and charges (approx. £20m) are set in relation to cost recovery and are in line with market rates and other comparative bodies.
Analyse a service’s costs by benchmarking and work with the service to establish good financial practices and reduce cost and/or increase income. For example, establish benchmark costs for social care cases (£14m), and by financial analysis and modelling and using examples from others organisations, recommend changes to reduce costs.
As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

To monitor and report financial information to services and senior managers on the financial position of their services in relation to Revenue and Capital budgets – gross expenditure and income of £300m Revenue and a four year capital plan of £300m.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

Line management of:
- Finance Manager - Budgets
- Finance Manger - Subsidiary Companies
- Finance Manger - Regeneration

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

Normal working environment

7. Physical demands of the post

Normal physical effort

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

Financial Support to all Services: Auditors – Grant Thornton, Devon Audit Partnership Health Colleagues i.e. ICO, CCG Government departments and their officials: DCLG, Department for Education, Education Funding Agency. Schools and Academies Council Subsidiary and Associate Companies (e.g. SWISCo) Other Public Bodies. Service Providers.

Internal

Members Directors Assistant Directors Executive Directors Service Managers and their teams Director of Finance, Finance Managers and Finance staff

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

N/A

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Deputy Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Financial Services
Business unit	Financial Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure effective relationships can be built with Members and senior officers
The ability to communicate effectively with Members and senior officers and ability to articulate complex financial issues both orally and in writing
Ability to manage and motivate staff to ensure key objective and targets are met
High level of written and numerical skills
Ability to provide advice and recommendations taking into account political sensitivities
Ability to find creative solutions to ensure that the Council meets its priorities and statutory requirements.
Ability to work to tight deadlines and meet conflicting demands 8. Effective presentation skills in front of Members and officers 9. Ability to co-ordinate a wide range of conflicting service priorities and deliver high quality services.
Ability to negotiate with suppliers, partners and subsidiary companies
Experience and success in driving performance improvement in a service
Ability to present financial information and respond to in depth questions to/from members at council meetings including scrutiny meetings
Proven experience of working at a senior level in an organisation
Ability to provide robust challenge to both senior officers and elected Members within the Council and with senior staff in partner organisations
As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

Detailed working and up to date knowledge of current legislation relating to Local Authority Accounting, including IFRS and CIPFA Codes of Practice.
Working knowledge of windows based software and finance systems.
Excellent report writing and presentation skills via use of powerpoint.
Working knowledge of cost recovery and pricing models Detailed working and up to date knowledge of Collection Fund, Council tax Support Scheme and Housing Benefit

Desirable knowledge

Working knowledge of good practice in counter fraud and error

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Experience of working at a senior management level in a Council
Experience of acting as a s151 officer or as a deputy
Experience of monitoring and challenging large and complex budgets
Experience of providing detailed financial appraisals on complex projects.
Working experience of annual budget process
Expert experience of making financial decisions which may commit an organisation to a particular direction.
Expert experience of managing complex financial projects
Expert experience of managing staff in a financial environment.
Expert experience of working with senior staff in particular a proven experience to explain complex financial information and experience of responding to robust challenge from senior officers and elected Members
Ability to write reports and present to Members at Committee and to a Senior Leadership Team (or equivalent)
Working knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a section 151 officer in local government
Detailed experience of working in partnership with external agencies
Working experience of income optimisation
Detailed experience of costing and pricing services
Working experience of demand management in a service

Desirable experience and achievements

N/A

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Fully qualified CCAB accountant and a member of one of the major accounting bodies.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

Educated to degree level
Fully qualified Member of AAT3

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours
Ability to accommodate occasional home-working