Principal Accountant – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is seeking a qualified accountant who can help managers turn financial information into well-founded decisions. This new role will lead financial planning and business partnering, helping the Service allocate resources to the risks and priorities in its Community Risk Management Plan.

You will lead a small planning team and work closely with budget holders, colleagues in reporting and control, and the Deputy Head of Finance. Your work will bring together monthly forecasts, pay and workforce plans, capital investment, the annual budget and the medium-term financial outlook.

We are looking for someone who will ask constructive questions, make assumptions visible and explain the choices available. You will strengthen business cases and benefits monitoring, improve the usefulness of financial reporting, and help managers take ownership of their forecasts and agreed actions.

Duties of this role will include:

Leading the planning and monitoring calendar, including monthly forecasting, annual budget preparation and medium-term financial planning.

Providing effective finance business partnering to senior managers and complex service portfolios, challenging assumptions and advising on corrective action.

Consolidating revenue forecasts and clearly explaining movements, risks, opportunities and ownership of actions.

Coordinating pay and establishment forecasting with People and payroll colleagues, using validated workforce information and avoiding double-counting of savings.

Leading financial monitoring of the capital programme and connecting cost, timing, financing and revenue consequences.

Assessing business cases, savings proposals and investment options using whole-life costing, risk analysis and sensitivity testing.

Producing clear reports, briefings and advice for senior leaders and committee papers, including uncertainty and required actions.

Line managing and developing the Assistant Accountant and coordinating agreed planning support across the Finance Department.

Improving Technology One and Power BI reporting requirements with finance systems and digital colleagues, ensuring reports reconcile to the ledger.

Leading finance-literacy support for budget holders through induction, workshops, guidance and accessible advice.

You must be a CCAB-qualified accountant with current professional membership and evidence of continuing professional development. You will have substantial experience of budget preparation, management accounting and forecasting in an organisation with multiple budget holders, together with evidence of constructive business partnering and influencing managers to address financial risks.

You will bring strong financial modelling, pay forecasting and scenario-analysis skills, the ability to connect revenue, capital and workforce implications, and confidence in explaining complex financial issues clearly. Further information on our website…

Salary:
Scale PM3, salary range £54,143 - £60,971 per annum

Contract type:
Full-Time