Principal Accountant - Capital

Location: East Sussex

Principal Accountant

£50,269 - £53,460 | Permanent | 37 hours per week
Predominantly home-based | Eastbourne & Lewes

Are you an experienced accountant looking for a senior role where you can combine technical expertise, business partnering and team leadership?

We are recruiting for a Principal Accountant to join the Finance & Performance service supporting Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council. This is an excellent opportunity to take on a broad and influential finance role, working closely with senior leaders and elected Members while helping shape and continuously improve the finance service.

The role is predominantly home-based, offering significant flexibility, although you will need to be able to attend offices in Eastbourne and Lewes and other locations across the two council areas when required.

The opportunity

As Principal Accountant, you will act as a technical finance lead, providing high-level financial advice and insight to Directors, senior managers, budget holders and elected Members.

It's a varied role that goes beyond producing the numbers. You'll have the opportunity to influence financial decision-making, improve systems and processes, develop colleagues and contribute to projects that will help shape future service delivery.

With Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council operating an established shared-services partnership, you'll also be joining at an interesting time for local government, with the opportunity to contribute to the evolution of Local Government Reorganisation and future delivery models.

What you'll be doing

Depending on your area of responsibility, your remit will include a combination of:

Providing expert financial advice to senior managers, Directors and elected Members
Leading on financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and budget monitoring
Producing high-level financial modelling and analysing complex financial information
Supporting and influencing strategic and operational decision-making
Leading on areas including capital accounting, final accounts, treasury management, cash flow, VAT, reconciliations, collection fund and financial advice to services
Managing, mentoring and developing finance colleagues, with responsibility for teams of up to seven staff
Presenting and contributing to Council Committees, Boards, working groups and project teams
Reviewing and improving financial systems, controls and processes
Ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards, legislation and audit requirements
Supporting business cases, option appraisals and projects, identifying financial implications, savings and benefits
Deputising for senior finance colleagues when required.

About you

We're looking for an experienced finance professional who can operate confidently at a senior level and translate complex financial information into clear, practical advice.

You'll ideally bring:

Strong accountancy experience across areas such as budgeting, monitoring, reconciliations, financial modelling and year-end reporting
Excellent financial and management accounting skills
The ability to analyse complex information and identify the key financial drivers
Strong financial modelling capability

Experience of managing and developing finance staff
The confidence and communication skills to influence senior stakeholders and explain finance to non-finance colleagues
Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work collaboratively across an organisation
Knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems and external audit requirements
The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver against demanding deadlines.

You'll need to be AAT qualified or qualified by experience with an extensive track record in a relevant senior accountant role. A CCAB…