Strategic Director Finance (Section 151 Officer)

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced and commercially-minded finance professional to take the strategic lead on both councils’ finance and resources management.

This is a really important role within the councils. The new Strategic Director (Section 151 Officer) will play a highly involved role in a complex and rewarding journey, as we pursue a radical and ambitious change programme to combine the resources of our organisations so that we can achieve more together for our residents. This is an ideal opportunity to enhance your corporate leadership experience.

By working in partnership, both councils believe that they can achieve more together than would be possible by acting alone. There is much commonalty between the two councils, both being based in South Essex, with similar size net revenue budgets and both councils having similar socio-economic make up and economies.

Key responsibilities of the role will include:

• Responsible to the Chief Executive and the two Council Leaders for the overall management of the Councils and the delivery of performance, ensuring the delivery of corporate plans within the corporate governance framework and within financial and procurement regulations.
• To work closely with Members to ensure that the Council’s objectives are promoted and implemented through developing appropriate strategies, resources, policies and plans and translating these into effective action.
• Ensure robust performance management, resource management and governance regimes and the achievement of budget targets and the MTFP.
• Monitor services and track progress to ensure delivery of set plans. Take immediate and well thought out remedial action to resolve serious delivery issues.
• Ensure service plans facilitate the smooth and efficient running of the Council’s day-to-day activities.
• Review the way services are commissioned and delivered and support the building of community capacity so that local communities are well placed to shape and/or deliver services.

To be suitable the successful candidate must be a qualified accountant (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience either in the public, private or voluntary sector, including experience of operating at Leadership Team level. This should include a strong track record of delivering customer focussed services in a multi-disciplinary and complex environment.

You will have high level written and oral communication skills with the ability to work closely with stakeholders, Members, managers and staff to create and sustain a vision and translate this into meaningful performance objectives so that everyone understands their contribution.

You will also have experience of having worked at a senior level in a political environment, with skills in understanding and responding to different perspectives from a corporate viewpoint as well as extensive  experience of strategic planning and service delivery within local or central government or the private sector, with a demonstrable and proven track record of achievement.

For more information regarding the role, or for a confidential discussion, please refer to our dedicated Candidate Pack or contact Jack Murphy at jackmurphy@allenlane.co.uk or 07921 335 787.

Please note a full application consists of a CV and a Supporting Statement outlining your suitability to the role (maximum 2 pages).

The closing date is Sunday 23rd June 2024 at 23:59 pm.

Recruitment Timetable:

• Technical Interviews – Wednesday 3rd July 2024
• Assessments / 1:1’s with Joint Chief Executive – 10th and 11th July 2024
• Stakeholder and Member Panel Interviews – Monday 15th July 2024