Finance Reporting Manager

Overview

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a high performing Finance Reporting Manager to join our Finance team.

Finance Reporting Manager – fixed term 12 month contract

The role will manage and deliver complex professional finance services and lead budget management and reporting activities across the Council. Working as a senior member of the Financial Planning and Analysis team, you will provide senior management and elected members with insightful and relevant financial information to inform decision making across the organisation. The role offers the opportunity to work with a broad range of stakeholders, including senior leaders, Finance Business Partnering teams and technical accounting colleagues. As such, it requires good analytical and technical skills, as well as strong communication and influencing skills.

As a people manager in the organisation, you will manage a team of accountants and finance officers, providing coaching, mentoring and support to foster a culture of high performance and continuous development.

Why join us?

At Buckinghamshire Council, you will be part of something bigger. As a large and forward-thinking unitary authority, we are on a mission to make Buckinghamshire the best place to live, raise a family, work, and do business. This is your chance to help shape the future of our county - supporting residents, driving innovation, and making a real difference every day.

We are proud to be one of the largest local authorities in the UK, working in close partnership with a wide network of public and private sector organisations. Our scale and ambition mean you will have access to exciting challenges, meaningful work, and the opportunity to grow your career in a supportive and dynamic environment.

We are committed to flexible, modern ways of working that promote a healthy work-life balance. From the moment you join us, we will invest in your development and wellbeing, helping you to be your best every step of the way.

In addition to a rewarding role and the chance to make a tangible impact, we offer:

• Generous annual leave and flexible working arrangements
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A strong focus on personal and professional development
• Exclusive discounts on a wide range of services, shops, and restaurants

Join us and be part of a team that is shaping a better Buckinghamshire for today and for generations to come.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

Our Finance team plays a vital role in delivering the Council’s strategic vision. We support the Corporate Management Team, Cabinet, and key committees with expert financial insight and guidance. From shaping long-term financial strategies and setting budgets, to business partnering, procurement support, and statutory reporting we are at the heart of sound financial decision-making across the organisation.

As a Finance team, we are committed to providing high quality professional services. Our team works collaboratively to manage and deliver an excellent service and despite this we continually strive for improvements, valuing innovation, and a proactive approach to make the service the best it possibly can be. Our vision is:

“The vision for Finance Service is to use streamlined and cost-effective processes to support the delivery of Council objectives, inform decision making and deliver financial control. The Finance Service has three key improvement principles: Simplify, Streamline, Standardise.”

About the role

As Finance Reporting Manager, you will report into a Head of Finance and will be an integral member of the Finance Management team and will work closely with the Service Directors and Heads of Service for a named Directorate(s) across the Council.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Lead the production of financial management reports to Corporate Management Team and Members, managing and delivering timely management accounting services, including all aspects of budgeting, forecasting, reporting and control.
• Lead on wider financial reporting processes such as savings delivery and grant funding.
• Ensure that specialist systems (including SAP and line-of-business systems) are maintained to deliver excellent data quality and robust financial information, to promote data quality and compliance with internal controls.
• Play a key role in the finance team’s improvement work to harness new technology to provide impactful and intuitive financial reports and dashboards for budget holders.
• Planning, coordination and accurate submission of government returns such as the Revenue Outturn return to central government.
• Regularly deputise for the Head of Finance and act as the representative of the Director of Finance (s151 officer).

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

To thrive in this role, you will bring experience of management roles within professional finance services within a large public sector organisation. You will be a CCAB or CIMA qualified accountant, with a proven track record operating at finance manager level (or equivalent), ideally within the public sector.

You will have experience in Finance Business Partnering and Management Accounting particularly understanding areas with complex financial modelling, demand pressures, and savings targets. You will be able to make links across services, understand inter-dependencies and identify trends and risks to be highlighted to senior managers.

You will need to demonstrate your ability to plan, design and implement systems and processes across a wide range of stakeholders, ensuring that high-quality outcomes are achieved at all times.

Exceptional influencing, communication and presentation skills are essential. You will be translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insight for a wide range of stakeholders from senior leaders to frontline teams.

We are looking for proven leadership skills, someone who can inspire high-performing teams, build trust across the organisation, and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability. Your resilience, strategic mindset, and drive for results will be key to succeeding in this high-impact role.

Please see the attached job summary for further information about this role.

Other information

At Buckinghamshire Council, we follow a hybrid working model. As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you will need to be connected to our network to access digital files and systems but you can do this from home or from one of our offices.

You will be required to work as a minimum 2-days per week in the office, depending on your role and team needs, with the remainder working from home.

Closing date: Sunday 18 October 2026

Interview date: w/c 26 October 2026

Interview-type/process: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Caroline Souto, Head of Finance or Elspeth O’Neill, Assistant Chief Finance Officer – Financial Analysis and Business Partnering.

[email protected] 01296 383006

[email protected] or 01296 382130

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently.

As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/