Strategic Finance Business Partner

Do you relish a challenge? Do you have a proven track record of managing significant strategic programmes of work, providing professional expertise and helping to develop and embed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation? Are you tenacious, committed to the cause and able to inspire others?

If so, then we want to hear from you!

Surrey County Council is in a period of unprecedented change and this role will play an important part in the ongoing transformation and delivery of the Medium–Term Financial Strategy. The post will also develop your skills and knowledge, working as a business partner with services and external partners, as well as offering the opportunity to gain valuable experience for the next career step.

Reporting into the Director of Finance – Insight and Performance, you will be part of the Finance Senior Management Team. As lead financial expert, with a wide–ranging and high–profile portfolio, you will provide advice, support and assist with innovative solutions to a range of key strategic issues, programmes and a pipeline of financial activity within Children Families and Lifelong Learning (CFLL).

Specifically, we are looking for someone who can:

• Contribute to the collective leadership of the council, working collaboratively with members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council's objectives and priorities. Model and embed the council's values and behaviours, helping to achieve our commitment to be an outstanding council delivering great value for its residents and businesses.
• Be the Financial Lead working with Children, Families and Lifelong Learning. Manage significant strategic programmes of work, providing professional expertise and helping to develop and embed a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, the cornerstone of our Financial "Successful Together" approach.
• Work collaboratively with senior colleagues to develop the council's strategic approach to service delivery and business improvement to deliver the council's priorities.
• Lead the CFLL Finance Team, developing policy, operational plans and providing expert professional advice as appropriate, to meet quality and statutory requirements and to implement the strategic aims and objectives of the area they lead.
• Provide professional leadership to the team/s and/or colleagues, strengthening skills and competence and fostering a strong culture of standards, performance and accountability to deliver public value and efficiency.
• Role model the council's behaviours and leadership expectations, and ensure that all approaches and outcomes are consistent with organisational and public service values.
• Champion and manage transformational change and embed new ways of working to ensure high quality service delivery and value for money.
• Work collaboratively internally and externally to ensure that issues are effectively managed and foster partnership working to promote sustainable service improvements and generate efficiencies.
• Maintain effective budgetary control, while ensuring legal, regulatory and policy compliance within area of responsibility and that effective systems operate to manage performance and risk.
• Work inclusively with a diverse range of stakeholders and provide leadership on equality issues to promote equality of opportunity.

If you're passionate, enthusiastic and feel you want to be part of this journey, then please apply by uploading your CV and personal statement (no longer than two pages of A4 please) outlining your suitability for this role.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 04/06/2023.

Initial interviews will take place week commencing 19/06/2023.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Benefits

From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our website.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.