Our Values

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

About the team we are recruiting to

We are a dynamic Financial Management Team responsible for providing a diverse range of functions to drive the Council to fulfil its transformational journey We deliver the full range of financial management and accounting services to facilitate effective delivery of services to support the people of Coventry and deliver projects which are redefining the infrastructure of the city.

Working flexibly with internal officers and external partners we aim to ensure finance is at the heart of everything that the Council does.

The organisation has a high expectation of our service, and we will continue to support and develop our staff to have the skills to deliver a quality service.

What is the job role?

Lead Accountant (Annual Financial Cycle - Corporate)

The main duties and responsibilities of the role will include:

• Incorporating of the Council’s external companies into its Statement of Accounts.
• Consolidation of company accounting statements into the Council’s Group Accounts including conversion to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as appropriate.
• Arranging for external company valuations, including procuring external valuation reports and liaising with the valuers.
• Gathering and analysing company information to support the accounts including evidence to support external audit responses.
• Providing the key point of contact for liaison with the Council’s external auditors (in relation to group accounts) and the auditors of each external company as required.
• Undertaking ongoing financial management, balance sheet monitoring and financial risk assessment and provide the key point of liaison for finance and management contacts at each company.
• Taking responsibility for the financial management aspects of the Council’s long-term debtor arrangements.
• Providing technical support to business case assessments of proposals for the provision of City Council loans to external organisations
• On-going monitoring of the repayment of external loans and their year-end financial assessment including impairment.
• Assessing the impact of selected accounting changes within the Code of Practice or other accounting developments (for example the implementation of IFRS16 (Leases).

Lead Accountant (Annual Financial Cycle - Finance Support)

The Finance Support team is an integral part of how we deliver our statutory financial obligations as well as being the first point of contact for our service managers in executing their financial responsibilities within service areas and delegated budgets.

The main duties and responsibilities of the role will include:

• Lead a team of Accounting Technicians to deliver finance support to service managers and budget holders across the Councils Services. You will be responsible for continuous improvement of the service including the learning and development of staff within the team.
• Responsibility for monitoring the housing benefit subsidy claims, providing critical analysis on to the Revenue Manager. Including supporting the forecast, highlighting areas of volatility and reconciling the systems at year end to ensure the claim is accurately represented in local authority’s Statement of Accounts.
• Ensure centralised budget setting processes are carried out effectively. Includes setting salary budgets for the whole Council and the distribution of support service costs across the organisation to fairly represent the costs of frontline services within our statutory reports.  
• Responsibility for ensuring all scheduled final accounts tasks are completed according to the agreed timetable. Managing the work across your team and ensuring transactions are carried out in line with relevant accounting standards as well as liaising with Business Partners on final accounts progress within their service areas.
• Leading and developing stakeholder engagement with budget managers and service users throughout the annual financial cycle.
• To work within a culture of continuous improvement, proactively engaging with colleagues to maintain an insight into forthcoming developments and identifying areas for review and development.

Who are we looking for?

Lead Accountant (Annual Financial Cycle - Corporate)

This role will be at the heart of the Council’s Corporate Finance team and demands an individual who has an affinity for the technical aspects of accounting and is keen to balance this within a broad reaching and stimulating role. Whilst some experience of the areas outlined above would be welcome, of more importance is your ability and keenness to work in a role that requires strong technical skills and aptitude to interpret and apply accounting guidance. The role will be key in enabling the Council to strengthen the financial management of its externally owned companies and external loan arrangements and will also provide a focal point for taking forward new developments within the CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting. The role will also have a key part to play in developing strong relationships with our companies and other external partners and assessing the efficacy of new financial proposals within the context of the Council’s Commercial Investment Strategy.

Lead Accountant (Annual Financial Cycle – Finance Support)

This is an excellent opportunity for an accountant who is self-motivated and able to lead a team.

You will have an aptitude for technical accounting and the skill and confidence to challenge processes and identify improved ways of working, driving change against a backdrop of shifting priorities and limited resources.

You will work collaboratively with a second Lead Accountant within the team, distributing the line management responsibility of the team and supporting each other to deliver a high-quality service.

We are looking for an individual who understands the importance of stakeholder engagement and possess the skills to co-ordinate service user communications in a meaningful way throughout the year.

When applying for these roles you will be asked to write a personal statement. Linked to the person specifications and above, please include the following information in your application: 

• Your experience of working in areas involving advanced technical accounting skills and ability to apply these to meeting formal accounting requirements.
• Demonstrate your experience of, and ability to produce and present, complex financial models and reports for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Explain how you have effectively prioritised and planned workloads
• Explain how you can use effective management skills including motivation, delegation, work planning, and supervision
• Demonstrate your ability to work with a range of finance and non-finance professionals in a positive manner to achieve clear objectives.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date(s): 19th & 20th October 2021

About Coventry

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city - Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks 

Coventry City Council