Finance Manager - Housing General Fund

Salary range: Grade 17 (£66,378 - £68,784 p.a.) plus fantastic benefits
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week 
Location: Croydon

Croydon Council has faced significant challenges in recent years in terms of its financial position.  The financial challenge is steep, but the Government has noted our strong progress, with an Executive Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team, who all share a commitment to the task ahead and putting Croydon’s people first.

This is a very exciting time to join Croydon as we move from the recovery and improvement phases to the transformational phase of our journey to bring the Council back to financial sustainability.

Croydon is a fantastic place; a vital part of London’s growth story with a strong identity in its own right and this is a rare chance to make genuine change in a place of great opportunity.  What we do together over the next three years will help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs.

We are looking to appoint two permanent Finance Managers for the Housing General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

As a Finance Manager, you will be supporting the Director of Finance (Deputy S151 Officer) and Head of Strategic Finance, deputising when required. You will have finance business partner responsibility for overseeing financial planning, monitoring and coordination of financial arrangements for both revenue and capital finance.

You will also lead your team consisting of a Principal Accountant and Accountant.

Housing - General Fund:

This role will provide business partnering to:

Operational services: The Housing General Fund service manages the Council’s temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention duties.  This requires effective management and monitoring of highly volatile demand services, and accurate forecasting of demographic and market pressures.

Transformation: A major priority for the service is making improvements to how services are delivered and ensuring that the service is meeting changing regulatory duties.

Joint working: Partnership working with housing providers across London focussed on homelessness prevention and tackling rough sleeping. 

Commercial activities: The maximisation of value for money through a commercial focus on contract management and increasing the supply of high quality accommodation in the borough. This includes the innovative use of housing companies to support discharge of homelessness duties.

Capital investment: Identification of opportunities for using capital investment to improve housing supply and options, including adaptations to existing properties.

To be suitable for the role you need to hold a CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification or extensive knowledge and experience of local government finance. You should have evidence of successfully managing key financial processes (budgeting, monitoring, forecasting, closing of accounts, completion of grants and statistical returns), and have experience of working successfully as part of a professional team to deliver strong financial management advice to managers, ideally within an environment of change.

Croydon Council’s priorities:

• The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services;
• Get a grip on the finances and make the Council financially sustainable;
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses;
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors;
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice; and
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning;
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential;
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home;
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer; and
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working.