Senior Finance Officer

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade H. Scale 29 - £39,862 to Scale 34 - £45,091 with a professional bar at SCP 31 £41,771**

Hours Per Week: 36 hours

Base Location: Tameside One

Assessment Date: Interviews 26 & 27 March 2026

To apply for this role please upload your CV together with a supporting statement that provides evidence of how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification

Please also include details of your education and training and employment history and any reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your CV/supporting statement.

Join Our Finance Team

Build your career. Shape our borough. Grow with us.

Tameside Council is transforming its Finance Service to create a modern, ambitious and highly skilled function. We are building a team that is strategic, forward thinking and committed to continuous improvementand we are looking for talented people who want to grow with us.

The Role

We are seeking driven and ambitious finance professionals to join our recently re designed service, strengthening our expertise across Treasury Management, Capital Finance, VAT, PFI, and Financial Systems improvements, while also supporting strategic Council priorities that include All Age Commissioning and the Growth and Regeneration of the borough. In addition we are also looking to enhance our support to Neighbourhood and Operational services and the Adult Services Client Finance team.

If you're passionate about high quality financial management and want to work in an organisation where your development truly matters, this is your opportunity to apply for a number of exciting key roles.

Why Choose Tameside?

A culture of learning, growth and progression

A cornerstone of our People Plan is Learning & Growth, and our Finance Development Pathway is designed to support every colleaguefrom Apprentice to Head of Financeto build a meaningful and fulfilling career.

Here, your career progression is not left to chance. We provide:

Clear development pathways showing how your role can evolve over timefrom exploring and expanding your skills, to moving sideways for broader experience, to progressing into more senior positions.

Supported qualifications, including AAT, CIPFA and leadership & management programmes.

A strong culture of development through My Performance conversations, shadowing, mentoring and structured skills-building.

Opportunities to move up and move across

Career development isn’t always linear. Our Finance Development Pathway supports:

Moving Up

Progress to the next career step with the right experience and qualificationssupported by a wide range of learning and development options.

Moving Sideways

Voluntary rotational opportunities (every two years) let you broaden experience, expand your knowledge across finance disciplines and build a stronger professional profile.

Growing in Your Current Role

Take on new learning opportunities, join employee networks, become a Wellbeing Champion, shadow colleagues, or develop specialist interests.

A supportive, value driven organisation

Our STRIVE valuesSupportive, Team focused, Respectful, Innovative, Valued, Empoweringshape how we work.

We offer:

Competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme

36 hour working week and flexible working

Access to eLearning, leadership programmes, coaching and a wide array of short courses

A culture where your contribution is valued and your ideas are heard

About You

As a Senior Finance Officer you will already be AAT or equivalent qualified together with either full AAT or CCAB / CIMA student membership. You will provide high quality financial support and insight to services across the Council. You will play a key role in budgeting, financial reporting, grant claims, modelling and supporting strong financial governance.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver financial management, planning and reporting support.

Monitor budgets, analyse variances and assist with corrective actions.

Support year end accounts and statutory returns.

Maintain accurate finance data and ensure system integrity.

Contribute to business cases, modelling and efficiency plans.

Build strong, trusted relationships with managers and stakeholders.

Development of expertise in dedicated roles that support a number of functions including Treasury Management, Capital Finance, VAT, PFI, Financial Systems Improvements, All Age Commissioning, Adult Services Client Finance, Neighbourhood and Operational Services, Growth and Regeneration

Development & Progression

The Development Pathway provides a structured route to becoming a future Senior Finance Manager, including:

Potential to study for the CIPFA qualification

Opportunities to develop leadership capability (Aspiring Leaders, STRIVE)

Skills in strategic financial management, risk, assurance and analysis

A chance to supervise colleagues, champion initiatives or lead small projects

Our Commitment to Your Progression

To support genuine progression opportunities, all vacancies up to Senior Finance Manager level are initially ringfenced to the Financial Management service, giving internal colleagues priority to step up when ready.

We also recognise that many internal colleagues study alongside their roleso vacancies remain open for up to six months to allow near complete qualifications to be achieved.

At Tameside, your growth mattersand we back it with real opportunities.

About Us

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities.

We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do.

Our employees’ skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can be.

This position is subject to Basic Disclosure Procedures.

** This post is classified as being in a professional job category. As such the grade for the job has a professional grade development bar which employees can progress through subject to meeting the following criteria:

1. Relevant professional qualification for the job role at Level 6 or above, AND

2. Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in the role, AND

3. Maintained membership of a regulated body where this is a requirement to practice in the role where applicable, AND

4. Professional standards practised to the highest expected level.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria.

Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here

For further information about this role please contact Rhian Clarke, Senior Finance Manager, rhian.clarke@tameside.gov.uk 0161 342 2985 or Andrew Thomas, Senior Finance Manager, andrew.thomas@tameside.gov.uk 0161 342 2227