Pension Services Financial Manager

What will you be doing?

1. To oversee financial control, management and reporting of all Fund aspects, to ensure that all financial and cash management aspects of each fund is appropriately controlled, recorded and reported, to deadline.
2. To develop and maintain investment governance frameworks to deliver Fund investment strategy, monitoring and reporting requirements, including procurement, Freedom of Information and compliance requirements of the Funds, whether assets are held directly or by the ACCESS pool, reporting to the Investment Sub-Committee and other Committees as required
3. To ensure delivery of Fund closedown to deadline, including processes, production, good quality working papers and reporting, of the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts (ARSoA), including liaison with Internal and External Audit, in accordance with all relevant accounting standards, guidance and regulations.
4. To develop project management styles where appropriate to manage inter service or wider projects.
5. To ensure accurate and timely completion of returns such as statistical and benchmarking returns.
6. To ensure accurate and timely reporting as required, to the Pension Committee, Investment Sub Committee, Local Pension Board, ACCESS Joint Committee and other bodies as appropriate.
7. To provide support on ad hoc initiatives such as project support on financial or investment related issues.
8. To develop and manage staff and provide assurance to management of effective team performance, against team and service objectives.

About you

You'll have:

1. A relevant professional accounting qualification such as CIPFA, CIMA, ACCA, and ICAEW.
2. Significant experience in areas commensurate with being a PSFM and qualified accountant and having had previous experience of a financial cycle.
3. Sound experience of financial practices and processes, in particular strong report writing skills.
4. Demonstrate knowledge and ability to deliver and maintain procurement and governance policies, preferably in a Local government environment. 
5. Initiative and ability to plan and organise time and resources to ensure that own, team and service deadlines and agreed targets are met with the minimum of supervision, delivering high levels of performance under changing conditions, tasks, responsibilities or people.
6. Ability to communicate effectively to all levels of management, including good report writing skills; for example, able to write management reports explaining complex financial issues in a simple and concise manner.
7. Able to own, address, and apply creative thinking to bespoke, complex service processes and challenges.
8. Relations with others: The personal qualities and skills that promote open and constructive relations with managers, reports, colleagues and customers and able to negotiate and influence at a high level.

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options 
• Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.  

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. 

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.

Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.