1. Post Information

Date 01/3/11 Version 1.1 Job Profile

1. Post Information Job Family Strategic Leadership

Directorate Commercial and Corporate Services

Service Strategic and Operational Finance

Job Title Senior Finance Officer

Grade POF

Type of Worker Agile (Home, Remote, Agile or Office) Tier 5/6

Reports to Strategic Finance Specialist / Principal Accountant

No. of Reports N.A

Management N.A responsibility for

Reference No. JP349

Purpose To assist in the provision of a financial management service covering a range of accounting requirements through provision of detailed financial analysis and information.

2. Council’s Purpose and Values The purpose of the Council is “to ensure the people and City of Sunderland fulfil their potential” by:  Raising aspirations, creating confidence and promoting opportunity (People)  Leading the investment in attractive and inclusive City and its communities (Place)  Creating the conditions in which business can establish and thrive (Economy)

Values: PROUD, DECENT, TOGETHER

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc 3. Key Areas Key Area Statement Part 1 Statement Part 2 (Verb, what is Output & Outcome done) (How it is done, to what or whom, and with what result) Communication Communicate to users of the service including information verbally and senior managers and equivalent for / or in writing both internal and external services on a range of financial management issues. This involves producing and presenting sometimes complex and specialist financial reports to senior managers. Technical knowledge is required. Communicate including, but not restricted to, information to different technical financial analysis, budget audiences monitoring and forecasting information, to all levels of staff and customers, including senior managers and Governors in relation to schools. Information will primarily inform decision making and will be, technical and can be financially sensitive. Provide information and including with regard to financial / or advice and management issues to all levels of guidance staff and customers, including Governors in relation to schools to inform decision making processes. Influence others to when dealing with officers, and adopt policies and where relevant Governors in relation courses of action to schools, or equivalent for external bodies in order to ensure adoption of appropriate financial policies, procedures and courses of action that provide for a robust financial management environment.

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Customer Establish excellent with officers and where relevant Focus relationships with governors in relation to schools, to customers ensure that customer expectations in respect of the quality and standard of the provision of financial processes and information are met. Will seek to secure mutual respect and understanding and to secure a positive outcome for all parties in relation to financial management matters through the provision of financial management information which meets the needs of the user. Assess and / or in the provision of a customer anticipate customer focused service ensuring sound needs financial management, ensuring adherence to agreed service standards. Assess service delivery in conjunction with senior finance requirements specialists, and in relation to areas of responsibility, to ensure adherence to agreed service delivery standards. Exercise customer including using analytical skills to focus skills assess and interpret accounting legislation and financial and non- financial data to propose and present in a user friendly way options or solutions to allow appropriate decisions to be made, supporting the decision making process of the organisation or external body. This may require negotiation and persuasion skills to ensure a positive outcome. Influence Influence and persuade when dealing with officers, and others where relevant Governors in relation to schools, or equivalent for external bodies in order to ensure adoption of appropriate financial policies, procedures and courses of action that provide for a robust financial management environment.

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Planning and Plan and organise own workload, including reprioritising decision tasks where required, to meet making challenging timescales and conflicting demands to ensure a responsive and effective service. Also, plan and organise the workload in respect of specific projects / project teams. Make decisions appropriately and within the specified delegation of the Director of Commercial and Corporate Services to make decisions appropriate to role with recourse to a line manager as appropriate. On a daily and frequent basis make decisions in relation to financial management and accounting issues for the Council and external services, including schools as appropriate. Deal with and solve on a daily basis, in relation to problems financial management and accounting issues for the Council and external services, including schools as appropriate and will require the use of appropriate financial techniques to inform the problem resolution. Analyse and interpret to assess the relevant financial information impact and formulate proposals relative to the specific service or functional area of responsibility for consideration by line management. Independence Undertake independent whilst working with minimal actions supervision, in the provision of financial services to a range of users. Processes will need to follow agreed policies and principles, but with room for initiative and organising own work. Developing and Demonstrate own to share knowledge of best financial motivating duties to other practice and procedures, to ensure others employees effective understanding of the needs of the service.

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Advise, instruct, check -on a regular basis, ensuring the work or train other quality of work produced by others. employees - offering support and guidance to team members when required. - supporting the training of new and existing members of staff, and undertaking regular checks to ensure accuracy of work produced. - to facilitate the introduction of new or improved working practices. - supporting the development of financial management skills for Directorate non finance staff relative to the specific Directorate service or functional area of responsibility. Coach and / or mentor offering support and guidance to others others including in relation to specific assignments, to ensure effective understanding of the needs of the project or service. Lead and guide offering support and guidance to employees others including in complex areas and in relation to specific assignments, to ensure effective understanding of the needs of the project or service. Composure and Ensure accuracy in ensuring that all financial information thoroughness work produced provided is timely and accurate. This involves the full range of financial information with complexity. Also ensuring that information provided by other functions is consistent and accurate. Ensure work is carried by reviewing procedures and out in an organised and prioritising outstanding work to meet effective way business objectives as directed by line management, ensuring that all work is carried out efficiently and effectively. Maintain focus on to provide solutions to ensure that tasks, even in work is delivered within set challenging timescales. circumstances

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Deal with deadlines on a daily basis to meet the financial management and reporting timescales for both internal and external customers as directed by line management , including the provision of financial management or statutory information, returns and other financial analysis. Deal with interruptions on a regular basis to ensure and conflicting deadlines are still adhered to and demands outcomes achieved. There will often be competing demands and tight timescales that require proactive management in conjunction with line management to identify and focus on key requirements. Partnership Work effectively with with relevant service partners working others to build including schools to ensure the relationships and find provision of financial analysis to common solutions support business decision making processes relative to the specific service or functional area of responsibility. Develop and maintain to ensure compliance with financial clear working objectives policies and procedures and robust with internal and financial management. This includes external partners development of good working relationships with officers or equivalent for external bodies and customers, including headteachers and governors for schools. Improvement Develop and produce to support services under the plans and / or strategies direction of line manager in the development of financial aspects of strategies and project specific work for both internal and external customer including schools, with appropriate direction from Senior professionals. Provision of financial analysis to support development of plans and strategies to support the decision making process of directorates, specific projects or schools as directed by management.

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Contribute to the by applying service specific and effectiveness of technical knowledge to support improvement activity continuous improvement at a service, directorate and organisational level, supporting the improvement programmes through provision of and capture of financial information. Measure the impact by undertaking financial evaluation and effectiveness of in the most appropriate method, plans / strategies / including benchmarking, statistical, improvement activity analytical, trend analysis and other financial tools, so as to support the strategic decision making process, under the direction of senior financial professionals. Innovation Use creative skills to to suggest and assist in develop novel or unique implementation of new working ideas or products practices to maximise efficiency and improve service delivery.

4. Statutory Requirements In line with the Council’s Statutory Requirements, all employees of the Council should: Comply with the principles and requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to the management of Council records and information, and respect the privacy of personal information held by the Council; Comply with the principles and requirements of the Freedom in Information Act 2000; Comply with the Council's information security standards, and requirements for the management and handling of information; Use Council information only for authorised purposes.

5. Person Specification Strengths for Matching (via online assessments)

 Achievement: A tendency to set and accomplish challenging goals, while persisting in the face of significant obstacles. Characteristics typically include: working hard; taking satisfaction and pride in producing high quality work; and being competitive

 Independence: A willingness to take action and to make decisions independently. Characteristics typically include: working effectively without immediate supervision; no requirement for the support or help of others; and being resourceful in the face of challenges

 Influence: A person's effectiveness in directing and influencing those around them. However, there are many ways to measure influencing skills for example some people find it very easy to persuade others round to their point of view where others may prefer to use written documentation as a form of persuasion.

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc Some people may not naturally have strong influencing/negotiating skills yet they have learnt to do so if the situation requires it. This trait focuses more on verbal persuasion skills. Characteristics typically include: persuading and negotiating effectively with others; influencing others' decision-making; and coordinating others' efforts to accomplish work.

 Innovation: A person’s creativity in working through problems and making decisions. Characteristics typically include: producing novel solutions to problems; using imagination to create unique ideas or products; and applying varied and inventive strategies when tackling challenging issues.

 Numerical Reasoning: The ability to use and understand numerical information in a variety of formats. It provides an indication of how an individual will perform when working with numbers, money, tables, charts and other data found in the work place.

 Verbal Reasoning: The ability to extract relevant information from written sources and make objective judgements on the basis of that information, logically complete sentences and understand relationships between words. It provides an indication of how an individual will perform when working with reports, correspondence, instructions and research information.

Essential Requirements

Communicating (verbal) - Able to share information, obtain information Interview and have dialogue with others either in person or over the telephone. Communicating (written) - Able to share information and obtain Application information from others through written communication. Form Customer Service Excellence – Able to delight customers, deliver high Interview quality tailored services to meet needs and exceed expectations. Listening - Listens to others to assess requirements in order to respond Interview appropriately and efficiently. PC Skills – Able to effectively use a PC to prepare documents, record Interview information or input data. Vigour – Works at a fast pace, copes well with higher levels of Interview workload. Able to develop knowledge or experience of or undertake: Interview  Applying accounting principles and concepts.  Excellent analytical skills to work through complex matters develop financial models, including scenario planning.  IT skills in respect of PC based software applications and an understanding of future requirements as a result of the modernisation agenda.  Prioritising workload to meet customer requirements.  Providing advice and guidance in relation to improvement and efficiency programmes.  Final accounts, budget preparation and monitoring.  Grant claims and other financial returns.  Local authority accounting financial arrangements and planning

D:\Docs\2017-12-12\07fb116bd4b03699154f6c489e471f1d.doc cycles. Ability to  demonstrate a willingness to be flexible when faced with changing circumstances  demonstrate a desire for self development Interview  demonstrate a thorough and precise approach to work and managing personal activities

Preferably CCAB Qualified Accountant (preferably CIPFA) or significant Application relevant financial experience Form Experience of working with a range of services and/or financial Application functions. form/ Interview Able to develop knowledge or experience of or undertake:  Financial legislation, regulations, national policy drivers and broader influences relating to financial and accountancy and Interview implications of the Best Value Accounting Code of Practice and Statement of Recommended Practice. Commitment to service delivery and continuous improvement Interview Willingness to work additional hours to meet demands of the post during Interview the year.

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