Trainee vacancies

CIPFA trainee and apprenticeship vacancies

CIPFA Graduate Trainee for Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Location: Magdalen House/Agile (Hybrid)

Start date: TBC

Application closing date: Monday 26 February 2024 23.59

Salary: £30,296 - £33,945

Interview/Assessment dates: TBC

Number of vacancies: One

Benefits

Sefton is a diverse and exciting borough where people can enjoy a great work-life balance.  It encompasses world renowned nature reserves, accessible businesses and retail centres, top class leisure facilities and some of the best coastal and countryside environments.  It is an ideal location for accessing Manchester, the North West and beyond by road, rail or air.  From vibrant town centres, intimate commuter towns, beautiful villages and stunning coastal and rural locations, everyone can find their perfect home.  Sefton is at the heart of the Liverpool City Region, playing an active role in ensuring its success.

This is a changing and vibrant authority already on a journey working towards an exciting 2030 vision.  Sefton Council’s Finance Service is an efficient and effective team that aims to continually strengthen and promote good financial management across the organisation and play an active role in delivering the vision.

The Council’s CIPFA Graduate Trainee Programme has been in place for 5 years to recruit and develop new talent to become the finance leaders of the future. During that time, CIPFA trainees have developed their skills, knowledge and behaviours and have been successful in achieving promotions to more senior posts within the service. They have also received recognition for their individual successes from CIPFA and as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

We have a new and exciting opportunity for a trainee CIPFA finance and accountancy professional who will support the finance team in the provision of financial advice and support to budget holders and senior management.  The post holder will gain a range of experience across the whole finance function as they rotate through different disciplines – including budget support to services, closure of accounts, finance systems, audit – during their three/four-year training period.

The role is ideal for an enthusiastic, highly motivated individual who is suitably qualified with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues in finance, service managers and external partners.

Key responsibilities 

• As part of the Finance Service, the role will involve being part of a professional team delivering a wide range of financial support to budget holders and assisting in the preparation and monitoring of budgets and completion of statutory accounts and returns.
• To provide financial support and advice in a timely manner to budget holders and other service users that is accurate and relevant to clients needs.
• To assist officers in ensuring that the Council and our clients maximise value for money in the use of resources.
• To contribute towards the setting and monitoring of standards for devolved financial management.
• To achieve CIPFA professional qualification and progression to Senior Finance Officer role upon confirmation of CIPFA full member status.

Responsibilities

• To support other Finance Officers within the division to provide necessary financial service.
• Assist budget holders to fulfil their service delivery objectives effectively and efficiently in accordance with the Council’s Financial Frameworks or policies and procedures that may apply to specific funding.
• Assist in the preparation of financial reports in a clear and understandable format with a level of detail that is meaningful and can be interpreted by clients when monitoring expenditure or forecasting future requirements.
• Consider the overall financial wellbeing individual budget areas and highlight any issues of concern to Budget Holders in a timely manner in order that appropriate action can be taken.
• The post holder will be subject to placement rotation to gain experience of different service areas and areas within finance (including budget monitoring, statutory accounts, commercial business case appraisal).
• Develop and maintain an up to date knowledge of accountancy matters generally and those specific service areas supported in particular.
• Respond to day to day queries from Budget Holders and other Clients.
• To attend / participate in CIPFA training and exams; and complete necessary work based experience.
• Progression to Grade H (SCP 26 — SCP 30).
• This will be dependent on exam success after the first 18 months and the outcome of annual and mid-year performance appraisals.  If progression is approved the post holder will be expected to undertake additional responsibilities including:
• Development of more complex financial appraisals and options in order to provide advice to service managers regarding the most appropriate course of action.  For example, financial modelling and recommendations of various budget saving or income generating proposals.
• The post holder at this level will organise their own workload making decisions as to when and how duties are carried out, seeking advice and guidance from manager(s) but not being reliant on day to day instruction.  They will have the ability to effectively manage priorities and consistently meet deadlines.

Minimum entry requirements

Personal specifications of essential and desirable attributes can be found on the Jobs Go Public website.

How to apply

Apply via the Jobs Go Public website.

For further information please contact Andy Bridson on 07813543320.