Head of financial accounts

Band 8b · Financial accountant · 607 job evaluation points

Heads of financial accounts lead the organisation's statutory reporting, financial control, treasury, and tax, and are the main contact for external auditors.

Responsibilities

Lead the preparation of the annual report and accounts, and present them to the audit committee.
Advise directors and the audit committee on significant accounting judgements and new standards.
Own the financial rules, financial procedures, and scheme of delegation.
Lead the relationship with external auditors and oversight bodies on financial reporting.
Set treasury and tax policy, and manage financial risks.
Lead and develop the financial accounting, treasury, and transactional teams.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Financial reporting and statutory accountsThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: own the organisation's annual report and accounts and the accounting policies behind them advise the board and audit committee on significant judgements and new standards lead the response to qualified audit opinions or material misstatements assure that reporting meets public accountability rules
Treasury and cash managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's treasury policy and banking arrangements advise the board on liquidity and cash risks manage cash within the limits set by funders and public sector rules
Financial controls and auditThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: own the organisation's financial rules and scheme of delegation report to the audit committee on financial control and audit actions lead the response to significant control failures or fraud build a culture where staff understand their duty to use public money properly
TaxThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: manage the organisation's tax returns and tax reconciliations advise on the tax treatment of contracts, such as software licences, cloud services, and shared services maximise tax recovery within the rules
Public sector financeThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: represent the organisation with funders and oversight bodies advise the board on regularity, propriety, and value for money shape funding agreements and financial regimes for the organisation's services
Financial managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: influence or create complex budgets across an organisation, programme or product view manage the budget you are given and make it work
Leadership and guidanceUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase build consensus between services or independent stakeholders identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them engage in varying types of feedback, choosing the right type at the appropriate time and ensuring the discussion and decision stick bring people together to form a motivated team and help create the right environment for a team to work in facilitate the best team makeup depending on the situation
People managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: line manage a team, setting objectives and running appraisals support wellbeing and manage attendance, performance, and conduct plan the team's development and succession
Corporate governance and complianceThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run the governance cycle for boards and committees review policies and advise on compliance
Organisational risk managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run the risk process for a directorate or programme assess risks against the risk appetite and escalate them report on risks to committees

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised accountancy qualification, with extensive post-qualification experience, including leading statutory reporting.

Band 8b outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge across several disciplines or a large service.
Autonomy: Shapes policy and strategy for a large area.
Scope: Several services or teams, or a principal-level discipline.
Leadership: Manages managers, or is the principal authority in a discipline.
Accountability: Several services, their staff, and their budgets.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	7	Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).	196
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	5	Forms long-term strategic plans, with uncertainty and effects across the organisation.	60
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	5	Holds or sets budgets, or manages assets, for several services.	45
Responsibility for people	4	Line manages a function or department, designs training programmes as a main duty, or delivers a full range of HR services.	32
Responsibility for information resources	5	Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.	34
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8b: 585 to 629)			607