Who You Are You are a seasoned financial professional with a full membership in a CCAB body, preferably CIPFA, and possess significant post-qualification experience. Your educational background includes a degree or equivalent, and possibly a recognized management qualification or postgraduate achievement like an MBA or Master’s degree. With extensive senior strategic management experience in the public sector, particularly local government, you are adept at transforming organizational drivers into tangible strategic objectives and outcomes. You possess a deep understanding of national policy contexts and major local government issues. Your track record demonstrates accountability for significant budgets, ensuring service delivery within agreed resources, and forging collaborative partnerships. You excel in strategic operations, policy development, performance management, and have a strong ability to influence, communicate, and manage relationships across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders. What the Job Involves As the Assistant Director of Finance, you will support the Executive Director of Strategy & Resources to deliver high-quality financial stewardship across the Council. You will lead the financial strategy development, ensuring medium-term sustainability while managing a service budget of approximately £5m and influencing the Council's gross expenditure of £982m. Your role involves directing a portfolio of services, developing regulatory-compliant policies, driving strategic initiatives, and delivering sound financial systems and processes. You will be pivotal in producing unmodified audit opinions, managing the closure of accounts, and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation. Engaging with Members, strategic directors, and partners, you will address service impacts on residents and users. Leadership responsibilities include fostering a culture of continuous improvement, performance excellence, and innovation in service delivery frameworks. You will uphold the Council's commitment to equality, ensuring equality, diversity, and inclusion are integrated into all service deliveries.