Senior Finance Officer- Transactional Services

Fixed Term, Full Time

£34,121 up to £40,142 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

The Opportunity

Transactional Services are seeking a proactive and experienced Senior Finance Officer with strong experience of Social Care Finance processes, excellent leadership and communication skills to join our Finance Transactional Services team. We are offering this role on a Fixed Term Contract or Secondment opportunity, for a period of 12 months.

This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in supporting the day-to-day operations of our finance function and the strategic delivery of the Finance workstream within the Social Care Platform programme.

You will work closely with colleagues across Finance and Social Care to ensure robust financial processes, accurate reporting, and effective controls are in place to support service delivery and transformation into the new Social Care Platform.

The role is classed as an 'Anywhere Worker' however there will be a requirement to attend the office County Hall, Chelmsford as and when required.

About Transactional Services

Transactional Services delivers a comprehensive financial support function for Essex County Council, leveraging innovative technologies to enhance service delivery and customer experience. Through a multi-skilled workforce, the team ensures efficient and effective financial operations across key areas including Purchase to Pay, Income Collection, Financial Assessments, and Compliance and Reporting. This service plays a critical role in maintaining financial integrity and supporting the Council's strategic objectives.

About the Social Care Platform Programme

The Social Care Platform Programme (SCPP) is a major transformation initiative focused on delivering a new, integrated Social Care system platform to support social care services within Essex by October 2026.

Within this programme, the Finance workstream is responsible for redesigning and implementing processes related to Purchase to Pay, Adult Social Care Financial Assessments and Income Collection, ensuring they are fit for purpose and aligned with the new platform and ways of working.

Accountabilities

• Lead on service improvement projects or programmes to achieve best practice and organisational efficiency e.g. SCPP.
• Lead on the delivery of the business plan for financial transactions, in support of the wider organisational vision.
• Lead, drive, and motivate a team of finance officers, to deliver financial transaction processing, ensuring exemplary standards and continuous improvement.
• Lead in the identification and clarification of customer needs to deliver process and technology changes, which drive efficiency and value for money.
• Lead in improving financial awareness and capability across the organisation, to promote the culture of empowering budget holders in line with financial regulations.
• Lead the production of reports for P2P , Financial Assessments, and Income and external customers, to manage organisational performance, maximise income and ensure compliance to Financial Regulations.
• Lead in maintaining currency on legislation changes and translating these into local policy and procedure, to identify and review potential changes in technology.
• Working collaboratively across the organisation to ensure a high level of understanding across all Functions, to constructively challenge and influence internal and external partners.
• Lead in identifying, mitigating, managing, and resolving risks to minimise financial impact and loss to the organisation.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF level 6 (Bachelor's degree) or equivalent by experience. Project management accreditation/qualification, or equivalent by experience, would be desirable.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Strong experience and good working knowledge of P2P/Financial Assessments/Income systems and demonstrable accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchase to pay and e-invoicing experience, in a high volume environment as relevant to the role.
• Ability to interpret complex and varied information and use it to drive continuous improvement.
• Strong leadership skills and behaviours, building a diverse team to achieve shared objectives. Experience of managing cultural and operational change in a complex environment.
• Good level of commercial awareness, with the ability to build effective working relationships at senior level, with internal and external customers, suppliers, and partners.
• Ability to evaluate and support innovative approaches to improving service delivery and value for money, with a strong focus on performance and delivery.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to negotiate with and influence at senior level.

Essex County Council is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.