Interim Technical Accountant – AR

Interim Technical Accountant – Closedown Review

Location: Fully Remote
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Until 31 December 2026
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Client: Bromsgrove District Council & Redditch Borough Council

Role Overview

Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council are seeking an experienced Interim Technical Accountant to support a key finance workstream focused on reviewing and strengthening the authorities’ year-end closedown arrangements and Statement of Accounts processes.

The successful candidate will undertake a comprehensive review of the 2025/26 closedown process across both councils, including the Statement of Accounts, supporting notes, working papers and source documentation. The role will identify opportunities to strengthen financial controls, improve audit readiness, enhance governance and ensure compliance with best practice and the CIPFA Code of Practice.

Alongside the review project, the successful candidate will provide support to the Corporate Finance team as required, undertaking duties aligned with a Chief Accountant function.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake a detailed review of the 2025/26 revenue and capital closedown processes across both councils.
• Review Statements of Accounts, supporting notes, working papers and source documentation.
• Assess ownership, leadership, roles, responsibilities and accountability throughout the closedown process.
• Review closedown timetables, workload allocation, team structure, technical capability and capacity.
• Assess previous years’ performance against statutory final accounts deadlines.
• Review finance system and technical issues affecting accounts production.
• Evaluate the quality, consistency and sign-off arrangements for working papers.
• Review document management, filing structures and audit trails.
• Assess balance sheet reconciliations, control accounts and year-round assurance arrangements.
• Review capital accounting processes and maintenance of the Fixed Asset Register.
• Examine issues raised by Internal and External Audit and incorporate lessons learned into process improvements.
• Review findings from the independent review of Bromsgrove District Council’s 2025/26 unaudited Statement of Accounts.
• Review processes for extracting financial information from finance systems for accounts production.
• Assess data quality, system access and availability of financial information.
• Review spreadsheet controls and master workbook version control.
• Review the treatment of prior-year adjustments, hard close procedures and general ledger amendments.
• Assess journal controls, late adjustments and audit trails.
• Review year-end accruals, grant accounting and historic commitments.
• Review budget monitoring, virements, approvals and associated audit trails.
• Assess the timeliness of asset valuations, revaluations and pension accounting information.
• Review the receipt and management of third-party information required for accounts production.
• Assess the governance and frequency of closedown meetings.
• Ensure compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice and quality assurance of the CIPFA Disclosure Checklist.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and modernise accounts production.
• Strengthen balance sheet assurance and management oversight.
• Improve preparedness for external audit.
• Provide technical accounting and Corporate Finance support as required, operating at or supporting Chief Accountant level.

Essential Requirements

• Fully qualified CCAB accountant – CIPFA, ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years’ post-qualification experience.
• Extensive experience within Local Government finance.
• Significant experience of year-end closedown and final accounts.
• Strong experience producing and reviewing Statements of Accounts.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge within a local authority environment.
• Experience of capital accounting, fixed assets and balance sheet management.
• Proven experience working with External Audit and resolving audit queries.
• Strong understanding of the CIPFA Code of Practice and local authority accounting requirements.
• Experience reviewing financial processes and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, governance and audit readiness.
• Experience operating at, or supporting, Chief Accountant level.

Ideal Candidate Background

This role would suit an experienced:

• Technical Accountant
• Senior Technical Accountant
• Chief Accountant
• Financial Reporting Manager
• Senior Financial Accountant
• Corporate Finance Manager

The ideal candidate will have a strong Local Government background and be particularly experienced in technical accounting, financial reporting, year-end closedown, Statements of Accounts and external audit.

Key Skills

• Local Government Finance
• Year-End Closedown & Final Accounts
• Statement of Accounts
• Technical & Capital Accounting
• Balance Sheet Assurance
• External Audit & Audit Query Resolution
• Financial Controls & Governance
• CIPFA Code of Practice
• Process Review & Improvement
• Financial Reporting
• Fixed Assets & Asset Accounting
• Audit Readiness