These templates and tools are intended to provide inspiration and a practical illustration to help local authorities attract senior-level candidates from outside the local government sector.
Introduction
Here we we set out templates and tools that provide a practical illustration of the themes raised. In turn, these might help local authorities to operate more inclusive recruitment processes that attract senior-level candidates from outside the local government sector.
These templates and tools are intended solely to generate ideas and to provide inspiration.
Sample wording for an advertisement or social media post
Lothlorien Council is looking for a new financial controller to oversee our day-to-day financial operations.
The role would suit a qualified accountant with experience of managing a busy financial accounting team and is looking to take the next step in their career. This role is suited to someone who wishes to make a difference in their local community.
Specific local government experience is welcome, but not essential. However, a willingness and ability to learn will be vital as will the ability to lead and motivate a team. The successful candidate will be provided with a comprehensive induction and an ongoing package of development support.
Lothlorien Council provides essential public services to local residents and business. We offer a collaborative working environment, a range of flexible working opportunities, supported family leave and membership of the local government pension scheme.
The salary for this role will be between £XX,XXX and £XX,XXX, plus generous employer pension contributions.
Progression opportunities for this role are available within the Council. Members of our finance team also have a strong track record of progressing to more senior positions at other local authorities.
Application is by cover letter and CV, details can be found at XXX. Applications are open until XX.XX.XX, but we will offer an immediate interview to promising candidates and will appoint once a suitable candidate has been identified.
Sample role description
Job Title: Senior finance role / Chief Finance Officer
Location: Lothlorien Council
Salary: £XX,XXX - £XX,XXX plus pension contribution
Contract Type: Permanent
Reporting To: Chief Executive
Lothlorien Council is the local government organisation for the county of Lothlorien. We employ 3,900 people, have an annual budget of £650 million and serve a community of 965,000 people. We are committed to making Lothlorien a vibrant and sustainable place to live, work and do business.
As a senior finance leader within Lothlorien Council, you will provide strategic financial leadership for our activities, shape our financial strategy in a way that balances service delivery with financial sustainability, and ensure the effective management of the Council’s financial resources.
In particular, you will:
- lead the development and implementation of the Council’s financial strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and statutory requirements,
- oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting to ensure long-term financial sustainability,
- ensure compliance with local government audit requirements and statutory reporting obligations.
- provide financial advice to senior leadership, elected members and service directors to support effective decision making,
- drive efficiencies, identify opportunities for cost savings and promote value-for-money initiatives,
- manage relationships with external stakeholders including auditors, service delivery partners, central government departments and relevant professional bodies,
- lead and develop the finance team in a way that promotes high performance, continuous improvement and professional development,
- oversee our investment management activity and our capital financing arrangements,
- ensure that robust risk management arrangements, financial controls and governance frameworks are in place and embedded in our organisational culture, and
- support commercial and income generating initiatives while ensuring stewardship of public funds and maintaining financial accountability.
You will have responsibility for all aspects of the Council’s financial administration and will be the designated officer under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972.
You will report to the Chief Executive and will work closely with the Council’s leader, cabinet, councillors and committees. You will also represent the Council on a range of local boards and partnerships and will lead our engagement with various public and commercial sector partners.
You will also work with senior leadership colleagues and partner organisations to drive our vision for Lothlorien.
In return, we will offer you:
- the opportunity to shape the financial future of a dynamic and community-focused local authority,
- a collaborative and innovative working environment, supporting the delivery of essential public services,
- a range of flexible working opportunities, supported family leave and other workplace benefits, and
- a generous salary package and membership of the local government pension scheme, with opportunities for career progression.
We will also provide you with a comprehensive induction programme, an experienced mentor for your first year and ongoing access to our award-winning senior management coaching programme.
Sample person specification
As a member of the Council’s senior leadership team with responsibility for the administration of the Council’s financial affairs, you will demonstrate the following skills and attributes:
Technical requirements
- A qualified accountant with full membership of a CCAB member accountancy body, or equivalent, with evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development.
- Strong financial and commercial skills, such as the ability to rapidly analyse financial data and to assess its impact on the organisation.
- A proven track record of strategic financial planning and delivering financial sustainability.
Leadership skills
- Experience of leading and inspiring a finance team in a large, complex organisation and of contributing to the development of a culture of personal and professional growth.
- Ability to navigate complex governance structures and to demonstrate high standards of both accountability and stewardship.
- Ability to lead complex organisational change programmes and to oversee the management of a range of strategic projects and initiatives.
Interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively with individuals at all levels of the organisation and to manage conflict proactively and constructively.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a corporate leadership team, including acting as an advisor to, and sounding board for, the Chief Executive.
- Ability to communicate complex financial information effectively to a non-technical audience.
Stakeholder engagement
- Ability to develop and nurture effective working relationships with local politicians and with public, voluntary and commercial sector partner organisations.
- Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders and to act as an ambassador for the Council among professional networks.
Personal integrity
- A strong sense of integrity and ethical behaviour and a commitment to effective stewardship of, and accountability for, the public funds entrusted to us.
Specific experience of working within local government or the wider public sector is not required. However, a willingness and ability to learn, an affinity with the ethos of public sector service delivery and a desire to contribute to the life of our local community are essential.
Sample interview questions
Here we set out some questions that local authorities could use to assess the suitability of candidates for senior finance roles. These questions do not assume prior local government finance experience.
Motivation for applying
- What attracts you to this role?
- What attracts you to working in local government?
Technical financial expertise
- How have you sought to enhance an organisation’s financial sustainability and resilience in previous roles?
- How do you approach financial planning and forecasting in a dynamic and uncertain environment?
- How do you foster a culture of financial accountability across an organisation? Please give an example of when you have done something similar.
Financial aspects of service delivery
- What strategies would you use to manage financial constraints while still driving service improvements?
- We need to safeguard the public funds entrusted to us, but we also need to be innovative and to find better ways of doing things. In your view, how can we best strike a balance between these two priorities? How might you be able to help us to do that?
Leadership and influencing skills
- Describe a time when you had to influence senior leaders to make a financially sound decision. What did you learn from this? What would you do differently in future?
- What leadership style do you adopt when leading finance teams through change?
- We value a culture of integrity, ownership and accountability. What does organisational culture mean to you? And how might you help us to embed further the culture to which we aspire?
- Please tell us about a time when you have led a team through significant transformational change. How did you get your team on board with the change? What challenges did you encounter and how did you address them?
Stakeholder engagement
- How do you manage competing priorities when different stakeholders have conflicting interests?
- We work closely with a range of partner organisations. How would you establish an effective working relationship with people in these organisations? Please give us an example of when you have done something similar in practice.
- Can you provide an example of how you have worked in a politically or commercially sensitive environment? How did you approach this? What did you learn from it?
Communication skills
- This role will involve presenting complex financial information to councillors to help them to make informed decisions. Please give us an example of when you have presented complex financial information to a non-technical audience. What worked well? And what might you have done differently?
Adaptability and problem-solving
- If you were appointed to a senior financial leadership role in the Council, what would be your priorities in your first six months?
- If a signification budget shortfall was identified midway through the financial year, what steps would you take to remedy the situation?
- How have you introduced innovation or efficiency in financial management in your previous roles? What did you learn from this that you would bring to the Council?
Hitting the ground running
- If successful, how might we best support you in terms of both your personal and your professional development in your first twelve months in the role?
Sample development plan for new hires
This sample development plan is based on the themes set out in the CIPFA Competency Framework . It does not seek to be comprehensive, but rather provides some initial suggestions, which local authorities can use as a starting point.
Local authorities may also wish to have regard to the five elements of the chief finance officer role set out in CIPFA’s publication The role of the Chief Financial Officer in public service organisations.
People and teamwork
- Role of elected members, cabinet, committees, etc.
- Relationship between members and officers
- Structure of roles within the finance team
Business and commercial
- Local government structures and services
- Local government funding arrangements
- How decisions are made within the council
- How the council works with partner organisations
Finance Business Partner
- The financial forecasting and budgeting process
- Financial accountability arrangements, eg section 114 obligations
- Relevant CIPFA codes and guidance
- The current budget position, challenges and plans for the future
Behaviours and emotional intelligence
- The Nolan principles and what they mean in practice
- Ethical practices, eg EDI, modern slavery, environmental reporting
- Support available to council staff and how to access it
- How to challenge unethical behaviour
Specific and technical
- Policy and technical issues, eg local government reorganisation, devolution
- Internal and external audit arrangements
- Specific technical finance matters, eg housing revenue account, education finance
More on financial recruitment
Find out more about our Financial Recruitment Project and read our 5 case studies.
