Assistant Finance Business Partner

About the Role:

Hastings Borough Council is looking for an enthusiastic and detail-oriented Assistant Finance Business Partner to join our Financial Services team. This role is crucial in supporting the Finance Business Partnering team, helping to provide high-quality financial services, including budget setting, monitoring, financial analysis, and final accounts preparation.

You will work closely with budget managers and council stakeholders to ensure financial planning and management meet the Council’s objectives, while also assisting in the development of financial policies, processes, and reporting improvements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in preparing annual revenue and capital budgets, ensuring compliance with corporate procedures and financial regulations.
• Support the identification and monitoring of financial risks and pressures, including efficiency savings.
• Help produce monthly budget monitoring reports, supporting budget managers with forecasting and financial analysis.
• Assist in the closing of accounts, ensuring compliance with statutory and audit requirements.
• Support the reconciliation of control accounts and address any inconsistencies.
• Contribute to financial returns, grant claims, and compliance reporting.
• Provide financial training and guidance to council officers.
• Ensure financial audit standards are met, working collaboratively with auditors.

For a full list of responsibilities, please see the attached person specification.

About You:

We are looking for an AAT-qualified finance professional, ideally working towards a CCAB qualification (ACA/CIMA/ACCA/CIPFA), with experience in budget setting, monitoring, and financial reporting. You will have strong numerical, analytical, and IT skills, with the ability to communicate complex financial information clearly.

Essential Requirements:

• AAT qualified and studying towards a professional accountancy qualification.
• Experience in budget setting, monitoring, and closing accounts.
• Knowledge of local government accounting procedures.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
• Strong understanding of financial, accounting, and budgeting principles.
• Ability to analyse financial information and produce clear, concise reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise workload.

For the full requirements of the role, please see the attached person specification.

Why Join Us?

At Hastings Borough Council, we offer a supportive and collaborative work environment where you will have opportunities for professional development. You’ll play a key role in ensuring strong financial management for the borough, helping to shape our financial future.

Our benefits include:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Seafront office location with hybrid working options

If you’re passionate about public sector finance and want to develop your career in a forward-thinking council, we’d love to hear from you!