Head of Finance

Location: Office based- Hove, BN3
Rate: up to £500 a day DOE
Contract: ASAP start until mid-December 2026

A local authority organisation is seeking an experienced Interim Head of Finance to provide strategic financial leadership and support during a key period of service delivery and transformation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior finance professional with strong leadership skills and experience working within a complex public sector environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting activities.
• Provide strategic financial advice to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Support medium and long-term financial planning and sustainability.
• Oversee revenue and capital budgets, ensuring effective financial control.
• Deliver accurate financial reporting and performance monitoring.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, governance requirements and accounting standards.
• Lead the preparation of statutory accounts and support audit processes.
• Manage and develop finance teams, driving high performance and continuous improvement.
• Support business cases, investment decisions and organisational transformation programmes.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities, providing appropriate solutions and recommendations.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A recognised accounting qualification (CIPFA, ACA, ACCA or CIMA).
• Significant senior-level finance experience within a large and complex organisation.
• Strong experience in financial planning, budgeting and financial reporting.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to influence and challenge senior managers effectively.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Experience managing and developing professional finance teams.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience within local government, local authorities or the wider public sector.
• CIPFA qualification.
• Experience supporting transformation programmes, major projects or capital programmes.
• Knowledge of local authority funding and public sector finance.