Nottinghamshire County Council, Head of Finance (Deputy Section 151 Officer)

Head of Finance (Deputy Section 151 Officer), Nottinghamshire County Council

Salary: £74,703 – £83,664, plus Market Factor Supplement of £10,833 per annum

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Location: Hybrid working / County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham

The Organisation

Nottinghamshire County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the country, providing more than 400 services to communities across Nottinghamshire.

This is an important and exciting time to join us. We have a new Council Plan for 2025–29, an ambitious programme for the future and a clear commitment to being an efficient, effective and forward-looking organisation – making the best use of our resources while continuing to deliver high-quality services for our residents.

We are also approaching the future from a position of relative financial strength. We have a strong track record of sound financial management, balanced budgets and timely accounts, alongside healthy reserves and headroom within our Medium-Term Financial Strategy. That provides a strong platform from which to respond to the financial, technological and structural changes facing local government.

Against that backdrop, we are now looking for an outstanding finance professional to join our senior leadership team as Deputy Section 151 Officer.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Director of Finance & Investment, this is one of the Council's most important senior finance leadership positions.

You will lead the Financial Services function, with responsibility for the Council's strategic financial planning, Medium Term Financial Strategy and annual budget; financial management and reporting; statutory accounts; capital programme; financial controls and accounting policy; and the provision of high-quality financial advice across the organisation. You will lead a service of around 59 FTE and play a central role in supporting the Director of Finance & Investment in the exercise of their statutory responsibilities.

You will inherit a capable team and a sound financial platform. Your opportunity will be to build on those strengths and help take the function forward.

There is a significant modernisation agenda ahead. The Council is implementing SAP S/4HANA, creating opportunities to rethink processes, make greater use of automation and emerging technologies, and further develop the capability and effectiveness of the finance function. You will have the opportunity to shape that journey rather than simply maintain established ways of working.

And beyond the finance function, you will be a trusted adviser to senior officers and elected Members. You will need to turn complex financial information into clear, practical advice; influence important decisions; provide constructive challenge where necessary; and ensure that financial considerations are properly understood as the Council determines its priorities for the future.

You will also join Nottinghamshire at a time of wider change for local government. The precise shape and timetable of Local Government Reorganisation continues to evolve, but whatever comes next, strong financial leadership will be fundamental to ensuring Nottinghamshire is well positioned for the future. The Council Plan itself identifies LGR and the development of a future operating model as significant organisational priorities.

For an ambitious finance leader, there is another important dimension to the opportunity. This is a genuine Deputy S151 role, providing close exposure to the statutory CFO agenda and the opportunity to further develop your experience and credentials for a future Section 151 appointment.

Candidates

We are looking for a fully CCAB-qualified finance professional with a strong understanding of local government finance.

You are likely already to be operating in a senior finance leadership position and, given the scale, breadth and complexity of Nottinghamshire, possess experience from within a large and complex organisation would be particularly valuable.

You will need strong technical foundations across strategic financial management, financial planning and budgeting, statutory accounting and the wider local government finance framework. But technical expertise alone won't be enough.

We are particularly interested in your ability to communicate, influence and exercise judgement. You will be comfortable explaining complex financial issues to people who are not finance specialists, including senior officers and elected Members. You will know when to support and when to challenge, and you will have the confidence and professional credibility to speak truth to power when required.

As a leader, you will be collaborative, supportive and able to get the best from a talented professional team. We are looking for someone with ambition and drive, but also the interpersonal skills and judgement to build trusted relationships across the organisation.

You don't necessarily need to have been a Deputy S151 Officer already. What matters is that you have the technical grounding, leadership capability and organisational credibility to operate at this level – and the potential and ambition to develop further.

Why Nottinghamshire?

There are many senior finance opportunities across local government at present. What makes this one different is the platform you will inherit and the opportunity that comes with it.

You can join a financially sound organisation and a capable team; work directly alongside an experienced Section 151 Officer; lead a significant finance function; help modernise the service through new technology; operate at the heart of some of the Council's most important decisions; and further develop the breadth of experience required to become a Section 151 Officer yourself.

For the right person, this is both an opportunity to make an immediate contribution to one of the country's largest councils and an excellent next step in a senior local government finance career.

Next Steps

If you are an ambitious senior finance professional and this opportunity sounds like the right next step for you, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

For further information about Nottinghamshire County Council, the role and the recruitment process, please visit https://nottinghamshireseniorleadership.co.uk/.

For a confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact Andrew Tromans at Penna on 07805 226301 or andrew.tromans@penna.com

Recruitment Timeline:

• Closing date: 11:59pm on Sunday 18th October 2026
• Technical Interviews: W/C 26th October 2026
• Final Interviews: TBC

How to Apply:

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