CHAMPION FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP IN ONE OF THE MOST VITAL SERVICE AREAS—SUPPORTING CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND FUTURES.

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking an exceptional Head of Finance for Children’s Services—a strategic leader ready to take on one of the most rewarding and complex roles in local government finance. This is your opportunity to shape the financial future of services that directly impact the lives of children and young people across our county.
In this crucial role you will lead financial strategy and stewardship for Children’s Services, including safeguarding, education, and early help. You will partner with the Children’s Services Leadership Team, elected Members, Senior Finance Officers and Schools Forum to drive transformation, improve outcomes, and ensure sustainable service delivery. You will lead a resilient, collaborative finance team that thrives on challenge and delivers expert financial insight to support key change activities - such as our Finance improvement programme, Children’s transformation programme and SEND Delivering Better Value programme.

ABOUT YOU

To thrive in this role, you’ll bring substantial experience leading professional finance services within a large and complex local government environment. You’ll be a CCAB or CIMA qualified accountant, with a proven track record operating at Head of Finance level (or equivalent), ideally within the public sector.
Experience in Children’s Services finance—particularly managing the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in a large authority—is highly desirable. You’ll be confident navigating the financial intricacies of Children’s Services and understand the pressures and priorities that come with supporting vulnerable children and families.
You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to manage large-scale budgets with precision, ensuring services are delivered within agreed resources while maintaining financial sustainability.
Exceptional communication and presentation skills are essential. You’ll be translating complex financial data into clear, actionable insight for a wide range of stakeholders—from senior leaders to frontline teams.
We’re looking for a proven leader—someone who can inspire and develop high-performing teams, build trust across the organisation, and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability. Your resilience, strategic mindset, and drive for results will be key to succeeding in this high-impact role.

OUR VALUES AND CULTURE

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.
From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.
We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Head of Finance, you will report into the Assistant Chief Finance Officer for Financial Analysis & Business Partnering and you will be an integral member of the Children’s Services Leadership Team, working closely with the Corporate Director for Children’s Services and s151 officer. Primary responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage the Children’s & Schools finance teams to deliver an effective finance business partnering service that works in partnership with the service to achieve excellent financial management
• Provide assurance around the delivery of the statutory s151 financial responsibilities.
• Provide professional support, advice and guidance to Members, Corporate Director, Schools Forum and other Senior officers.

Please see the attached job summary for further information on this position and the person specification criteria.

In addition to a rewarding role and the chance to make a tangible impact, we offer:

• Generous annual leave and flexible working arrangements
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A strong focus on personal and professional development
• Exclusive discounts on a wide range of services, shops, and restaurant