Head of Finance - Financial Planning and Reporting

Location: Ipswich

Salary: £63,092 to £67,853

About the Role

We are seeking an outstanding Head of Finance - Financial Planning & Reporting to lead a critical function at the heart of the Council's financial strategy. This is a high‑impact leadership role, responsible for shaping financial planning, ensuring robust financial governance, and enabling informed decision‑making across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

In this strategic leadership role, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and the annual budget-setting process.
• Act as a principal financial advisor to the Council, Executive, Committees, and senior leadership team, providing clear, expert guidance.
• Oversee budget monitoring and financial reporting, ensuring timely, accurate insights that support strategic decisions.
• Line-manage the Finance Manager and set direction for the Financial Planning & Reporting team, fostering high performance and professional growth.
• Drive continuous improvement in financial systems, processes, and reporting frameworks.
• Identify and develop opportunities for financial innovation, income generation, efficiency savings, and cost reduction.

Why Join Us?

We offer a highly supportive, flexible, and rewarding environment where your expertise will make a real impact. Alongside a competitive salary, you will benefit from:

• A career average pension scheme.
• Generous holiday and sick pay entitlements.
• Subsidised parking for work and leisure.
• Public transport discounts.
• Free swimming and gym membership.
• A cycle purchase scheme.
• Extensive personal and professional development opportunities.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• An employee assistance programme.
• A friendly, collaborative workplace with great colleagues.

For the right candidate, this post may also include a formal designation as the Council's Deputy Section 151 Officer. Where applicable, an additional £5,000 allowance will be paid to reflect these statutory responsibilities.

About You

You will be a confident, forward‑thinking financial leader able to provide strategic insight while ensuring operational rigour. You'll bring:

• Significant experience in financial planning, reporting, and budgeting within a large or complex organisation.
• The ability to influence and support senior stakeholders.
• Strong leadership capability, particularly in guiding teams through change and development.
• A proactive, solutions‑focused approach to improving financial management and driving value for money.

If you are interested in the above role, please call Rebecca at Sellick Partnership on 020 3997 9255, or apply online, and a member of the team will give you a call.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.