Management Accountant - Local Authority

Interim Management Accountant

Wolverhampton Council

• 6-Month Interim Contract with extension potential
• Rates: £300 - £400 /day DOE
• Type: remote with office visits 3 times /month

Are you an experienced Management Accountant with a strong background in local authority finance? Do you have the ability to hit the ground running, provide robust financial advice, and support budget holders through effective financial planning and analysis?

Wolverhampton Council is seeking an experienced Interim Management Accountant to join the finance team on a 6-month contract, supporting key financial management activities across council services.

The Role

Working closely with Finance Business Partners and service managers, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality financial management support, ensuring budgets are effectively monitored, forecasted and managed.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting quarterly budget monitoring and financial reporting processes.
• Producing accurate forecasts and identifying budget pressures, risks, and opportunities.
• Investigating variances and providing recommendations to support financial performance.
• Assisting with annual budget setting and financial planning activities.
• Developing financial models and analysing historical expenditure trends.
• Supporting council transformation and savings programmes, monitoring achievement against agreed targets.
• Contributing to Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) forecasting and financial planning.
• Attending stakeholder meetings and providing clear, commercially focused financial advice.
• Challenging assumptions constructively and helping managers make informed decisions.

About You

We are looking for a proactive finance professional who can work independently and deliver results with minimal supervision.

Essential requirements:

• CCAB, CIPFA, ACCA, ACA or CIMA qualified, or qualified by significant relevant experience.
• Previous experience within Local Authority or Public Sector finance.
• Strong background in budget monitoring, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Experience supporting budget setting processes.
• Excellent stakeholder management and business partnering skills.
• Ability to analyse complex financial information and communicate findings clearly.
• Strong Excel and financial modelling skills. Desirable:

• Experience using Agresso or similar financial management systems.
• Knowledge of local government funding, budgeting and financial reporting requirements.

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate and timely budget monitoring reports.
• Robust financial forecasting and analysis.
• Effective support to Finance Business Partners and service managers.
• Identification and management of financial risks and budget pressures.
• Delivery and monitoring of savings initiatives.
• Confident financial advice that supports strategic decision-making.

If you are an experienced local government (or wider public sector ) finance professional looking for your next interim assignment and can quickly add value within a busy finance team, we would love to hear from you.

Please send your CV across