Deputy Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer

Job Title: Deputy Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO)

Reporting to: Town Clerk

Supervises: Business Manager and Property Manager

Salary Range and Job Type: SCP 45 – 48 (£59,025 – £63,218) depending on qualifications and experience.

Opportunity to progress linked to qualifications gained. Permanent, full-time role, 37 hours per week. Hybrid working with flexi time. Term time variations, compressed hours etc considered.

Normal working week will be Monday to Friday. Due to the timing of some committee and other meetings, some evening working will be required and the equivalent time can be taken as time off in lieu, in accordance with the council’s flexi policy.

Annual leave entitlement is 26 days’ leave increasing to 30 days after five year’s service.

Overview: We’re looking for an exceptional Deputy Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer to join our Senior Leadership Team and play a key role in the Council’s continued development.

The successful candidate will join one of the country’s largest Town Councils, managing a budget of over £4.2m, and supporting our 25 Councillors and up to 80 staff to ensure Weymouth is a great place to live for our 54,000 residents and over 1.25m visitors a year.

This is finance with a difference

As our RFO, you’ll have responsibility for the Council’s financial health and sound financial management, including budget setting and monitoring, year-end accounts, audit, VAT, investments, procurement, debt management, insurance, internal controls, and risk management. But this role goes considerably further.

You’ll provide strategic financial advice to the Town Clerk, Councillors and the organisation, clerk the Finance and Governance Committee, oversee procurement and information governance, and lead or contribute to projects across the Council.

You’ll also line manage two of our five service managers, giving you the opportunity to shape services and support people to do their best work. Importantly, you’ll deputise for the Town Clerk when required, carrying out the statutory and delegated responsibilities of the Town Clerk in their absence.

In other words, this is a senior role for someone who wants to use their professional expertise to influence how a Council works, rather than simply manage a finance function.

Who are we looking for?

You’ll need substantial experience of budget preparation, monitoring and year-end closure, together with a strong understanding of local government finance, accounting, and audit.

We’re looking for someone who can take complex information, understand what really matters, and turn it into clear, accurate advice to support proper decision making.

You’ll be comfortable working with Councillors and understand the importance of political sensitivity, discretion and diplomacy. You’ll be able to build strong relationships with colleagues, Councillors, partners and the public, while remaining calm and constructive when things get challenging.

You’ll also need to be an experienced manager who can lead people well, take the initiative, solve problems, and get things done.

AAT, CCAB part-qualified or equivalent is essential. A relevant degree or professional qualification is desirable, as is CiLCA. Experience of local government financial systems such as GovFinance would be an advantage.

Why Weymouth?

We’re a Council with ambition, not only that but we’re a Council with an award winning beach! Each year we welcome over 1.25 million visitors to our town, and we have a key role in ensuring we remain a destination of choice.

We work closely with our communities, Dorset Council and local organisations to make Weymouth a great place to live, work, play and visit. We value commitment, innovation and challenge, and we’re proud of our reputation for doing things differently and continuing to improve.

If you’re looking for a role where your financial expertise will genuinely influence the direction of an organisation – and where you can make a visible difference to a town and its communities, we’d love to hear from you.

And if the prospect of doing all that while working somewhere as inspirational as the Jurassic Coast sounds appealing, even better.

What we offer

• Salary of £59,025 – £63,218 (SCP 45–48), depending on qualifications and experience
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance Scheme
• Opportunity to progress linked to qualifications gained
• Permanent, full-time employment
• Hybrid working and flexi-time
• Term-time variations and compressed hours possible to help your work fit your life.
• A varied and influential senior management role
• The opportunity to work closely with elected Members, communities and partners
• The chance to help shape the future of a thriving and ambitious Town Council
• The opportunity to eat your lunch on an award winning beach every day

Regular Wednesday evening working is required.

Job Purpose:

• To support the strategic leadership of the Council, managing and advising on financial matters.
• To ensure the sound financial operation of the Council including audit, budgeting, and financial controls, ensuring the Town Council operates in accordance with accounting and statutory requirements.
• To line manage the Business Manager and Property Manager ensuring sound operation of those two services.
• To deputise for the Town Clerk and carry out the statutory and delegated functions of the Town Clerk in their absence.

Key Responsibilities:

• To carry out the RFO functions ensuring sound strategic and day-to-day financial management. This includes budgets setting, reporting, end of year, audit, banking, VAT, investments, procurement, debt management, insurance, internal control, and risk management.
• To clerk the Finance and Governance Committee.
• To ensure the management of data and information in accordance with the local government Transparency Code and GDPR regulations.
• To support the Town Clerk in their role and provide effective cover as and when required.
• To maintain an overview of tendering and procurement.
• To lead on health and safety across the organisation (negotiable).
• To lead on specific projects as directed.
• To support and promote the Council’s policies and procedures and values and behaviours in all dealings with staff, members and the public.
• To support and report to relevant internal or external partnerships, working groups and customer forums.
• The duties and responsibilities of the post are not restrictive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties from time to time.  Any such duties should not however, substantially change the general character of the post.

If you’re ready for a role where finance, leadership, governance, and local community impact come together, we’d love to hear from you.

The full job description and person specification can be downloaded below.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete the following application form:

Completed applications should be emailed to office@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk by 9am on Monday 23rd November.

Interviews will take place on Monday 30th November and Tuesday 1st December.