Job Description

Senior Management Accountant

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Vacancy Reference Number
20047


Number of Vacancies
1
(B) OCU
Financial Services
Location
Kilburn
Building
KILBURN POLICE STATION
Band
Band U
Part/Full Time
Full Time
Hours per Week
36 hours per week
Type of Contract
Permanent
Job Advert

Job Title:

Senior Management Accountant

Salary:

The starting salary is 74,680, which includes allowances totalling 2,928.


The salary is broken down as 71,752 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale 79,042. Plus, a location allowance of 1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of 1,000.

Location

Kilburn



The Senior Management Accountant is responsible for the delivery of accurate, transparent and timely management accounts, forecasts, dashboards and financial analysis.


The role provides financial insight to inform decision-making at all levels and ensures that financial risks, issues and opportunities are clearly understood within the context of the Met's priorities.


The postholder will lead a team of Management Accountants, foster collaborative relationships across Finance and the wider organisation, and drive continuous improvement in the provision of financial information.

Communications and Working Relationships

Budget Managers

- Regular engagement (weekly/monthly) to review and challenge financial forecasts, align on priorities, and provide analysis for informed decisions.

Strategic Finance and Finance Business Partners (FBPs)

- Close collaboration to ensure two-way flow of knowledge, support budget setting, and share performance insights.

Commercial Teams

- Engagement to monitor contracts, spending profiles and ensure compliance with procurement policies.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)/MBS

- Liaison to ensure that transactional inputs and system processes (e.g. accruals, journals) are accurate and timely.

Financial Accounting Team

- Coordination on chart of accounts changes, insights for cash flow and year-end financial statements.

Other Senior Stakeholders

- Responding to ad hoc commissions, supporting briefing packs for governance meetings (ExCo, COGs), and translating finance into operational impact.

Key Result Areas

Lead the delivery of monthly management accounts, forecasts and analysis

for a defined share of Met B portfolios (~2.2bn), ensuring outputs are accurate, meaningful and support timely, informed decision-making.

Interpret and summarise complex financial data into clear insights and strategic advice

for senior stakeholders, including budget holders and Executive Board members.

Oversee the end-to-end planning, budgeting and monitoring process

, ensuring that financial performance is understood, underperformance is addressed, and risks/opportunities are escalated.

Collaborate across enabling services (e.g., Strategic Finance, Commercial, BPO)

to ensure that transactional data, accruals and reforecasts are correctly processed, and the financial position reflects operational reality.

Strengthen financial standards and modelling capability

by embedding consistent financial controls, improving assumptions and challenging legacy practices.

Line manage and develop a team of Management Accountants

, providing coaching, feedback and structured development to enhance capability and resilience.

Champion continuous improvement

, actively seeking feedback, addressing inefficiencies, and embedding a culture of learning and excellence across the team.

Represent MAR in internal and external commissions

, responding to requests at pace, and ensuring outputs meet the quality standards required for reporting to ExCo and other governance bodies.

Scope for Impact

The postholder is responsible for producing management accounts and forecasts for business areas totalling ~2.2bn. While the role does not hold delegated financial authority, it plays a critical role in shaping and assuring financial information relied upon at Executive level. The role is central to maintaining forecasting accuracy within a 1% variance of budget, a Met-wide KPI, and ensuring timely delivery of reports for Executive governance. It provides authoritative analysis on emerging issues, financial risks, and operational spend, enabling proactive interventions and value-for-money decisions. The postholder is expected to proactively identify and challenge discrepancies, recommend improvements, and enhance modelling capability within a low baseline maturity environment. The role involves managing competing demands and responding rapidly to requests for financial insight, often under tight deadlines.

Dimensions

People

: Directly line manages up to 8 Band M Management Accountants.

Financial Influence

: Responsible for reporting and analysis across ~2.2bn of the Met's budget (half of Met B), indirectly influencing decisions and resource allocations.

Volume

: Oversees outputs for multiple portfolios; manages high volume and high-sensitivity data inputs to support enterprise-wide decisions.

How to apply

To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply now" button below. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 19th November 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence 1 week after the closing date.


Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence a week and a half from hiring manager sift.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

Essential For The Role

Knowledge

Qualified accountant (CCAB, CIMA or equivalent). In exceptional cases, candidates may be working towards qualification. Expert knowledge of financial planning, reporting and forecasting in a large and complex organisation. Understanding of public sector financial management, governance frameworks and procurement practices.

Skills

Advanced data visualisation and communication skills to 'tell the story' behind financial data. Ability to simplify complexity and communicate effectively with both finance and non-finance audiences. Proficiency in financial systems and Excel modelling tools. Ability to build trusted relationships and influence at senior levels. Proven capability in coaching, performance management and team development.

Experience

Experience in a financial management or planning role. Demonstrated experience managing large and complex budgets. Successful delivery of accurate and insightful financial reporting. Experience leading a team or function and driving performance improvement.

Required Languages
English
Reports To
Band A
Additional Information
CVF Staff Band.pdf - 971KB Opens in a new window

Disability Confident Statement

The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.



As a Disability Confident Leader, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.



The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence.




Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about police fitness standards.



Read our full disability confidence statement.