Job info	Job info details
Job title	Principal Accountant - Capital
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Financial & Commercial Services
Business unit	Finance – Corporate Finance
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Strategic Finance Lead – Capital & Treasury
Accountable to (line manager)	Strategic Finance Lead – Capital & Treasury
Salary grade	K
JE ref	FIN27d

1. Key purpose of job

• To deputise for the Strategic Finance Lead – Capital & Treasury as necessary.
• To support the delivery of effective financial management, accounting, and governance of the Council’s capital programme. 
• To provide high‑quality financial advice and support to services, project managers, senior officers, and elected members on all capital finance matters.
• To maintain accurate, compliant capital and asset accounting records in line with the CIPFA Code and Local Authority Accounting Regulations.
• To lead and deliver the capital closedown process, ensuring accurate year‑end entries, statutory disclosures, and audit‑ready working papers.
• To ensure the capital programme and fixed asset register are accurate, are compliant with approvals and accounting regulations.
• To support the external audit process while contributing to the Council’s broader financial governance framework.
• To manage Finance staff reporting to the role ensuring that services are delivered to a high standard and to work with senior managers in Corporate Finance to promote effective working across all areas of the team.
• To ensure the timely and accurate completion for statutory and other financial data returns. 

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Accurate and compliant capital accounts, including a complete fixed asset register and robust year‑end closedown.
• Timely and high‑quality capital monitoring reports that support informed decision‑making by senior officers and elected members.
• Accurate statutory disclosures in the annual Statement of Accounts in respect of capital, fully supported by audit‑ready working papers.
• Effective collaboration with service managers, project leads, valuers, and auditors to ensure accurate expenditure classification, asset management, and project forecasting.
• Continuous improvement in capital processes, closedown efficiency, and financial compliance.
• Support the Council in undertaking its Treasury Management function.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Lead financial monitoring of the Council’s multi‑year capital programme.
• Work with services and project managers to review progress, expenditure, risks, and programme phasing.
• Support development and financial appraisal of business cases and new capital proposals.
• Maintain, update, and review capital budgets as part of the corporate budget-setting process.
• Ensure all capital expenditure is correctly classified, recorded, and supported by appropriate evidence.
• Support with the maintenance of the fixed asset register, ensuring accurate recognition, measurement, categorisation, and depreciation.
• Manage and monitor capital financing streams, ensuring financing is accurately applied throughout the year and at final closedown.
• Ensure adherence to financial regulations in all capital approvals and transactions. 
• Produce financial reports and information for Senior Management, Central Government, Members and the Public.
• Lead capital closedown ensuring all statutory deadlines are achieved.
• Prepare and maintain all capital-related Statement of Accounts working papers and notes.
• Provide timely and accurate responses to auditor queries and ensure all evidence is audit ready.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• Line management and supervision of 1 FTE. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External: 

• Auditors – Grant Thornton, Devon Assurance Partnership. 
• Government departments and their officials: MHCLG, Department for Education, Education Funding Agency.
• Members of the Public. 
• Borrowing and Investment Counterparties.
• Schools and Academies. 
• Council Subsidiary and Associate Companies (including auditors for companies). 
• Other Public Bodies. 
• Treasury Advisors. 

Internal: 

• Members. 
• Directors. 
• Divisional Directors. 
• Service Managers and their teams. 
• Director of Finance and Finance staff. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at Tor Hill House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
•  The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Principal Accountant - Capital
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Financial & Commercial Services
Business unit	Finance – Corporate Finance

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Excellent analytical and interpretation skills to research and summarise findings, to identify and recommend solutions to complex problems. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with members of other organisations and staff at all levels. 
• Ability to manage and motivate staff to ensure key objective and targets are met. 
• High level of written and numerical skills. 
• Ability to find creative solutions to ensure that the Council meets its priorities and statutory requirements.
• Strong organisational skills to manage workloads and to respond to priorities in a busy working environment.
• As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post. 

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Comprehensive understanding of local authority accounting, particularly capital accounting requirements.
• Knowledge of the CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting and the Local Authority Accounting (England) Regulations.
• Understanding of capital financing methods, including borrowing, capital receipts, grants, contributions, and revenue/reserve funding.
• Working knowledge of windows based software and finance systems.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills via use of PowerPoint.

Desirable knowledge

N/A

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Significant experience of working within a local government or wider public‑sector finance environment, with a solid understanding of public sector accounting frameworks.
• Experience of capital accounting, including capital expenditure classification, capitalisation rules, valuations, depreciation, impairments, and disposals.
• Experience of preparing or contributing to the annual Statement of Accounts, specifically the capital and fixed asset sections.
• Experience of leading or supporting the year-end capital closedown process. 
• Experience of managing staff in a financial environment.
• Experience of working with senior staff. 
• Experience of working with External Auditors. 

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience within a unitary authority or similar organisation. 
• Experience preparing group accounts or capital accounting. 
• Experience improving processes or implementing system enhancements. 
• Ability to draft reports, briefing notes and procedures often of a complex nature and present to Members at Committee and to Senior Leadership Team. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Fully qualified CCAB accountant and member of one of the major accounting bodies. 
• Educated to degree level standard (including HND, professional/enhanced skill qualification) or equivalent or demonstrable work-related experience. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Additional training in IFRS, Collection Fund or technical accounting areas. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.