Capital Strategy & Reporting Accountant

Capital Strategy & Reporting Accountant

Salary: £81,138 - £87,826 pa

Organisation: Greater London Authority

Function: Financial Services, Chief Finance Officer Directorate

Reporting to: Senior Finance Business Partner

We are delighted to be partnering with The Greater London Authority as they look for an experienced capital finance professional to take a lead role in shaping its capital strategy, strengthening capital reporting and providing expert technical advice on major investment decisions. Sitting at the heart of London government, the GLA plays a central role in setting priorities for the capital and supporting investment that delivers long-term value for Londoners.

This is a senior, specialist role within the GLA’s Financial Services function, working in a matrix structure across Finance Business Partnering, Financial Accounting and Treasury. The post will focus exclusively on the GLA itself and will not cover Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade or the other functional bodies, giving the successful candidate clear ownership of the GLA’s own capital strategy, programme and reporting.

For someone with strong local authority capital accounting experience, this is an opportunity to combine technical depth with strategic influence. You will help shape how the GLA plans, finances and accounts for significant capital investment, ensuring that funding, financing and accounting decisions support the organisation’s priorities and long-term financial sustainability.

The role

This is a matrix role, with approximately 60% of the focus on the capital strategy and business partnering and 40% on technical accounting.

You will lead the development, implementation and annual review of the GLA’s Capital Strategy, ensuring that investment priorities, funding requirements and financing decisions support the organisation’s strategic priorities and long-term financial sustainability.

Working closely with Finance Business Partners, Financial Accounting and Treasury colleagues, you will bring together the technical and strategic elements of capital finance to ensure the GLA has a joined-up approach to capital planning, monitoring, financing and reporting.

A significant part of the role will involve supporting investment into capital programmes. You will provide expert advice on the accounting, financial and strategic implications of proposed investment, helping senior stakeholders understand the capital treatment, funding implications and longer-term impact of their decisions.

You will also take ownership of key elements of the GLA’s capital accounting and reporting framework, including year-end closure, statutory reporting, fixed assets and capital financing.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and annual review of the GLA Capital Strategy.
• Supporting the planning and monitoring of the GLA’s capital programme alongside Finance Business Partners.
• Providing expert technical advice on capital investment, financing and accounting treatment.
• Advising on the distinction between capital and revenue expenditure across complex projects.
• Supporting senior stakeholders with the financial implications of capital investment decisions.
• Leading the capital elements of the year-end accounts and working closely with external auditors, valuers and shared-service partners.
• Overseeing the accuracy and completeness of capital-related financial reporting and the fixed asset register.
• Developing and maintaining the GLA’s Capital Guidance Manual and providing technical guidance across the organisation.
• Improving capital accounting, reconciliation and reporting processes.
• Developing and overseeing reporting of the Capital Financing Requirement and supporting relevant prudential indicators.
• Delivering high-quality capital statutory returns.

Why consider the opportunity?

This is not simply a year-end capital accounting post.

The role sits at the point where technical accounting, strategic financial planning and investment decision-making come together. You will have the opportunity to influence the GLA’s approach to capital investment while remaining close to the technical detail that underpins robust financial management.

It offers a strong combination of:

• ownership of capital strategy;
• significant technical capital accounting responsibility;
• exposure to major capital investment decisions;
• senior stakeholder engagement;
• statutory financial reporting;
• capital programme monitoring;
• process improvement; and
• the opportunity to work across finance through a matrix structure.

The GLA has a unique role in shaping the future of London. For a capital finance professional, this provides the opportunity to apply your technical expertise within an organisation whose investment decisions can have a significant and visible impact on the capital.

Who we are looking for

You will be a CCAB-qualified accountant, or equivalent, with substantial experience of capital accounting within a large and complex local authority environment.

You should bring strong technical knowledge of local government capital accounting together with the credibility to advise, influence and challenge senior stakeholders.

The successful candidate is likely to have:

• CCAB qualification or equivalent, with up-to-date CPD.
• Significant experience working within the capital accounting function of a large and complex local authority.
• Strong knowledge of the CIPFA/LASAAC Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting, the CIPFA Prudential Framework and relevant capital and finance accounting regulations.
• Experience of delivering published financial statements.

Just as importantly, you will need to be comfortable operating across organisational boundaries. The role requires somebody who can translate complex technical issues into clear advice, build effective relationships and bring together stakeholders from finance and the wider organisation.

The GLA is looking for someone who can combine technical authority with pragmatism: somebody able to challenge assumptions, solve complex problems and ensure that sound capital accounting supports better strategic investment decisions.

Please apply here, or for a confidential chat, reach out to thomas@mlcpartners.co.uk