Senior Financial Accountant - Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council • Full-time • Dorset, Bournmouth • £52,194 - £57,186 / year • 3d ago

Job Introduction

Senior Financial Accountant

We are welcoming applications for the role of Senior Financial Accountant with Dorset Police based at the following location(s): Police Headquarters, Exeter, Police Headquarters, Winfrith, Dorset

Salary: Scale I - Starts at £52,194 rising by yearly increments to a maximum of £57,186 per annum

Please note that the above salary is based on working 37 hours per week. If this role is part-time or you are appointed on a part-time basis your salary will be prorated to reflect this.Exceptions to starting salary may apply if you are an existing Devon & Cornwall or Dorset Police Staff employee substantively posted to a role at the same Scale.

Type of employment: Permanent

Type of working arrangement: Hybrid Worker - Hybrid working is a form of flexible working where workers spend some of their time working remotely (usually, but not necessarily, from home) and some in the employer's workspace. Hours per week: this role is 37 hours per week. However, we welcome applications from individuals wishing to work on a part-time basis and we are willing to consider flexible working patterns subject to business need. Details about the hybrid working e.g Office attendance minimum 1 day per week.

This is subject to change as per business requirements: Allowances: This role attracts no allowances. About the role:

Senior Financial Accountant

Join our Alliance Finance Department, a team of around 80 professionals delivering payroll, purchasing and exchequer, and accountancy services across both Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police. Based across our headquarters in Exeter or Winfrith, this hybrid role offers regular home working and the opportunity to work alongside colleagues located at your preferred headquarters. This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful contribution within a supportive team serving two police forces.

We are seeking an experienced and qualified Senior Financial Accountant to play a key role in delivering high-quality financial accounting services across both forces and the respective Officers of the Police and Crime Commissioners.

Reporting to the Head of Financial Accounting, you will provide senior-level financial expertise, helping to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements while supporting the delivery of robust financial management. The role includes responsibility for supporting the production of annual statutory accounts, overseeing capital accounting and treasury-related activity, managing statutory returns, and working closely with auditors, actuaries, valuers and senior stakeholders.

You will lead financial accounting activities, drive continuous improvement, provide technical guidance to finance colleagues, and support strategic financial planning, including capital programmes and medium-term financial strategies. You will also deputise for the Head of Financial Accounting when required, providing senior leadership support.

This is a new and exciting opportunity for a qualified accountant who enjoys combining technical expertise with leadership, stakeholder engagement and service development within a complex and high-profile public sector environment.

About You

You will be a fully qualified CCAB accountant (or equivalent) with substantial post-qualification experience and a proven track record of producing and interpreting complex financial information. You will possess strong leadership and communication skills, experience of managing and developing teams, and the ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders at all levels. A proactive approach to problem-solving, continuous improvement and organisational change is essential.

Experience of public sector accounting and knowledge of the wider local government or policing finance landscape would be advantageous.

Key Highlights

• Senior leadership role within a collaborative Alliance Finance team.

• Opportunity to influence financial strategy and statutory reporting.

• Hybrid working arrangements available, subject to business needs.

• Work with a broad range of senior stakeholders, including Chief Financial Officers, auditors, and operational leaders.

• Contribute to the financial sustainability and governance of two Police Forces.

This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact by ensuring strong financial stewardship and supporting the delivery of vital public services across Dorset, and Devon and Cornwall.

Structured Interview/Assessment

The shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare and deliver a 10 to 15 minute presentation. Following the presentation, the interview panel will ask a number of questions relating to both the presentation and the candidate’s suitability for the role. The assessment will take place on the same date as the interview.

Want to know more about this role?

Further detail regarding this role and the essential requirements can be found within the job description attached below.

If you think this may be the role for you and would like further information, please contact:

Hiring Line Manager: Lucinda Hines - Head of Technical Accounting

Email Address: lucinda.hines@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

Telephone Number: N/A

What you get if you join us:

If you work for us, you will get access to:

A competitive salary with yearly increments.
Access to heavily subsidised gym membership that will provide you access to police site gyms throughout the counties.
Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme for discounts and services (requires a one-off payment of £5).
Company sick pay.
Competitive local government pension scheme.
Job related equipment supplied, as required.
Free onsite parking at many police sites throughout the counties.
Access to Group insurance scheme (via salary sacrifice scheme).
Support networks, free Employees' Assistance Programme, Occupational Health and wellbeing services.
Development and training opportunities available.
Supportive and flexible training plan, including regular check-ins throughout your initial period of joining us to ensure you are up to speed with the role and getting the support you need.
Flexitime, with the ability to undertake your hours flexibly and in line with business need.
Hybrid working, with the ability to work remotely at times throughout the working week (once signed off the training plan).

Annual Leave Entitlement:

25 days a year leave entitlement, with an increase to 30 days after 5 years continuous employment, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees).

Job Description 2026.04.21 JD Senior Financial Accountant.docx – 205KB Opens in a new window

Converted File 2026.04.21 JD Senior Financial Accountant.docx.pdf – 241KB Opens in a new windowCompetency and Values Framework (CVF)Level 2: click this link for details of the CVF level for this specific role.

Additional Information

Dual working: This role will require the post holder to travel to alternative locations on an ad hoc basis to undertake the role, travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with force policy. Political Restrictions: None apply to this role.

Recruitment Process

Application Stage:

To apply for this role, follow this link Register - Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police, you will then be taken to a registration page. Please complete this registration form to create an account, once created you will be taken to the application.

Already have an account? If you have previously created an account, please click 'login' at the bottom of the page next to the 'submit registration' button. Once logged in, you will be taken to the application.

Once registered, you will have to complete an eligibility form to apply. If eligible, you will move to the application form stage where you will evidence your suitability for this post. The closing date for applications is 28/08/2026, 12:00.

Selection Stage:

The selection for this role will consist of Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment .

Applications will be anonymised and then shortlisted by the shortlisting panel. Following the shortlisting you will be notified of the recruitment decision via email along with feedback on your application.

If successful, you will then be invited to an interview. This will be based on the Competency Values Framework at Level 1, 2 or 3 as detailed in the role profile/job description and additional CVF document.

The interview process is due to take place week commencing .

Some roles may also require an assessment. Further information on this will be provided following the shortlisting process. The assessment date will be 14 September 2026 if applicable.

Pre-requisites:

If you are successful through the selection stage of the recruitment process, we will make a conditional offer of appointment and commence pre-requisite checks. These checks can include:

Vetting checks,
Reference checks,
Medical assessment,
Qualification review,
Right to Work checks.

A formal offer of appointment and start date will not be agreed until all checks are satisfactorily completed. If you are successful at the selection stage your conditional offer will outline which of these checks are applicable to you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

The application system only remains active on a single page for a period of 60 minutes.

Please ensure you allow time to complete your application fully as part complete pages do not save.

If the role has evidence questions you are required to complete in the application form, you may wish to complete these remotely and then paste your answers into the boxes at time of submission. Please note, each evidence criterion is set to a maximum of 2000 characters.

We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills in your application, but please don’t allow it to overshadow your own unique voice. While we appreciate innovative approaches, we also value authenticity. Our assessment considers the content of the application and the skills you demonstrate, ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all applicants. At the end of the day – we want YOU to work for us!

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