Cumberland Council
Principal Finance Officer-CMB2613i
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Salary
£38,220 to £39,152 per annum
Hours
37 hours per week
Location
Hybrid – 1 Day per week minimum office presence at Parkhouse Building, Carlisle, CA3 8QG
Contract
Fixed Term (Maternity Cover) until 30th September 2027
About This Opportunity
We are looking to recruit a Principal Finance Officer to join our Schools Finance Team within the Finance Business Partnering Service.
The team plays a key role in supporting maintained schools by providing high‑quality technical, operational and strategic financial advice.
This enables maintained schools across Cumberland to manage their budgets effectively, make informed decisions and deliver a high quality of education for our children and young people.
As a Principal Finance Officer, you will support the Schools Finance Manager in overseeing the review of school’s budgets, working with schools in deficit, developing and delivering training for schools, leading on financial year end closedown, completion of statistical and grant returns, and taking enquiries from schools.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide flexible and professional financial services to managers across the Council. This will include consulting on their requirements and formulating proposals to enhance service delivery and financial performance.
- Maintain accounting records to a high standard, and complete financial statements, grant claims, returns etc., accurately and within the required deadlines.
- Develop effective working relationships with budget managers to ensure an effective business partnering role between finance and services.
- Ensure managers have appropriate financial skills to enable them to effectively manage the budget and utilise financial systems through training and coaching.
- Proactively working with services to identify and resolve financial issues through utilising best practice and innovative solutions.
- Communicating effectively through understanding the needs and presentational requirements of the audience. Influencing and encouraging managers to consider financial issues within decision making.
- Being an advocate for supporting the cultural change required to develop budget monitoring processes and systems to increase budget management capabilities.
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About You
You will have a strong understanding of financial management and accounting processes, with good attention to detail and the ability to communicate financial information clearly to non‑finance colleagues. You will be adaptable, collaborative and committed to providing high‑quality financial support across the organisation.
An experienced finance professional (Fully qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) or part qualified CCAB/CIMA Accountant) or sufficient schools finance experience and experience of working with financial systems, budgets and ledger maintenance are essential.
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.
We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.
Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.
Contact
For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Sophie Scott by email at Sophie.Scott@cumberland.gov.uk
Guaranteed Interviews
We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.
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- Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
- Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).
If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.
Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments
We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.
If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.
Application and Interview Information
Easily apply by submitting your CV and answering a few short questions
- Closing date: 31st July 2026
- Interview date: 7th August 2026
If you experience any difficulties logging in to apply for this role, please contact the HR Systems team at HR.Systems@cumbria.gov.uk.
Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.
Please Read The Supporting Information
Post Specification
Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:
- Our Staff Benefits
- Candidate Support
- About Cumberland Council
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