Jobs, fresher vacancy - Corporate Accountant • East Midlands

Company: Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited

East Midlands

Your new companyThe East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is the strategic regional authority for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham.Your new roleWe are delighted to be partnering exclusively with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to recruit a highly skilled Corporate Accountant-a pivotal role at the heart of a growing and ambitious organisation shaping the future of the region. This is a rare opportunity to own, influence and elevate the Authority's entire technical accounting and statutory reporting function. If you thrive as the go-to technical expert, bring excellence to year-end processes, and enjoy working with senior leaders to build robust financial governance, this is a role where your impact will be truly visible.As EMCCA's technical accounting lead, you will take full ownership of the annual Statement of Accounts, ensuring accuracy, audit-readiness and compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice. You'll lead the external audit relationship end-to-end, drive organisation-wide improvements to year-end processes, and shape the Authority's accounting policies and governance framework.This is a key professional role with genuine breadth-covering statutory reporting, audit, WGA, fixed assets, VAT, and continuous improvement. You'll be joining a collaborative, forward-thinking finance team at a formative moment, helping build strong foundations for EMCCA's long-term success.As Corporate Accountant, you will: Lead the full production of EMCCA's Statement of Accounts, designing the closedown timetable and ensuring full CIPFA Code compliance.Prepare and review high-quality working papers and evidence, ensuring audit readiness.Coordinate and manage the external audit, agreeing the audit plan, overseeing evidence requests, and resolving complex technical queries.Strengthen financial governance by developing technical accounting policies, year-end procedures and internal control frameworks.Provide expert advice on capital, reserves, provisions, accruals, and non-routine or complex transactions.Produce and submit statutory returns including Whole of Government Accounts (WGA).Drive process improvements through automation, efficiency and enhanced quality.Lead fixed asset accounting, ensuring a robust asset register, accurate capital accounting, and timely depreciation.Oversee VAT compliance, returns and advisory support.Build capability across the organisation through training on statutory accounting and closedown processes. What you'll need to succeedYou will be a confident technical specialist who brings expertise, clarity and assurance to financial reporting. You'll thrive on ownership, accuracy and process improvement, and you'll enjoy supporting colleagues and senior leaders with high-quality professional advice.Essential Experience & Skills: Full CCAB qualification.Proven experience producing CIPFA-compliant Statements of Accounts and audit-ready working papers.Strong technical accounting knowledge with the ability to interpret accounting standards and statutory guidance.Experience supporting external audit, resolving complex accounting queries.Demonstrable success improving closedown processes and delivering measurable benefits.Excellent communication skills, including explaining technical information to non-finance colleagues.Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.Experience within the public sector or a large/complex organisation. Desirable: Significant experience leading external audit processes. What you'll get in returnFlexible working options available.What you need to do nowAs EMCCA's exclusive recruitment partner, we are managing the full recruitment process.To discuss this role confidentially please contact: Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk