Head of Corporate Finance, Deputy Section 151 Officer

Step into statutory leadership and make every pound count.

Swindon Borough Council is ambitious for its communities and serious about using public money well. Finance sits at the centre of that mission, providing strong governance, clear insight and trusted advice at a time of significant challenge and change across local government.

We are seeking a Head of Corporate Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer to join our senior leadership team at a pivotal moment. This is a high‑profile statutory deputy role, offering real influence, visibility and development, with regular engagement with the Corporate Management Team and elected Members.

As Deputy Section 151 Officer, you’ll play a leading role in shaping the Council’s financial strategy and long‑term sustainability. You’ll lead the development and delivery of the Medium Term Financial Plan and annual revenue budget, ensuring financial planning is robust, transparent and aligned to our priorities. You have the opportunity to provide authoritative advice on national funding settlements, oversee corporate budget monitoring and reporting, and ensure strong financial governance across the organisation.

You will also provide oversight of the team responsible for the production of the Council’s annual accounts and compliance with statutory and professional requirements; including hold a key relationship with the council’s external auditors. Working closely with Corporate Directors, you will support the transformation of services, helping the organisation manage demand, make difficult choices and deliver affordable, resilient outcomes for residents.

This role offers a significant leadership platform. You’ll lead and develop a high‑performing corporate finance team, contribute to succession planning across the wider Finance function, and represent the Section 151 Officer at senior internal and external forums as required.

We are looking for a CCAB (or equivalent) qualified finance professional with substantial senior‑level experience, ideally within local government. You will be comfortable operating at CMT and Member level, able to communicate complex financial issues clearly, and confident in providing constructive challenge as well as support. You will bring sound professional judgement, credibility and a genuine ambition to progress further within statutory finance leadership.

Swindon offers a supportive and forward‑thinking environment where finance is respected and influential. This is an opportunity to deepen your statutory experience, position yourself for a future Section 151 role, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of Swindon’s residents.

For more information, please visit www.joinswindon.co.uk For a confidential conversation about this role, please contact our retained advisors at Tile Hill.

• Bella Bennett: 07918 976494, bella.bennett@tile-hill.co.uk
• Dylan Craven: 07442 408861, dylan.craven@tile-hill.co.uk

Closing date for applications: Midnight on Sunday 7th June 

To apply:
To apply, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV (four sides of A4 maximum), along with a supporting statement (four sides of A4 maximum) detailing your experience, and achievements and addressing the key criteria for the role set out on this site and using examples to demonstrate how you meet the requirements. Documents should be uploaded via our website, please include and upload the below information in two documents only. If you experience any issues whilst applying, please contact rebecca.keen@tile-hill.co.uk

Applications should include:

• Full contact details;
• Names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees (we will ask your permission before contacting referees);
• Details of your notice period
• Notification of any dates when you are not available for an interview

At Tile Hill, we are committed to inclusion and accessibility. We champion and support all individuals to ensure everyone feels valued, listened to and motivated to get the very best out of each recruitment process and that processes are designed to meet the needs of individuals. If you have any specific requests and would like a confidential discussion with the Tile Hill team, then please email inclusion@tile-hill.co.uk