Interim Chief AccountantLocal Government - South West England6 month initial contract 700+ p/d1-2 days a week on siteAbout the clientMorgan Law is seeking an interim Chief Accountant for a local authority in the South West of England, reporting to the Deputy S151. AccountabilitiesResponsible for preparing the annual Statement of Accounts and disclosure notesTo provide leadership and oversight to the core accounting, systems and capital financing functions to support the effective stewardship of the Council''s financial resourcesStreamline the processes for reconciliations, VAT and payroll to ensure the accuracy of the general ledger and analysis of the movement of accountsEnsure all statutory returns are completed accurately and timely manner, manage the relationships with auditors at an operational level, managing the audit schedule and raising accounting issuesLiaise with external auditors and leading the Audit process for various authoritiesResponsible for the preparing audit working papers including the explanations and supporting working papers for the complex queriesLeading the development and monitoring of accounts closure processes, including leading on accounting for non-current assets and asset valuations, PFI and leasing Candidate RequirementsQualified accountant (CIPFA, ACCA, ACA, or equivalent) (E)5 years experience as Chief Accountant in a local authority setting and a deep knowledge of statutory accounting requirements (E)Excellent communication skills, both wr