Finance Business Change Lead

Interim Finance Business Change Lead

Sector: Local Government

Location: South East

Duration: 6 months

Day rate: £550-£650 per day Umbrella

A South East local authority is seeking an experienced Interim Finance Business Change Lead to support a significant programme of change across its Finance function and wider organisation.

This is a hands-on change role for someone who understands local government finance, financial processes and systems, and can work closely with senior stakeholders to embed new ways of working.

The Role

Reporting to the Finance Lead for the project, you will take responsibility for supporting and delivering the people, process and operational change required to implement new ways of working following a new system implementation.

You will need to be comfortable operating at a senior level while also being prepared to get into the detail, working directly with Finance and non-Finance colleagues to understand the impact of change and ensure it is successfully embedded.

Key responsibilities:

• Leading business change activity across Finance and the wider organisation supporting a new finance system implementation.
• Supporting the implementation of changes to finance processes, systems and ways of working.
• Developing and documenting process flows, operating procedures and change requirements.
• Working closely with Finance stakeholders to understand current processes and identify the impact of proposed changes.
• Communicating new processes and ways of working clearly to both Finance and non-Finance users.
• Influencing stakeholders at an operational level and building engagement with change.

Undertaking training needs analysis and supporting the development and delivery of training.

• Setting up and coordinating training sessions and other change activities.
• Developing and documenting change policies and fundamental processes.
• Managing smaller or more subtle changes alongside the wider programme of activity.
• Working closely with project leads and senior Finance stakeholders to ensure change is effectively embedded.
• Providing practical, hands-on support rather than operating solely at a strategic or programme level.

Essential experience:

We are looking for someone with a strong local government finance background, rather than someone whose career has primarily been within IT transformation or traditional programme management.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience delivering business change within a Local Government Finance environment.
• A strong understanding of accounting and core Finance processes.
• Experience of AP, AR and wider Finance systems/process change.
• A background that could be aligned to a Finance Business Partner, Business Change or Finance Transformation role.
• Experience translating complex processes and changes into clear messages for Finance and non-Finance audiences.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge and engage senior stakeholders.
• Experience supporting the implementation of new ways of working and managing resistance to change.
• Strong process mapping, documentation and analytical skills.
• Experience of training needs analysis and supporting user training.
• The ability to work independently, be highly hands-on and quickly build credibility within a senior environment.

This is not a traditional Transformation Lead or PMO role. The successful candidate will need to be close to the detail, understand Finance operationally and be willing to roll up their sleeves and work directly with stakeholders to make change happen.