Job Title: Principal Finance Officer

Salary: £39,481 to £40,444

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Carlisle or Workington

Contract: Fixed Term (12 Months)

About this opportunity

We're looking for a talented and proactive Principal Finance Officer to join Cumberland Council's Finance team and play a key role in delivering high-quality financial support across a wide range of Council services.

This is an exciting opportunity to combine your technical accounting expertise with strong business partnering skills, helping managers make informed decisions and ensuring public resources are managed effectively. You'll contribute to budget setting, financial monitoring, forecasting, year-end processes, and the preparation of financial reports, business cases, grant claims, and statutory returns.

Working closely with budget holders and service managers, you'll provide expert financial advice, challenge and improve existing practices, and support colleagues in developing their financial management skills. You'll also play an important role in driving continuous improvement, delivering value for money, and supporting a culture of informed decision-making across the organisation.

We offer flexible hybrid working, combining home working with attendance at Council offices in Carlisle or Workington, as required for meetings, collaboration, and business needs.

This role is available on a fixed-term basis.

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.
• To develop effective working relationships with budget managers to ensure an effective business partnering role between finance and services.
• To 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.

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 finance experience and experience of working with financial systems, budgets and ledger maintenance are essential.

Why join us?

At Cumberland Council, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference to our communities while developing your career in a supportive and forward-thinking environment. We are committed to investing in our people and helping them reach their full potential.

We're looking for people who share our core values of being ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering and innovative. We value potential as much as experience and will support you to grow, develop and thrive in your role.

If you're a motivated finance professional who enjoys building relationships, solving problems, and delivering high-quality outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

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 Lizzy Templeton by email at elizabeth.templeton@cumbria.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.

• 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

To apply, please submit your CV, a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role, and responses to a few short questions.

• Closing date: 09/09/2026
• Interview date: 14/09/2026

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