The role
About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
About the Role:
Are you a current Southwark staff member with a passion for numbers and a keen eye for detail? We are looking for a dedicated Teacher's Pension Accountant to join our dynamic Education Division within the Children and Adults Department. This is a unique opportunity to play a crucial role in managing the financial integrity of our Teachers' Pension Scheme.
As a Teacher's Pension Accountant, you will be at the heart of ensuring accurate and timely pension contributions for our dedicated educators. You will manage and reconcile monthly employer and employee contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), working collaboratively with third-party providers and internal teams. Your responsibilities will include:
- Delivering high-quality financial advice and information to senior officers and council members.
- Preparing statistical information for government bodies and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks.
- Enhancing financial monitoring and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
- Addressing auditors’ queries promptly and assisting with budget preparations and publications.
- Collaborating with schools' finance teams to maintain monthly and year-end accounting accuracy.
- Overseeing the recovery of fines related to payroll performance issues and offering expert financial analysis to support budget holders.
Your role is essential in supporting the council's financial strategy and ensuring that all statutory and legislative requirements are met with precision and efficiency.
About You:
You are a detail-oriented professional with a strong background in local government finance, particularly in pension fund management. To thrive in this role, you will need:
- A CAB qualification as an accountant, preferably with CIPFA certification, or equivalent senior-level experience.
- Comprehensive knowledge of Local Government financial administration and the intricacies of the Teachers' and Local Government Pension Schemes.
- Proven experience in financial governance, planning, and decision-making related to pensions.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and negotiate effectively.
- A proactive and analytical mindset, capable of managing financial information under strict deadlines.
- A commitment to ethical practices and the council’s equal opportunities policy.
If you are passionate about making a difference and have the skills and experience required, we would love to hear from you.
Additional details
We will only consider applications from internal candidates, that are current employees or agency workers on an active assignment. We encourage any internal staff to to gain agreement from their substantive line manager if considering this is as a secondment opportunity.
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Recruitment timetable
Advert Close: 19th August
Shortlisting Date: 21st August
Interview Date: 27th August
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
SWCINT
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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