Location
Wandsworth Town Hall, London, SW18

Hours
Full Time – 36 hours per week

Salary
£48,873 - £59,220 per annum

About the Role
Wandsworth Council manages one of London's largest and most ambitious Housing Revenue Accounts, overseeing more than £180m of annual housing expenditure and a capital investment programme exceeding £660m over the next three years. This is an exciting opportunity to join Wandsworth’s housing finance team, which is focused on improving homes, estates, and services for residents through a strong investment programme.

The Housing Revenue Account Strategic Financial Advisor is a newly created role within the central finance team, working closely with the housing team. You will be at the heart of strategic decision-making, providing high-quality strategic financial leadership, planning, and analysis to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Housing Revenue Account.

This role offers the chance to influence long-term business planning, capital investment decisions, treasury and funding strategies, and the financial sustainability of one of the country's leading local authority housing services. Your financial expertise will directly support the delivery of the organisation’s housing objectives and help shape the future of the borough’s council housing.

Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the preparation, development, and monitoring of the HRA 30-year business plan, ensuring alignment with corporate and housing strategies.
- Provide strategic financial advice to senior leaders, Cabinet Members, and service directors.
- Drive financial modelling and scenario analysis related to rent policy, inflation, investment needs, and housing growth.
- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, CIPFA Codes of Practice, and local government financial frameworks.
- Oversee annual budgets, forecasts, and medium-term financial plans for the HRA.
- Produce HRA outturn and monitoring reports with variance analysis and performance insights.
- Support financial planning for the capital programme including new builds and major repairs.
- Collaborate on financial appraisals of housing development projects and regeneration schemes.
- Optimise capital financing decisions including borrowing, grants, and reserves.
- Build strong partnerships across service areas and provide financial guidance to non-financial managers.
- Represent the organisation at internal and external forums on HRA and housing finance matters.

Experience
Significant experience in local authority or social housing finance, particularly managing or advising on Housing Revenue Accounts. Proven expertise in long-term financial planning, business modelling, and investment appraisal is essential.

About you
You will have strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail and accuracy. You must be able to communicate complex financial issues clearly to non-financial audiences and work collaboratively across teams. A proactive approach and the ability to lead by example are important for success in this role.

Qualifications
CCAB-qualified accountant or equivalent professional qualification.
Strong understanding of housing policy, capital financing frameworks, and rent setting regulations.
Experience using financial planning tools and producing detailed financial reports.