About us

At Salford City Council, we're ambitious for our residents, communities and businesses. We're investing in our city, delivering major regeneration, supporting sustainable communities and ensuring our services provide the best possible outcomes for local people.

Finance is at the heart of those ambitions. Our Finance Division works closely with services across the Council, providing strategic advice, constructive challenge and commercial insight to support decision-making and deliver value for money.

We're now looking for an experienced and talented Commercial Finance Manager to join our Place Finance Team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work across some of the Council's most high-profile and commercially significant services, helping to shape decisions that will have a lasting impact on the city. The role sits within the Finance Division's Accountancy Group and leads financial support across a diverse portfolio of services.

We operate a hybrid working model, with colleagues typically working from the office at least two days per week.

About the Role

This is a highly visible and influential business partnering role within the Place Directorate.

You will lead a team of finance professionals supporting a broad portfolio which includes:

  • Property Services
  • Commercial Property
  • Housing Revenue Account (HRA)
  • Housing Strategy
  • Housing Options and Homelessness Services
  • Supported Housing
  • Housing Regulation Services
  • Housing Benefit Subsidy
  • PFI contracts
  • Financial oversight and partnership working with Dérive, the Council's external housing company

Working closely with senior officers and service leaders, you will provide strategic financial leadership, commercial insight and constructive challenge to support effective decision-making.

You'll play a key role in developing financial strategies, supporting investment decisions, identifying risks and opportunities, and ensuring resources are used effectively to deliver organisational priorities.

The role combines technical excellence with strong commercial awareness and relationship management. You'll be expected to translate complex financial information into meaningful insight, influence decision-makers and help services navigate a challenging and evolving financial environment.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an ambitious finance professional who enjoys partnering with senior stakeholders and influencing strategic decisions.

You'll be a qualified accountant (CCAB/CIMA) or be able to demonstrate equivalent relevant professional experience.

You will bring:

  • Significant experience in financial management, budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis.
  • Strong business partnering skills and the ability to build credibility with senior leaders.
  • Experience of working within complex service environments and managing competing priorities.
  • The confidence to provide challenge and support in equal measure.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial audiences.
  • Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify practical solutions to financial challenges.
  • Experience of leading, coaching and developing finance staff.
  • A proactive and collaborative approach, with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Experience in local government, housing, property, commercial operations or regulated service environments would be advantageous, but we welcome applications from candidates with transferable commercial finance experience from a range of sectors.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to work on issues that genuinely matter.

From supporting the delivery of housing services and managing significant property portfolios, to influencing long-term investment decisions and helping shape the future of services across Salford, you'll have exposure to a varied, challenging and rewarding portfolio.

You'll join a supportive and collaborative finance team committed to professional development, innovation and delivering high-quality financial services.

What We Can Offer You

  • Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
  • Access to extensive learning and development opportunities.
  • Leadership development programmes.
  • Professional development support.
  • Local Government Pension Scheme.
  • Generous annual leave entitlement.
  • Employee wellbeing support.
  • Continuous Service Commitment for eligible Greater Manchester public sector employees.
  • The opportunity to make a real difference to residents and communities across Salford.

Interested?

If you're looking for a role where you can apply your commercial finance expertise, influence strategic decisions and work across a diverse and high-profile portfolio, we'd love to hear from you.

Please ensure your supporting statement clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the requirements set out in the role profile.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Hollie Faulkner at hollie.faulkner@salford.gov.uk.

Please do not send your CV to this email address as applications can only be accepted through the recruitment process.

Supporting Documents

↗ Role Profile

Ready to apply?

Location

Salford Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, m27 5bn, United Kingdom

Job ID

3516

Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey

We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.

This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.

You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.

Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester

Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.

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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice

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