Careers in Business Services
Getting an email in the morning saying ‘I just wanted to let you know we got the £500 from the Lottery to do this project’ really makes my day.
Veronique, External Funding Manager
Are you articulate and numerate? Do you understand the importance of collaborative working?
If you have a keen eye for numbers and detail, enjoy working collaboratively and communicating with a wide range of people, and you want to make a positive difference for the people of East Sussex, then a position in finance may be for you.
What is finance?
The finance team helps support the Council to deliver its many services. We have specialisms in:
- accounting
- treasury management
- taxation
- insurance
- pensions.
We are highly respected across our partners, clients and customers. We invest heavily in developing our own staff and working practices to ensure we provide high-quality services. This includes offering apprenticeships and training towards professional qualifications, together with on-the-job training and access to professional and personal development opportunities.
- Choose a career in Finance
Latest jobs in finance
Check our latest jobs working in finance, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
Examples of our work
- Providing financial advice and support to the services across the organisation
- Setting and monitoring budgets
- Maintaining the overarching medium term financial plan and the 20-year capital strategy
- Meeting statutory financial reporting requirements
- Liaison with the external auditor
- Ensuring all payments to suppliers are made in a timely and accurate way
- Invoicing for the services the Council provides and debt management
- Managing day-to-day cashflow, investments and borrowing for the Council
- Ensuring appropriate insurance cover is in place and managing claims
- Administering the £4.5 billion East Sussex Pension Fund, which has over 82,000 members and 140 employer organisations.
For excellent training and development, choose East Sussex!
What staff say about working in Business Services
I like the variety of the work in Internal Audit. One day you could be learning about aspects of Adult Social Care and the next you are reviewing financial processes to provide assurance on the robustness of controls in place.
Principal Auditor, Orbis Internal Audit
Are you articulate, inquisitive and an influencer?
If you have a keen eye for detail, well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate with a wide range of people on a daily basis, then a position in internal audit may be for you.
What is internal audit?
Orbis Internal Audit is a collaboration of East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and Surrey County Council Internal Audit teams. The service was formed to deliver greater value for our residents and customers through the sharing of people, resources and technology.
We work in six teams:
- three sovereign-based teams - East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and Surrey County Council
- general partnership team
- counter-fraud work
- IT audits.
We take professional development incredibly seriously. We have a strong history of developing auditors from outside of the profession, offering support through buddying, mentoring and coaching, on-the-job training and access to all types of professional and personal development opportunities. Our service was shortlisted in the Best Innovation in Training & Development category at the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors Audit and Risk Awards.
- Choose a career in Internal Audit
Latest jobs in audit
Check our latest jobs working in audit, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
Examples of our work
- Providing independent and objective assurance to our clients on matters relating to governance, risk management and control
- Evaluating processes from end-to-end, providing assurance that controls are robust and operating as expected to mitigate risk
- Providing support for high-profile programmes and projects
- Proactive and reactive fraud investigation, and identifying potential areas of fraud
- Maximising opportunities for auditors and investigators to work in other authorities, including Brighton, East Sussex and Surrey and our clients Horsham District Council, South Downs National Park, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Elmbridge Borough Council
- During the pandemic response, we completely revised our induction process to support new starters.
I enjoy working in a fast paced, dynamic environment. We regularly move from client to client and from office to office applying our skills and knowledge to a new set of circumstances, continuously building our experience and expertise without being bored of doing the same thing.
Senior Auditor, Orbis Internal Audit
What staff say about working in Business Services
What I really love about working in my area is definitely the people. One day is never ever the same. It’s an incredibly varied role. I really enjoy talking with stakeholders and the managers and the rest of the organisation.
Triona, HR Manager
What does the HR team do?
We are a high performing, friendly and supportive team that works as an integral part of the Council to provide top quality human resources and organisational development advice and guidance. We work across all departments, schools and with external organisations, to help the Council to get the best from its workforce.
Our work covers:
- HR advisory on employee issues
- helping the Council to recruit new staff
- apprenticeships
- business administration, including payroll and staff changes
- organisational change
- health and safety and wellbeing
- learning and development.
There are many opportunities to share learning and knowledge with colleagues, acquire new skills and experience and enhance your continued professional development.
Structure charts
Top level structure chart [156.1 KB] [docx]
Apprenticeship team [117.1 KB] [docx]
Advisory team [383.9 KB] [docx]
Employee Services team [76.0 KB] [docx]
HR Services team [446.3 KB] [docx]
Learning & Development and Organisational Development Team [335.1 KB] [docx]
- Choose a career in Human Resources and Organisational Development (HR&OD)
Latest jobs in human resources and organisational development
Check our latest jobs in human resources and organisational development, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
Examples of our work
- We have trained 7.5% of our corporate workforce as Mental Health First Aiders (with a target of 10%).
- We evaluate over 300 new and existing roles each year using a range of different grading schemes.
- We advertised 1,368 roles in the last year and hosted 3,153 partnership adverts for schools and other companies on our website.
- We provide payroll services for over 14,000 individuals across 27 employers.
Listen to HR staff talking about their roles
- Anna, Team Leader
- Georgia, Assistant HR Consultant
- Issie, Subject Matter Expert (HR) MBOS Programme
- Kathryn, HR Manager
Transcripts:
- Transcript for Anna, Team Leader
- Transcript for Georgia, Assistant HR Consultant
- Transcript for Issie, Subject Matter Expert (HR) MBOS Programme
- Transcript for Kathryn, HR Manager
I'm really proud to be part of an HR team that works with managers to try to find a solution to issues when required, but also strives to make East Sussex a supportive environment to work in.
Kathryn, HR Manager
What staff say about working in Business Services
You feel like you’re doing something. Not just for the people you’re fixing the computer for, but for the service they’re providing for people in the county.
What does IT & Digital do?
A role in technology starts and ends with people. With dozens of different roles and career paths to choose from, there's a career in IT & Digital to suit everyone.
You can be part of the team enabling the Council to deliver vital public services to the residents and communities of East Sussex.
Our work includes:
- solving business challenges through innovative thinking
- tangible delivery of new and emerging technologies
- using data and technology with purpose
- helping people to connect, collaborate and work efficiently from wherever they need to be to get the job done.
- Choose a career in IT and Digital
Latest jobs in IT&D
Check our latest jobs working in information technology and digital, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
What staff say about working in Business Services
I love the fact the role is very varied and challenging, knowing that the work that I and my colleagues do goes a way to benefit and support the residents of East Sussex and beyond is just truly an amazing feeling.
Christina, Procurement Specialist
Why work in procurement?
Orbis Procurement is a collaborative partnership between East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council. We manage a procurement spend of more than £1.6 billion a year with external suppliers across each of the three local authorities.
Each council needs goods and services to operate. Our team works to get the best value possible for residents, ensuring public money is spent in the most appropriate and ethical way possible. The variety of things we buy covers a wide range and may include:
- software
- social care services
- cleaning products
- highways maintenance.
We will support you to achieve a professional Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) qualification. We offer training through routes to suit you and your situation, from apprenticeships to self-study options.
- Choose a career in Procurement
Latest jobs in procurement
Check our latest jobs working in procurement, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
Examples of our work
- Supporting the Council to buy local, to reduce the risk of modern slavery and support challenging targets around carbon reduction
- Providing commercial advice and setting up contracts
- Designing and implementing innovative procurement strategies
- In-depth analysis of data across multiple partners to make informed decisions on spending
- Using simple and effective standardised processes for purchases below procurement thresholds.
What staff say about working in Business Services
We carry out a wide variety of work, some behind the scenes, and some that’s very visible to the staff. Working with the public and helping people is one of the main aims of my role. What I love is the variety. No two days are the same.
Elaine, Business Support Officer
What is Property?
A job in our Property service provides the opportunity for individuals to work with services, partners and clients on a widespread property estate, including schools, office hubs, land and libraries.
But we're about so much more than buildings. Teamwork and strong ethics are at the heart of how we deliver services. We believe in collaboration and we value fresh perspectives.
Our services include:
- providing new schools and school extensions
- maintaining assets
- facilities management service
- carbon reduction initiatives
- managing contracts and billing for the Council and other public sector bodies.
We encourage staff apprenticeships and have successfully supported staff to gain qualifications and enhance their work experience. This includes releasing staff from their day job to study while they work.
- Choose a career in Property
Latest jobs in Property
Check our latest jobs working in the property team, or sign up to email alerts if there are no current vacancies.
Examples of our work
- Managing an action plan to reduce our carbon output, including LED lighting projects and installing solar panels.
- Promoting a ‘Climate Aware’ culture and are rolling out extensive training to support this.
- Surveyors and trainees working on our wide portfolio of properties.
- Services to schools, including waste management, school meals, grounds maintenance and cleaning.
What staff say about working in Business Services