Accountant & Business Partner

Growing Management Consultancy is looking for a bright and enthusiastic finance professional to join their finance team of 5, reporting to the Finance Director, as the Accountant & Business Partner. The role is broad and varied involving aspects of technical and commercial accounting. Candidates will need to demonstrate experience of project-based accounting, job costing and WIP.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Finance Director to maintain an effective control environment in relation to compliance, internal controls and external audits, actively contribute best practice within the wider UK Finance team and proactively drive process improvements. The right candidate needs to be able to deliver high quality management information and help business teams understand business performance through analysis and insight.

With time, the right candidate will have exposure to an expanding and varied role, including successful integration of future acquisitions and driving automation and digital improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Set up new projects within the ERP system ensuring all finance controls have been met
• Produce and maintain the monthly project status report
• Proactively review project forecasts, revenue and WIP anomalies
• Manage key client project accounting process relating to pass-through sub-contractor payments
• Produce a weekly Cashflow forecast with six-month projection
• Maintain fixed asset register
• Produce monthly balance sheet reconciliations
• Lead the annual statutory audit and tax process including audit file preparation
• Facilitate R&D tax credit claims with external provider
• Complete bi-annual intercompany reconciliations and prepare Group financial statements
• Compute quarterly MTD VAT returns and account reconciliation
• Compute monthly CIS returns and account reconciliation
• Compute annual PSA calculations and returns
• Create sales invoices and credit notes where necessary
• Ensure domestic reverse charge rules are being followed at all times
• Set up and chair monthly commercial review business meetings; ensure all meeting actions are completed on a timely basis and proactively follow up outstanding business actions
• Support Project Directors with annual and interim budgeting process
• Provide commercial financial training to the business
• Support the digital development process of AX2012
• Assist the Business Development team with financial bid support
• Complete ad-hoc ONS or other Government returns
• Carry out general ad-hoc finance duties and ensure all statutory requirements of the business are being met at all time 

Requirements:

• Qualified Accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent)
• Experience of project / job cost accounting / WIP
• Experience from sectors who accounting process is Project / WIP based (most likely Professional Services, Consulting, Construction, Engineering, Advertising / Marketing)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential - candidates need to demonstrate experience of business partnering / stakeholder management
• Good financial systems experience – knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 and SharePoint would be advantageous
• A strong working knowledge of Excel with Power BI experience being advantageous
• Strong analytical and financial modelling skills and experience would be advantageous
• Able to consistently produce high quality work with good attention to detail
• Able to work towards and meet tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Able to work under pressure and adapt to changing reporting and business needs
• Able to respond to queries/requests promptly
• Able to work with management-level colleagues from both financial and non-financial backgrounds
• Proactive and enthusiastic team player