Accountant - Financial & Commercial Operations

Cognosis Ltd; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

Cognosis Ltd is seeking an experienced Accountant for their London office to manage daily finance activities, including bookkeeping and reporting. This part-time role offers a competitive salary and a range of benefits while providing opportunities for professional growth within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Private Medical Insurance

30 days holiday after 2 years

Stakeholder pension scheme

Season ticket loan

Peer recognition award scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in bookkeeping and finance management.
• Strong MS Office skills, particularly Excel.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day finance activities including bookkeeping and invoicing.
• Prepare monthly financial reports and submit VAT returns.

Skills

Communication

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Proactivity

Education

Relevant Accounting Qualification

Tools

QuickBooks

CMAP

MS Office

Job description

Accountant - Financial & Commercial Operations

This is a newly structured position, with the day-to-day financial running of the business at its core. With scope to shape and grow the role, this could suit an individual with finance experience who would like to take on greater commercial responsibility over time and develop their career as a finance professional.

Who we are:

Cognosis is a London-based strategy consultancy with a difference. A boutique business established in 1998, we help some of the world's biggest businesses and consumer brands build long-term strategies that ignite and sustain growth.

We believe that strategy should engage and excite; we work closely with our clients to co-create strategy that they believe in and are excited to implement. We build strategies that drive long-term revenue growth for businesses.

The Opportunity:

To support our business as we scale, we are looking for an Accountant who will manage all day-to-day finance activities within Cognosis, including bookkeeping, coordination with external finance suppliers, and broader financial management tasks. Reporting to the Finance Director, this role offers a fantastic opportunity to support the commercial management of the business.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing all day-to-day finance activity, including recording and balancing financial transactions on QuickBooks, and overseeing the bank account, conducting daily banking activities and reconciliation.
• Generating client invoices, collecting and processing payments, and managing purchases and payments to suppliers.
• Preparing monthly financial reports and submitting VAT returns.
• Managing relationships with external payroll and pension providers and maintaining company insurance policies (travel, liability etc.).
• Supporting budgeting and forecasting processes, and providing commercial reporting for the finance director and leadership team
• Managing the provision of insured benefits including supplier relationship management, renewals and payment.
• Taking ownership of our core commercial system (CMAP), which includes overseeing internal usage, and developing processes and reporting to maximise effectiveness. You will also take a lead role in managing our relationship with CMAP.
• Liaising with and supporting the external management accountant as required.
• Supporting the Finance Director and leadership team by providing information and input for budgeting and forecasting processes. This will include liaison with the sales team regarding revenue/pipeline forecasting

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking an experienced accountant with a strong background in finance roles within professional services or consulting businesses. Holding or studying towards a relevant accounting qualification would be desirable, as would specific experience in QuickBooks and/or CMAP.

Suitable candidates must also have:

• Previous responsibility for all aspects of bookkeeping and day-to-day finance management and administration, to include invoicing and payments, conducting banking activities, preparing monthly reports and submitting tax returns.
• Strong MS Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong time management and the ability to prioritise workload.
• Strong attention to detail, be innovative, proactive, self-motivated, and possess a genuine interest in evolving and developing the scope of responsibility as our firm grows.
• Alignment with our Cognosis Behaviours: be brave, have empathy and integrity, show hunger to grow (our business, our clients, ourselves), and put the team first.

What we offer

• Base salary of between £40,000-£55,000 (FTE)
• Bonus opportunity (via our profit share scheme)
• 30 days holiday after 2 years (25 days initially)
• Private Medical Insurance, including dental & optical cashback and covering pre-existing conditions
• Exceptional family leave entitlements, including up to 30 weeks full pay and paid 'Transition Leave' for all new parents.
• Paid Long service & 'Life' Leave
• Stakeholder pension scheme
• Support towards setting up your home office
• Season ticket loan and cycle Scheme (onsite cycle facilities available)
• Peer recognition award scheme
• 24-hour confidential assistance service offering lifestyle and wellbeing support
• Life Assurance & Income Protection
• Waterloo-based office with free onsite barista, free wellness and lifestyle events and onsite café, pizza restaurant, cocktail bar & cinema club.
• Regular team events to support knowledge share and networking, including an annual 2-day team offsite

Other Candidate Information

• Part-Time role: 26 hours per week (3.5 days), based in our London Waterloo office. We are open to considering a range of working patterns. You will also have the flexibility to work from home one day per week.
• Candidates must also hold the right to work in the UK without sponsorship.

A little more about us...

At Cognosis, we each bring something different to our team. We pride ourselves on an inclusive environment where diverse thinking and experience are valued. Difference creates challenge, and challenge creates better ideas. When it comes to what we have in common, our company values are at the heart of how we conduct ourselves as a business and as a team.

They are:

• Be brave and strive to break new ground
• Put the team first
• Show hunger to grow
• Have empathy and integrity

Please note that New Minds Resourcing Ltd are acting as our retained consultants for the recruitment of this role. All applications will be shared with both New Minds and Cognosis.

• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.
• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.
• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.
• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.
• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.
• We prioritise your well-being with a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support you both personally and professionally.