Financial Accountant (Maternity Leave)

Young Lives vs Cancer; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable organization based in Bristol seeks a Financial Accountant to join its Finance Team. The role requires strong month-end processing skills, charity VAT knowledge, and the ability to communicate complex financial information. Applicants should have a CCAB qualification and significant post-qualification experience. The position offers a supportive environment with benefits like wellbeing days and generous annual leave.

Benefits

Wellbeing days

Generous annual leave allowance

Great family/caring leave entitlements

Enhanced pension

Employee savings scheme

Qualifications

• 12 months + post-qualification experience and current membership of a professional accounting body.
• Experience in performing control account, payroll, and bank account reconciliations.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial staff.

Responsibilities

• Ensure accuracy and completeness of financial information.
• Act as systems administrator for key financial systems.
• Prepare quarterly VAT return and ensure compliance with tax legislation.
• Manage cash flow and make investment recommendations.
• Co-ordinate audit preparation processes.

Skills

Qualified Accountant (CCAB or equivalent)

Significant experience of month end work

Good charity VAT knowledge

Proven track record in a fast-paced environment

Strong communication skills

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Attention to detail

Experience with financial accounting systems

Education

Qualified Accountant (CCAB or equivalent)

Tools

Microsoft Business Central

Job description

Overview

We\'re looking for a Financial Accountant with Charities SORP experience to join our Finance Team. You will be a key member of the Finance team, responsible for supporting month end processing, maintaining the finance system, assisting in the preparation of the statutory accounts and managing audit queries, and advising on technical and charity-specific accounting queries. This is an exciting period of change in the finance team with the implementation of a new finance system in October (Microsoft\'s Business Central) and this role will be key in supporting that implementation. Attention to detail and a commitment to continuous improvement are key to this role to ensure that financial data is correctly recorded and that the charity remains compliant with its regulators. The Finance team works closely with teams from across the charity and in this role, you will often need to pick up requests flexibly and explain complex financial information to non-financial staff. This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a basic criminal record check will be completed.

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. Here are the main responsibilities you will be undertaking:

• Ensuring timeliness, accuracy and completeness of financial information recorded on the finance system. The role holder should be committed to continuous improvement of processes to ensure the financial data recorded is of the highest quality.
• Systems administrator for the key financial systems — SUN (General Ledger software), iPOS and JET (invoice approval and management systems) and banking platforms; a system replacement project is underway to implement Microsoft Business Central (General ledger and invoice management). Responsible for managing access rights, training new users, implementing required changes and updates, and acting as the key point of contact with the system providers.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with tax legislation, preparing the quarterly VAT return, and supporting the Head of Finance Operations in making sure that tax recovery is optimised and that the Charity\'s VAT accounting methodology is regularly reviewed.
• Day-to-day management of cash in line with treasury policy including maintenance of operational cash flow forecast and making recommendations to the Head of Finance Operations for investment of cash, to ensure optimal return on investment.
• Co-ordinating the audit preparation process by supporting staff across the Charity to prepare high quality information and by preparing audit schedules for auditor review.

What do I need?

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you\'re passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don\'t meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we\'re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

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• Qualified Accountant (CCAB or equivalent) with 12 months + post-qualification experience and current membership of a professional accounting body
• Significant experience of month end work (bank, prepayments, accruals, purchase ledger, sales ledger); performing control account, payroll and bank account reconciliations, analysing data.
• Good charity VAT knowledge and completion of a Charity VAT return, including analysis and challenge of data presented by the finance system.
• Proven track record working in a fast paced environment.
• Strong people skills and ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial staff.
• Analytical, problem solving and decision making skills: Being able to identify inaccuracies in data presented, deciding what course of action to take and resolving issues as appropriate.
• Attention to detail and tidy and methodical approach to work.
• Experience and competence in using financial accounting systems: double entry, posting journals, undertaking reconciliations.
• Business Central experience is desirable.

Benefits

• Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you - from catching up on training to going for a walk
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation - or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don\'t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it. We\'re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren\'t there yet, and we\'re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.