Management Accountant

ARK SCHOOLS; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational organization based in West London is seeking a Management Accountant to support management accounts and assist budget holders. The position offers a salary of £35,000 - £45,000 and requires part-qualified candidates with strong accounting and IT skills. The ideal candidate will be meticulous, flexible, and able to communicate effectively with non-finance professionals.

Qualifications

• Experience in budgeting and forecasting.
• Business partnering support to budget holders.
• Production and presentation of finance reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead on month-end management accounts.
• Assist in preparing management accounts pack.
• Provide business partnering support to budget holders.

Skills

Attention to detail

Accounting knowledge

Communication skills

IT skills

Team collaboration

Education

Degree level education

Part-Qualified or Newly Qualified Accountant

Tools

Excel

Financial databases

Accounting packages

Job description

W/C 27th October for First Stage Interviews.

Reports to: Financial Planning Manager

Location: West London – currently operating a hybrid working policy with two core days (Tuesday and Thursday) in the office.

Contract: Permanent

Pattern: Full Time

Salary: £35,000 - £45,000 (depending on experience).

The Management Accountant will be responsible for supporting the production and circulation of management accounts, including being the key finance contact for several high-profile Central Departments. The role will be working closely with the Financial Planning Manager in the compilation of various periodic papers including monthly management accounts pack, quarterly/termly compilation of papers summarising reforecasts, budgets etc. for Management Team, Risk and Audit Committee and the Ark Schools Board.

The primary aim is to support budget holders in setting and controlling their budgets and to help Ark Schools allocate its limited resource in the best way to support our schools. You will have responsibility for specific budgets, where you will be expected to take the lead supporting managers, helping them forecast and looking at opportunities to help them become more efficient.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead on refreshing month-end management accounts for all Central Departments
• Assist FPM in compilation of Management Accounts pack
• Track and process periodic recharges to network schools and other connected entities
• Post any prepayments and accruals journals at month-end
• Provide Finance Business Partnering support by meeting up regularly with budget holders to take them through their year-to-date figures and ensure that they understand the financial position of their department, and to help them understand their finances
• Assist FPM in driving the reforecast and budgeting process including creating templates, circulating to budget holders, supporting and reviewing with budget holders to ensure templates are filled in correctly and consolidating the data for reporting and presenting to senior management audiences
• Work closely with the financial accounting team to ensure key control accounts are regularly reconciled
• Support Financial Accounting team at year end with ad hoc tasks that may be required including performing workings/calculations, reconciliations, and review of template submissions
• Work with the Financial Planning Manager in improving the quality of and efficiency of production of the monthly pack. This should involve more automation, more user- friendly reports, the development of KPIs and the ability to see at a glance key variances.

Qualifications:

• Part-Qualified or Newly Qualified Accountant
• Educated to Degree Level
• Knowledge & Experience
• An understanding of budgeting and forecasting and why it is so important
• Experience of providing business partnering support to budget holders
• Experience of producing and presenting finance reports
• Experience of processing month end journals and reconciliations
• Experience using IT, especially accounting packages and excel.

Personal Qualities:

• Meticulous attention to detail and capable of meeting strict deadlines
• Team player who is flexible and adapts well to change
• Ability to communicate effectively and explain finance to non-finance professionals
• Able to follow instructions accurately, but make good judgments and lead when required
• Willingness and ability to learn and operate new systems and processes and assess their effectiveness
• Helpful and positive nature, and able to remain calm under pressure
• Highly skilled and adaptable ‘people skills’.

Specific Skills:

• Proficient written and oral communication skills
• Excellent numerical and financial skills
• Highly competent computer skills, in particular using Word, Excel, Email and financial databases
• Pro-active, with the ability to organise one’s own tasks with minimum supervision
• Understands the importance of confidentiality and discretion
• The ability to step back and critique and look for opportunities to improve.

Other:

• Right to work in the UK
• Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all students
• Willingness to undertake training
• This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective.