Management Accountant

Children with Cancer UK; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Children with Cancer UK is seeking a Management Accountant to own the monthly management accounts cycle, providing timely and insightful reporting. You will partner with budget holders, support annual budgeting and rolling forecasts, and present accounts and commentary to the Head of Finance.

You will work closely with the Financial Controller, deliver robust financial insight for decision-making, and help drive efficiency across the charity.

Qualifications

• Experience preparing and analysing management accounts.
• Experience in budgeting and forecasting.
• Business partnering experience with budget holders and decision-makers.
• Experience of UK charity accounting and reporting requirements.
• Operational experience in a fundraising charity.
• Experience with restricted funds, grants and donor reporting.
• Experience accounting for financial investments and related reporting.
• Experience with Gift Aid, partial exemption VAT, and trading subsidiaries.
• Experience identifying system improvements and documenting processes.
• Experience with fundraising platforms such as JustGiving or Enthuse.
• Experience with legacy accruals and grant liabilities.
• SORP and Charity Commission reporting knowledge for charities and trading subsidiaries.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and review income and cost allocations, resolving discrepancies before period close.
• Oversee monthly reconciliations of bank, investment and balance sheet accounts with explanations for variances.
• Lead the month-end close, including grant and trade accruals, prepayments, deferred income, and intercompany accounts.
• Conduct monthly meetings with budget holders to review management accounts and variances.
• Prepare the monthly management accounts report with variance analysis and commentary for the Head of Finance.
• Lead the annual budgeting process, including scenario planning and multi-year elements.
• Manage a rolling forecasting process.
• Act as a finance business partner, advising budget holders and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Manage the Sage Intacct chart of accounts and reporting structure.
• Supervise the Assistant Management Accountant.

Skills

Management accounting

Budgeting

Forecasting

Business partnering

UK charity accounting

Financial reporting

Grant/donor reporting

Investments accounting

Gift Aid & VAT

Process improvement

Tools

Sage Intacct

Tableau

Power BI

JustGiving

Enthuse

Job description

The Management Accountant is responsible for carrying out the monthly management accounts process, ensuring timely, accurate and useful reporting. The postholder reports to the Financial Controller and works closely with, and presents the monthly management accounts report and commentary to, the Head of Finance. Working closely with budget holders to prepare annual budgets and rolling forecasts, the role also has a business partnering dimension, meeting regularly with budget holders to provide financial insight, challenge, and support for decision-making.

Children with Cancer UK

Our vision is a world where every child and young person survives their cancer diagnosis.

We are the leading childhood cancer charity in the UK, supporting families and childhood cancer research since 1988. Over the last 38 years, we’ve developed kinder treatments, improved public and scientific understanding of childhood cancer and raised over £300 million. Our mission is to improve survival rates and the quality of survival in young cancer patients and to find ways to prevent cancer in the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and review income and cost allocations, investigating and resolving discrepancies prior to period close.
• Oversee monthly reconciliations of bank, investment, and other balance sheet accounts, seeking explanations for any discrepancies.
• Lead the month end close process, with responsibility for grant and trade accruals, prepayments, deferred income, accrued income and intercompany accounts, ensuring their alignment with our accounting policies.
• Conduct monthly meetings with budget holders to review management accounts, discuss variances, and recommend actions.
• Prepare the monthly management accounts report, including comprehensive variance analysis with commentary, reporting to the Head of Finance.
• Lead the annual budgeting process, including scenario planning and multi-year elements.
• Manage a rolling forecasting process.
• Act as a finance business partner to budget holders, providing financial advice, developing performance metrics, and supporting decision-making; identifying cost savings opportunities and recommending efficiencies where appropriate.
• Manage the Sage Intacct chart of accounts and reporting structure.
• Supervise the Assistant Management Accountant.

Experience and Skills

• Experience with preparing and analysing management accounts
• Experience in budgeting and forecasting
• Business partnering experience, helping stakeholders to model projects, identify risks, improve efficiency, and draft proposals
• Experience of UK charity accounting
• Operational experience within a fundraising charity
• Experience of restricted fund accounting and grant/donor reporting
• Experience of accounting for financial investments
• Experience with Gift Aid claims, partial exemption VAT, and trading subsidiaries
• Experience identifying system improvements, and process documentation
• Experience working with fundraising platforms like JustGiving or Enthuse
• Experience with legacy accruals and grant liabilities
• SORP and Charity Commission reporting requirements for charities and trading subsidiaries

Essential Skills and Knowledge

• Excel to an intermediate level

Desirable Skills and Knowledge

• Excel to an advanced level
• Salesforce CRM software
• Business Intelligence tools such as Tableau or Power BI for financial reporting and data visualisation
• Gambling Commission reporting requirements

Essential Personal Qualities

• Able to work collaboratively as part of a team and contribute to a positive working environment, while being confident to raise issues and question assumptions, even when it results in temporary discomfort
• Proactive in resolving issues and managing their workload
• Willing to lead cross-team training sessions and make presentations

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Children with Cancer UK, we value diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone is able to be themselves and to reach their full potential. The statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

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Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The charity recognises that candidates may use Artificial Intelligence tools to support aspects of the recruitment process. Candidates may use AI tools for research, preparation or to support written applications; however, all submitted work must accurately represent the candidate’s own skills, experience and suitability for the role.

Candidates should disclose if AI has been used in preparing application materials or completing any assessment activity. Failure to appropriately disclose significant use of AI-generated content may impact the recruitment process.

You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy.