Property Accountant

Cobalt Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Cobalt Recruitment is seeking a Property Accountant to join its growing finance function. This newly created role covers property accounting, bookkeeping and financial reporting across a portfolio of property entities and joint ventures.

You will produce monthly and quarterly management accounts, maintain ledgers, manage intercompany balances and drive consistent processes and controls as the portfolio expands.

Qualifications

• Strong Excel skills and experience using a recognised accounting platform.
• Experience within property investment, development or asset management.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accounting records across property-owning entities and joint ventures.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly management accounts and cash-flow reporting.
• Record rental income and property-related expenses and liaise with managing agents.
• Support month-end procedures, reconciliations and intercompany balances.
• Implement consistent processes, reporting templates and financial controls.

Skills

Excel

Accounting software

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA/AAT

Job description

A privately owned real estate investment and development business is seeking a Property Accountant to join its growing finance function.

The company invests across several UK property sectors through direct investments, development projects and joint-venture partnerships. It operates with a lean, entrepreneurial team and manages a range of property-owning companies and investment structures.

Role Overview

This is a newly created, hands-on position combining property accounting, bookkeeping and financial reporting.

The Property Accountant will maintain accurate accounting records across a portfolio of property and investment entities while producing reliable monthly and quarterly financial information for senior management.

The successful candidate will also help introduce consistent processes, reporting templates and financial controls as the portfolio continues to expand.

Key Responsibilities

Bookkeeping and Financial Control

• Maintain accounting records across property-owning companies, investment entities and joint ventures.
• Manage purchase ledger, sales ledger, bank reconciliations and intercompany balances.
• Process invoices, payments, expenses and property-related accounting entries.
• Prepare journals, accruals, prepayments and other month-end adjustments.
• Maintain schedules covering debtors, creditors, fixed assets, loans and intercompany accounts.
• Complete balance sheet reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Support payment runs and maintain appropriate approval controls.

Property and Management Accounting

• Prepare monthly and quarterly management accounts across multiple entities.
• Produce P&L, balance sheet and cash-flow reporting with supporting commentary.
• Record and reconcile rental income, property expenditure and information received from managing agents.
• Maintain tenancy, rent-deposit and service-charge information where applicable.
• Monitor operating costs, capital expenditure and development expenditure against budget.
• Work with investment and development colleagues to ensure costs are correctly allocated.
• Account for joint-venture contributions, distributions, partner balances and project funding.
• Maintain loan, interest and funding schedules.
• Support short-term and longer-term cash-flow forecasting.

Reporting and Compliance

• Prepare year-end schedules and supporting information for statutory accounts.
• Coordinate with external accountants, auditors, tax advisers and property managers.
• Support VAT, CIS and other property-related reporting requirements.
• Assist with lender, investor and joint-venture reporting.
• Support the financial aspects of acquisitions, disposals, refinancings and project completions.
• Maintain complete accounting records and supporting documentation.

Systems and Process Improvement

• Establish consistent accounting processes across the property portfolio.
• Improve month-end procedures, financial controls and reporting templates.
• Support the financial setup of new property entities and joint ventures.
• Identify opportunities to streamline bookkeeping and reduce manual reporting.
• Maintain clear process documentation and a reliable financial audit trail.

Candidate Profile

• Part-qualified, newly qualified or qualified by experience, ideally through ACA, ACCA, CIMA or AAT.
• Previous experience within property investment, development, asset management or property management.
• Comfortable combining bookkeeping responsibilities with management accounting and reporting.
• Good understanding of journals, accruals, prepayments, intercompany accounting and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Exposure to property SPVs, joint ventures or development projects would be advantageous.
• Experience working with managing agents, project teams or external accountants would be beneficial.
• Strong Excel skills and experience using a recognised accounting platform.
• Organised, accurate and capable of managing several entities and competing deadlines.
• Proactive and comfortable working independently within a lean business.
• Able to communicate financial information clearly to finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Salary of £60,000.
• Three to four office days per week, with flexibility.
• Broad exposure across property investment, development and joint ventures.
• Opportunity to help shape and improve the property finance function.