Scheme Accounts Analyst

Nestpensions; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Nestpensions is seeking a Scheme Accounts Analyst to join the Pension Scheme Accounting Team. You will contribute to daily financial control, review reconciliations, monitor cash activity and assist with month-end processes, working with external providers to ensure accuracy and timely reporting.

The role offers hybrid working from Canary Wharf, London, with opportunities to develop technical knowledge in pension scheme accounting within a complex, highly regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with cash, bank or financial reconciliations, ideally in a pension scheme or high-volume environment.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with focus on accuracy, completeness and controls.
• Excellent Excel skills and ability to work with financial systems and large datasets.
• Experience with third-party providers and resolving issues to resolution.
• Degree educated or studying toward an accounting qualification or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Review reconciliations for the Nest pension scheme and monitor cash activity.
• Investigate exceptions and support month-end accounting processes.
• Prepare financial analysis and maintain procedures to support internal controls.
• Assist with audits and contribute to process and control improvements.
• Maintain awareness of banking relationships and tax-related activities for the scheme.

Skills

Reconciliations

Financial analysis

Excel skills

Stakeholder management

Third-party coordination

Education

Accounting qualification

Job description

*Please note we only accept online applications.*

Role Overview

We're looking for a Scheme Accounts Analyst to join our Pension Scheme Accounting Team. This is a great opportunity for someone with strong analytical skills who enjoys working with financial data, reconciliations and problem-solving in a collaborative finance environment.

In this role, you'll support the day-to-day financial control of the Nest pension scheme by reviewing reconciliations, monitoring cash and banking activity, investigating exceptions and contributing to month-end accounting processes. You'll work closely with TCS, Northern Trust and NatWest to ensure financial information is accurate, issues are resolved promptly and controls are operating effectively.

You'll also help prepare financial analysis, maintain procedures, support audit activity and contribute to the continuous improvement of processes and controls. This role offers excellent exposure to pension scheme accounting and is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to develop their career within a complex and highly regulated financial environment.

As part of a supportive team, you'll have the opportunity to build your technical knowledge, take ownership of key activities and play an important role in maintaining the financial integrity of one of the UK's largest workplace pension schemes.

Minimum criteria for this role are:

• Experience of cash, bank or financial reconciliations, ideally in a pension scheme, financial services, administration or high-volume transaction environment
• Experience of analysing high-volume and high-value transaction data, identifying trends, exceptions and areas requiring investigation
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with a clear understanding of accuracy, completeness, evidence and control requirements
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with financial systems, reporting tools and large datasets
• Experience of working with third-party providers and following up operational or financial issues through to resolution
• Degree educated, studying towards an accounting qualification, or able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience
• A positive attitude to routine and difficult problems, with persistence in following items through to completion

Flexible and agile working

Everyone's personal situation is different.

To make the most out of hybrid working, we've introduced different ways of working, which include (subject to role requirements):

• hybrid of office (Canary Wharf, London) and home working (there will be an expectation to attend the office, once - twice a week, or more, as required)

Directorate/Department Overview

The Finance & Commercial Solutions (FCS) Directorate, led by the Chief Financial Officer and their leadership team, consists of three distinct areas:

• Finance
• Commercial Management
• Commercial Procurement

Within the Finance team there are multiple disciplines, including the core financial control activities for which this role would be responsible. It is an exciting time to join the Finance function as the CFO is looking to make a significant amount of change and enhancement in each area, while also seeking synergies and alignment across the Directorate.

Within the Finance team and looking after the accounting for the Nest Pension Scheme (the Scheme) itself, is the Pension Scheme Accounting team (PSAT), which is responsible for:

• Ownership of the Scheme general ledger, ensuring all entries are complete, accurate, timely, appropriately supported and subject to effective review
• Production of high-quality monthly Scheme accounts
• Managing and delivering specific key external publications relevant to the Scheme, such as the Scheme Annual Report and Accounts (SARA), annual TPR return, and submitting quarterly returns to the ONS and ABI
• Providing challenge to the Fund Administration Team to ensure the data flows from the Scheme Administrator (TCS) and Fund Administrator/Custodian (Northern Trust) are timely and accurate
• Ensuring routine finance and cash reconciliations supporting the Pension Scheme financial statements are completed by the Scheme Administrator timely and accurately
• Main finance point of contact for SAPE
• Monitoring of the Scheme General Account and approval of payments from the account
• Day-to-day ownership of the banking relationship for Nest ensuring banking issues are dealt with effectively
• Day-to-day ownership of the tax adviser relationship ensuring all tax relevant to the Scheme is reclaimed where appropriate

Organisational Overview

Nest is an award-winning workplace pension scheme, the largest in the country. Set up by the government to give every worker in the UK somewhere to save, our first-class responsible investment practice and governance are the backbone of what we do, supported by all the functions you’d expect to find in a thriving business. We’re committed to creating a workplace where you can be your authentic self and offer an inclusive and flexible working environment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of their age , disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy or caring responsibilities, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation or socio economic background.

We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

Nest is a Disability Confident Leader, which is the highest level of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you have a disability, please declare that you’re applying through the scheme . We aim to offer an interview to those applicants who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme and best meet the minimum criteria. However, there may be some circumstances where this is not possible due to the volume of applications.

Please note that this advert may close early if we receive a sufficient number of satisfactory applications. If you have any difficulty in sending your application or need the application pack in an alternative format, or you require any reasonable adjustments please contact: [e-mail].