Service Charge Accountant

Deverell Smith Recruitment Ltd; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading property management company in London is seeking a Senior Client Accountant to manage financial reporting and oversee client accounts. This role offers a competitive salary of up to £50k and hybrid working arrangements. Ideal candidates will have strong skills in financial reporting and experience with property management software. Additional benefits include 35 days annual leave and study support.

Benefits

Company profit share scheme

35 days annual leave including bank holidays

Study support

Mental health support scheme

Flexi hours

Qualifications

• Desire to learn property management principles and procedures.
• Willingness to participate in the department's operations.
• Ability to adapt to new technology and operational systems.

Responsibilities

• Generate financial reports for clients and senior leaders.
• Maintain client accounting for a portfolio of managed estates.
• Prepare end of year service charge accounts.

Skills

Soft skills

Excel proficiency

QUBE system knowledge

Verbal and written communication

Problem-solving

Education

Accounting qualifications

Tools

QUBE

Job description

Job title

Senior Client Accountant

Salary

£45k - £50k

Location

NW London - Hybrid options available

Summary

We are exclusively representing one of the UK's fastest growing property management companies, looking to bring a Senior Client Accountant into their growing finance function. The company is taking on a lot of work, so looking to bring someone in with experience of handovers and onboarding of blocks.

Over time, this role has the potential to grow into an FC position within the company and in the shorter term take over the line management of the existing Client Accounts team.

Objectives

• Provide efficient and accurate support to ensure the smooth running of Prem Luxe financial reporting.
• Responsible for the effective client accounting of a portfolio of managed estates, including residential, commercial and those which are phased in their management.
• Good all-round customer service (internal and external)
• Dealing with customer queries verbally and in written form
• To participate in all internal training, prepare and run training sessions and attend external training.

Responsibilities

• Generate financial reports for clients and senior leaders within the organization
• Liaison with managers, accountants and support staff as necessary to provide an accurate and efficient service to clients.
• Attend client meetings (monthly/quarterly) for the prem luxe portfolio where required
• Periodic reporting to clients (standard reports plus additional as required)
• Ensure accurate reconciliation of client reports i.e VAT, client statements
• Maintain professional working relationships with clients and ensure that excellent client service is delivered
• Manage and maintain the Service Charge funds of each property under remit
• Raise void service charges to developers
• Meet regularly with other team members to discuss progress and find new ways to improve finances
• Analyse the expenditure v budget, arrears and cashflow position, producing a summary report
• Help guide, train and assist Finance Clerk(s)
• Prepare end of year service charge accounts within agreed timeframe, before submitting to external Accountants for review
• Manage electronic data and e-mails

Processing

• Preparing draft budgets for clients in a timely process to ensure budgets are authorised in enough to time to have budgets sent out one month prior to demands
• Obtain Feefo Reviews in line with company objectives over the year, to ensure company and personal growth.
• Sending reports/Statements to clients and leaseholders as well as contractors if required.
• Post additional charges correctly and accurately
• Entering Budgets into Qube correctly with the correct apportionments- Running Expenditure reports monthly send to property managers, elevate is not received and post accurately to Qube.
• Finalising Service Charge accounts and signing off
• Run Calculate on Account from Budget correctly
• Debit Periodic Charges correctly
• Creating Year End Packs for Accountants
• Fund Movements when required by property managers, ensuring that accounts are not overdrawn, and loans are repaid.
• Dealing with customer queries, escalating urgent matters if necessary and delegating work.
• Handling queries from tenants and suppliers and all external agencies by telephone and in writing, in a professional, courteous and efficient manner

Technical skills

• A desire to learn and gain knowledge of property management principles and procedures.
• Gain accounting qualifications
• Soft skills when dealing with people to empathise and understand the customers' needs.
• Good knowledge of QUBE computer system.
• Good knowledge of windows-based spreadsheets - i.e. Excel
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Personal effectiveness
• This role requires you to work individually and as a part of a growing team, and to have an open-minded approach with problem solving daily. This person should have good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• As a key member of the team, you are responsible for processing tasks with accuracy. The information relayed back to your team is going to assist them in providing our client/customer details about their property and this always needs to be accurate.
• This candidate should be willing to participate fully in the running of the department, assisting with enquires and can adapt to new technology and operational systems (as software is advancing within the property management market).

Benefits

• Hybrid working - 4 days a month from home.
• Competitive salary, up to £50k DOE.
• Company profit share scheme
• 35 days annual leave inc BH and closed over Christmas
• Study support
• Regular recognition prizes such as spa days
• We care mental health support scheme
• Financial legal support
• Diet support
• Burnout prevention
• Stop smoking support
• Flexi hours