Service Charge Accountant

Gleeson-Recruitment-Group; Cradley Heath; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Predominantly remote work

Standalone specialist role

Senior stakeholder exposure

Job summary

Gleeson-Recruitment-Group is assisting a well-established organisation based west of Birmingham in recruiting a standalone Service Charge Accountant. You will own end-to-end service charge processes across a diverse residential portfolio and act as the organisation's subject matter expert.

Working closely with Finance, Housing and Operational teams, you will establish clear processes, ensure compliance and create a sustainable service charge function.

Qualifications

• Strong service charge experience within housing associations or similar housing-sector environments.
• Understanding of housing-related service charge regulations and requirements.
• Knowledge of housing benefits and service charge eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end service charge cycle across a diverse property portfolio.
• Review arrangements, establish processes and controls, ensure compliance.
• Develop and document robust service charge processes and controls across teams.
• Support audits, year-end processes and external reporting.

Skills

Service charge expertise

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

Regulatory understanding

Job description

Salary: GBP37000 - GBP45000 per annum

Service Charge Accountant

Remote / Hybrid | 37.5 Hours per Week - Based West of Birmingham City Centre

Are you an experienced Service Charge professional with a background in Housing Associations or supported housing?

We're recruiting for a unique opportunity with a well-established organisation that manages a diverse residential property portfolio. This is a highly visible specialist role where you'll take ownership of service charge processes, bring structure to a complex environment, and act as the organisation's subject matter expert.

This isn't a role for someone who simply processes service charge calculations. We're looking for someone who enjoys improving processes, solving problems, and creating robust frameworks that support multiple teams across a business.

The Opportunity

Working closely with Finance, Housing and Operational teams, you'll take ownership of the end-to-end service charge process across a varied residential portfolio of properties.

You'll review existing arrangements, establish clear processes and controls, ensure compliance, and create a service charge function that is accurate, transparent and sustainable.

This is a standalone specialist position with strong internal support and significant stakeholder exposure.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the end-to-end service charge cycle
• Review service charge arrangements across a diverse property portfolio
• Identify eligible and ineligible service charge costs
• Prepare and maintain service charge budgets and reconciliations
• Review leases, tenancy agreements and landlord arrangements
• Develop and document robust service charge processes and controls
• Ensure responsibilities are clearly defined across teams
• Support audits, year-end processes and external reporting requirements
• Improve data quality, cost coding and supporting evidence
• Act as the organisation's internal service charge expert

What We're Looking For

• Strong service charge experience within a Housing Association, supported housing provider, registered provider or similar housing-sector environment
• Understanding of housing-related service charge regulations and requirements
• Knowledge of Housing Benefit, Universal Credit and service charge eligibility
• Experience reviewing recoverability of costs and service charge arrangements
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of a specialist function
• Strong process improvement and stakeholder management skills

You'll Be

• Self-sufficient and proactive
• Organised and highly process-driven
• Curious and confident in investigating complex issues
• Comfortable working cross-functionally
• Collaborative and solutions-focused
• Able to communicate technical information clearly

What's On Offer

• Predominantly remote working
• Opportunity to build and shape a specialist function
• High levels of autonomy and ownership
• Exposure to Finance, Housing and Operational leadership teams
• Potential for future progression into broader finance and business roles
• Stable and supportive working environment

Please Note

This role requires housing-sector service charge experience. Candidates with exclusively commercial service charge backgrounds are unlikely to have the specific knowledge required.