Service Charge Accountant

Cobalt Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Cobalt Recruitment is working with a family-owned property business to recruit a Service Charge Accountant for its commercial property team in Central London.

This is an entirely office-based position, five days per week, and offers the opportunity to take ownership of service charge accounting across its commercial property portfolio. The Service Charge Accountant will report to the Senior Commercial Property Manager and work closely with the wider Property Management and Accounts teams.

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial service charge accounting.
• Knowledge of preparing service charge year-end and quarter-end accounts.
• Knowledge of service charge reconciliations and the audit process.
• Understanding of commercial lease terms and the treatment of recoverable and non-recoverable expenditure.
• Ability to maintain accurate financial records and manage multiple deadlines.
• Clear communication with Property Managers, clients, tenants and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Managing service charge accounts and maintaining accurate financial records.
• Preparing and issuing service charge, ground rent, insurance and rent demands.
• Preparing service charge year-end and quarter-end accounts and expenditure reports, taking accounts through to trial balance for external accountants.
• Completing service charge reconciliations and supporting the audit process.
• Reviewing commercial lease terms to establish recoverable and non-recoverable costs and ensuring costs are recovered in line with lease obligations.
• Maintaining accurate financial and property information within Qube.
• Managing daily banking routines and reviewing unallocated transactions.
• Supporting the onboarding of new properties and taking ownership of the financial process.
• Working closely with Property Managers to provide financial reports and support the management of individual properties.
• Responding to relevant client, tenant and supplier queries and escalating urgent matters where required.
• Monitoring key financial deadlines and ensuring service charge activity is completed on time.

Skills

Commercial service charge accounting

Lease terms knowledge

Financial reporting

Communication skills

Deadline management

Tools

Qube

Job description

£45,000–£55,000 | Permanent | Central London, W1W 6QP | Fully office-based

Cobalt is working with a family-owned property business to recruit a Service Charge Accountant for its commercial property team in Central London.

This is an entirely office-based position, five days per week, and offers the opportunity to take ownership of service charge accounting across a commercial property portfolio. The Service Charge Accountant will report to the Senior Commercial Property Manager and work closely with the wider Property Management and Accounts teams.

The organisation

Our client is an established, family-owned property business with a commercial property portfolio.

Based from its Central London office, the business is looking for a Service Charge Accountant who can provide accurate financial management across its properties while working closely with Property Managers and other stakeholders.

The role and responsibilities

As Service Charge Accountant, you will take responsibility for the financial management of service charges across the commercial portfolio.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing service charge accounts and maintaining accurate financial records.
• Preparing and issuing service charge, ground rent, insurance and rent demands.
• Preparing service charge year-end and quarter-end accounts and expenditure reports, taking accounts through to trial balance for external accountants.
• Completing service charge reconciliations and supporting the audit process.
• Reviewing commercial lease terms to establish recoverable and non-recoverable costs and ensuring costs are recovered in line with lease obligations.
• Maintaining accurate financial and property information within Qube.
• Managing daily banking routines and reviewing unallocated transactions.
• Supporting the onboarding of new properties and taking ownership of the financial process.
• Working closely with Property Managers to provide financial reports and support the management of individual properties.
• Responding to relevant client, tenant and supplier queries and escalating urgent matters where required.
• Monitoring key financial deadlines and ensuring service charge activity is completed on time.

These responsibilities reflect the core service charge accounting duties set out in the original brief while removing some of the broader company-wide responsibilities that aren't necessary to understand the position.

The skills needed

We are looking for a Service Charge Accountant with a strong working knowledge of commercial service charge accounting.

You will need:

• Working knowledge of commercial service charge accounting.
• Working knowledge of Qube.
Knowledge of preparing service charge year-end and quarter-end accounts.Knowledge of service charge reconciliations and the audit process.An understanding of commercial lease terms and the treatment of recoverable and non-recoverable expenditure.The ability to maintain accurate financial records and manage multiple deadlines.Clear communication skills when dealing with Property Managers, clients, tenants and suppliers.

This Service Charge Accountant position offers a salary of £45,000–£55,000 and is based in Central London, W1W 6QP. The role is entirely office-based, five days per week, so applicants should be comfortable with this working pattern before applying.

Due to the volume of applications received, if you don’t hear back from us, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

If you require any adjustments or additional support during the recruitment process for any reason whatsoever, please let your Cobalt consultant know.