JOB DESCRIPTION

POST: Management Accountant

GRADE: Band 6 (Job Evaluation pending)

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Director of Finance

RESPONSIBLE TO: Finance Manager

BASE:Helen & Douglas House, Oxford

JOB SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Finance Manager you will work together in order to:

  • Manage the finance system of the charity.
  • Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the accounting, cash, asset and payroll systems.
  • Provide a high level of service to all Finance stakeholders and customers.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Financial Planning & Budgeting
  • Assist in providing information for cash flow planning.
  • Work with the Finance Manager to produce monthly accounts packs for budget holders. This includes contributing to the monthly system closedown.
  • Provide other ad hoc financial information for Officers and budget holders within agreed timescales.
  • To resolve budget queries in a tactful, timely and efficient manner.
  • Contribute towards development and delivery of financial strategy.
Financial Reporting
  • Prepare working papers and/or schedules necessary for external auditors and to support other statutory reporting, e.g. Gambling Commission, ONS.
  • Assist with producing ad hoc reports to funders as required by the terms of the donation.
Systems, Policies & Processes
  • Produce reconciliations and analysis, with supporting documentation, to check the accuracy and consistency of income against other systems. This should be done on a timely basis and include highlighting, reporting, investigation and resolution of variances.

The reconciliations will include:

  1. Bank accounts
  2. SAGE to Donorflex
  3. SAGE to eProductive
  4. Ad hoc Fundraising Schemes, e.g. Face to Face giving, Phone Room campaigns and Lottery.
  • Be a point of expertise on Direct Debit income collection and associated regulations (Direct Debit Guarantee & Data Protection).
  • Maintenance of the financial ledger through the management of its setup, and linking of new financial codes. This will include production of regular control account reconciliations.
  • Supervise the banking of cash and cheques. This will include posting the income to the Finance System.
  • Understanding of accounting policies and procedures, specifically for income, including reconciliations, gift aid rules and VAT regulation.
  • Assist developing, reviewing and the implementation of financial policies, controls and process notes.
  • Keep up to date on VAT/HMRC/Gift Aid rules and regulations and be able to provide advice as necessary to colleagues. Able to carry out audits of these areas as required.
  • Supervise Finance Assistants in the issuing of income invoices, for example for statutory funding. This will include ensuring reconciliation of the sales ledger accounts, aged debtors listings and Control Data sheet.
Payroll
  • Carry out a monthly payroll audit.
  • Understand payroll processing in order to assist with the monthly processing on a needs basis.
Management Responsibility
  • The Finance Manager holds responsibility for ensuring the appropriate management and development of all members of the volunteering team.
  • Line manage the Management Accountant and Finance Assistants, providing support, guidance and advice to support the achievement of their work, managing performance and absence issues as appropriate. Review training needs as part of a regular 1-1 process, and annual appraisal.
  • Monitor overall performance of the team, giving regular feedback to enhance performance. Identify opportunities to develop team members and put in place appropriate strategies to do so.
  • Ensure the allocation of work tasks so that team members are clear of their responsibilities, objectives, tasks and deadlines. Put in place strategies to regularly monitor and support team members in the completion of tasks and the achievement of the annual business plan.
  • Review the priorities of the Finance team to ensure that the workload of direct reports and volunteers is appropriate. Redefine priorities where necessary, taking advice from the Director of Finance.
  • Have oversight of working processes, continuously seeking opportunities to improve effectiveness and efficiency, implement accordingly. Maintain effective communication with the wider team, including the Director of Finance in any implemented changes.
  • Ensure the effective management of volunteers and interns working within the Finance team, ensuring that their time is well used by matching roles to skill levels, feedback is given and development needs are addressed where necessary.
Training and Development
  • To provide one to one training to members of the Finance Team on financial matters.
  • Complete all mandatory and compulsory training as required by your role.
  • Actively participate in personal professional development.
Other Duties
  • Open and process items received in the post.
  • Receive phone calls, which may be of a sensitive nature, in relation to financial queries.
  • To maintain appropriate procedure records and audit trails for all tasks undertaken.
  • To extract data from the financial ledger and manipulate through long periods of data analysis to produce user friendly reports and graphical analysis to assist management decisions.
  • To assist and contribute to the development of computerised systems.
  • Provide advice on workplace routines to new or less experienced employees in own work area.
  • To support the Finance Manager including deputising at meetings on an ad hoc basis.
Helen and Douglas House General Responsibilities:

Every employee is required to:

  • Adhere to and comply with organisational policies, procedures and guidelines at all times.
  • Implement Risk Management strategies (including reporting, registering risk and learning) - taking all reasonable steps to manage and promote a safe and healthy working environment which is free from discrimination.
  • Comply with the organisational policy on confidentiality, information governance and the Data Protection Act 1998 as amended relating to information held manually or on computerised systems.
  • Respect the confidentiality of children, young adults and staff and volunteers at all times.
  • Promote and protect the privacy and dignity of children and young adults at all times.
  • Comply with the requirements of the organisational Safeguarding Policy, and at all times during the course of employment act in such a way as to promote the wellbeing of children and other vulnerable people.
  • Implement Health and Safety regulations – through risk assessment. Maintaining a constant awareness of health, welfare and safety issues affecting colleagues, service users, volunteers, visitors and themselves, reporting any accidents or faults in line with organisational policy, and fully participating in health and safety training.
  • Maintain high standards of infection prevention and control practice throughout the performance of duties and in accordance with Helen and Douglas House Infection Prevention and Control Policies and Procedures.
  • Comply with the requirements of the Disclosure and Barring Service Policy in relation to the undertaking of regular DBS checks, presentation of associated certificates, and immediate notification of any situation which may affect competence or professional registration.
  • Participate in personal training, development, appraisal, and attend all relevanttraining courses as required.
  • Take part in service or departmental evaluation as required.
  • Embrace the volunteer culture which exists in the organisation

The post holder must act at all times in a professional and responsible manner and have due regard to confidentiality and Health & Safety legislation.

This is an outline job description and should not be regarded as an inflexible specification. Responsibilities will be reviewed periodically in line with service priorities and duties may change or new duties be introduced after consultation with the post holder. As a term of your employment you may be required to undertake such other duties, such as link roles, and/or hours of work as may reasonably be required, commensurate with your general level of responsibility with the organisation, at your initial place of work or at any other of the Trust's establishments.

Our working premises are no smoking areas

[File Reference]

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title: Management Accountant

Essential / Desirable / Essential criteria Assessed by
A/F / I/T / R
Qualifications /
  • CCAB qualified
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  • Degree level education
  • Two years demonstrable post qualification experience.
  • Microsoft or IT related qualification to NVQ level 4 or equivalent.
/ /
Experience /
  • Experience of managing the operation of an IT finance system
  • Setting, producing and monitoring budgets
  • Experience of effectively managing, developing and motivating individuals and teams
  • Experience of dealing with complex financial problems
/
  • Working in a not for profit organisation.
  • Operating a trading subsidiary.
  • Working in the NHS and understanding of funding mechanisms and terms and conditions of service.
  • Retail accounting.
  • Co-ordinating work to achieve objectives and deadlines.
  • Experience of the SAGE Finance and Payroll systems.
  • Preparing annual statutory accounts.
  • Providing budgetary information to non-financial managers
  • Experience of working with volunteers
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/ T
I
I
I
Skills /
  • Highly developed IT skillsin Excel (ie, able to design and manipulate spreadsheets using complex formulae, linking multiple spreadsheets/worksheets, pivot tables, v look up tables, macros) with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
  • Confidence and aptitude to learn and operate new IT systems quickly and develop databases to support the finance function.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills to support non financial managers to interpret their budgets and manage more effectively
/
  • Write and design reports using Crystal software.
  • Able to interpret current and new legislation and standards.
  • Able to write internal policies and procedures.
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/ I/T
I
I/T
Knowledge/
Understanding /
  • Regulations relating toGift Aid, PAYE and VAT.
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  • Knowledge of the charity and third sector.
  • Knowledge of NHS Terms and conditions.
  • SoRP Accounting Guidance.
  • Competent user of Microsoft Word and Outlook
/ / T
Personal Attributes & Abilities /
  • Perform duties in a discreet, confidential and professional manner.
  • Self-motivated and organised; able to work independently and autonomously within agreed parameters as well as managing the workload of a team with minimal supervision, working to tight and often changing timescales
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  • Flexible approach to working.
  • Positive outlook.
  • Willingness to embrace change.
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/ I
I
Other /
  • Commitment to personal professional development of self and others.
  • Not on ISA Barred List from working with children or vulnerable adults
/ / I/T / R

PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONALEFFORT GUIDANCE

Physical effort

There is a frequent requirement for sitting or standing in a restricted position for a substantial proportion of the working time as the post holder will spend a large proportion of the working day on the computer. .

Mental Effort

There is a frequent requirement for prolonged concentration in the preparation of accounts, quality assurance of payroll data, preparation of financial reports.

Emotional Effort

Exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances is rare, and is only likely to occur either due to incidental contact with families, care team or guests or due to the individual circumstances of a member of the team.

Physical Working Conditions

Exposure to unpleasant working conditions or hazards is rare.