Post: Assistant Management Accountant

Job Description

Directorate:Finance

Team:Investment & Treasury

Grade:PO2

Responsible to: Group Management Accountant

Responsible for:N/A

Purpose of Job

The Assistant Management Accountant will ensure the delivery of an efficient and effective finance service to the Poplar HARCA business, its suppliers and customers, by providing accurate and timely analytical support to the budgeting and management accounting activities and thereby enable the business to monitor and forecast financial performance.

The post holder will work with budget holders across the business to ensure that the financial reporting meets the needs of the business and that budget holders understand the financial reporting and policy compliance requirements.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

To support the delivery of the Management Accounts reporting timetable and standards for Poplar HARCA and its subsidiaries through the provision of analytical, co-ordination, and quality control activities.
To provide an analytical resource to the finance team supporting the delivery of key team priorities.
To support the budget setting process for all business entities by meeting with budget holders as part of the budget setting cycle to ensure that budgets accurately reflect requirements and achieve efficiency savings and value for money.
To liaise with members of the development, housing and rent accounting team to ensure that the group’s housing stock records in the orchard system are accurately maintained and regularly updated in conjunction with the Capital Accountant and Assistant Capital Accountant.

Lead responsibility for the annual staffing budget and for the contract management of the payroll service provider; assist directors with staffing reviews as required.

Review the Trace data supplied, reconcile and prepare the payroll journal on a monthly basis for approval by the Group Financial Accountant.
Provide the data co-ordination and analytical services required to enable the accurate completion of the quarterly and annual returns to the HCA (including the Value for Money self-assessment) and to the Office for National Statistics.
To support the Housemark benchmarking process and other benchmarking activities to ensure timely and accurate completion and delivery of audit trail activities.
Administration of the eBis system for approval of requisitions and invoices, providing support to users and ensuring an effective workflow.
Support with the implementation and administration of the collaborative planning system for budgeting and quarterly forecasts.
Provide ad hoc financial information to Directors and Senior Managers as requested.
Support the Investment & Treasury team to improve the financial reporting and monitoring systems at Poplar HARCA.
Assist the Group Management Accountant and the Group Financial Accountant in completing year-end financial tasks, including preparation of relevant schedules to support notes to the statutory accounts.
Provide training, user guides, procedures etc to finance staff and non-finance staff on budgeting, financial regulations, controls, systems and coding; collaborating with the Accounts Payable Team Leader in this regard.
Coordinate regular stock-takes of other fixed assets and/or other similar activities to ensure the accuracy of the information on which the Management Accounts, Operating Budgets, or Statutory Accounts are based.
Collaborate effectively with the Systems Accountant to ensure the effective maintenance, development, and investment in the eBis system; responsible for user-acceptance-testing for all necessary IT system changes.
Design, maintain and review the operating procedures for these responsibilities, identifying and adopting more efficient practices as appropriate, and focusing on continuous improvement.
Comply with Poplar HARCA’s Financial Regulations and advise customers accordingly and as appropriate.

Team Working

Work with the finance team to ensure the effective and efficient resourcing, work flow management, and performance management of the finance function.
Deputise for the Group Management Accountant as appropriate and as required and provide cover for the Finance Officer – Cash Book as necessary.

General

Perform other duties as may be reasonably required by your line manager.
Conduct yourself in line with Poplar HARCA’spolicies, procedures, rules and standards.

Specific Finance IT System Responsibility

eBis

Person Specification