Qualified Systems Accountant Jobs in London, Greater London
The Confederation of School Trusts exists to represent academy trusts and to continually enhance our education system. They are now looking for a Chief Operating Officer to develop a financial strategy and operations as they enter a new phase of development.
· Location: Remote with regular travel to Nottingham/London
Applications close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 4th June.
Who we are.
The Confederation of School Trusts (CST) is the leading advocate and support network for school trusts in England, representing approximately 75% of the academy sector. With a membership-centric approach, we prioritise the needs of our member trusts, serving as their collective voice and championing their contributions to education.
Funded through various channels, including memberships, events, and partnerships, CST operates alongside CST Professional Development Ltd, offering tailored training and services focused on trust governance.
About the role.
We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive strategic development amid political shifts. Reporting to our Chief Executive Officer, the COO will oversee financial management, operations, digital strategy, and corporate governance, playing a pivotal role in shaping CST's future.
Responsibilities include financial strategy development, budgeting, compliance, and team leadership across CST and its trading arm. The COO will ensure operational efficiency, manage contracts and procurement, and spearhead digital infrastructure and information governance enhancements.
This hybrid role requires regular travel to our offices in Nottingham and London. The ideal candidate will demonstrate autonomy, accountability, and a strategic mindset, with expertise in financial planning, operational management, and digital strategy implementation.
Who we are looking for.
Proficiency in people management, culture development, and regulatory compliance is essential. Experience in charity and corporate governance is desirable, as is a genuine commitment to improving the academy trust system in the UK.
If you're a qualified accountant with a passion for driving organisational excellence and supporting education leaders, we encourage you to apply and join us in making a difference in the lives of learners across the country.
Please click 'Apply via website’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply.
Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 4th June.
MLC Partners are pleased to be partnering with Morden College to recruit their new Finance Manager.
An organisation rich in history, the charity has been at the forefront of supporting older people’s lives for more than 300 years. They have more than 250 older peoples in alms house accommodation in Blackheath and Beckenham and have a small 28-bed care home on their Blackheath site. Morden College are committed to providing services that support their residents to live independent and healthy lives.
The organisation is embarking on a finance process review, in order to improve their ways of working. With plans in place to upgrade their finance and CRM systems the role would suit a change-focussed individual.
Reporting into the Finance Director, the role is a key member of the team with responsibility of three staff, and the involvement in the strategic vision of the finance team. With their main base in Blackheath, the role is hybrid and strives to offer as much flexibility as possible, including a wide-ranging benefits package.
Main responsibilities of the role:
- Ensure the completion of all month end processes and the timely delivery of the monthly management accounts.
- Liaise with key stakeholders to provide a responsive and compliant finance management operation.
- Support the improvement of processes and systems, ensuring robust policies are in place so the organisation can be fully digitised.
- Lead and manage a team of four, quality assuring their work, and guiding their careers and ensuring their continued development and nurturing great team culture.
- Support the Finance Director with the production of the annual financial statements, project managing the team to facilitate a smooth audit delivery across the main organisation as well as subsidiary accounts.
The successful candidate will:
- Be a fully qualified accountant, likely with experience from within the not-for-profit sector.
- Have experience driving change and improving processes and broader cultural change in a finance team.
- Be able to flex up and down from a hands-on perspective to also offer strategic insight to the Finance Director.
- Have significant experience working in a finance function with the knowledge of ‘what good looks like’.
- This is a great opportunity for an ambitious individual looking for a high impact role, with the ability to help shape an organisation for years to come.
As part of the Morden College team, you will be committed to challenging ageism, promoting healthy ageing, and combatting loneliness while promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within communities. You will be comfortable with using technology to deliver consistent, equitable, and sustainable services at all times across the charity. You will be a role model for their values and be committed to a purposeful, responsible community that is a great place to live and work.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 22nd May and first interviews will be held on the 4th and 5th of June. Please contact Jamie Elliott at MLC Partners for an informal discussion about the role.
MLC are proud to be partnered with Oak Housing in their search for a Finance Director.
Oak Housing is a For-Profit Registered Provider offering a range of affordable housing solutions to Local Authorities and NHS Trusts in London and the South East. Since being acquired in 2019 by a consortium of real estate professionals and the current management team and organisation has grown from 200 to almost 1000 units and have ambitious plans to triple in size over the next 3 years. Working closely with strategic partners and funds, one of their biggest growth areas recently has been in providing key-worker accommodation, specifically with the NHS.
The Finance Director will sit alongside the Operations Director and report into the CEO. The role is responsible for overseeing all financial activities for the organisation, whilst offering critical strategic direction. The internal finance function is growing, and the organisation needs more strategic involvement at the director level. As the organisation and the role develop, there is scope for this role to grow and develop further and the team reporting into this role will expand in the short to medium term.
Main responsibilities of the role:
- To support the CEO in managing the rigors from day-to-day budget setting / monitoring and cashflows to fund reporting and Board briefings.
- Carry out a review of the present situation, incorporating systems, processes, deficiencies and risk areas.
- Manage, nurture and develop a finance team, implementing sound financial controls and a can-do culture to empower decision making.
- Work with the operations director to prepare the organisation for the regulatory scrutiny that will come as the organisation passes the 1000-unit mark.
- Deliver board-level strategic insight, shaping the future of the organisation and driving growth.
- Flex up and down between a ‘doing’ role and a board-level role involved in decision making about the strategic direction of the organisation.
This role will suit someone who thrives on responsibility and wants to influence a whole organisation without being constrained by pre-existing structures. If you are someone who loves a challenge, is entrepreneurial, wants to think outside the box and be a disruptor, this could be the role for you! Oak is also open to someone stepping up from a Head Of role in a larger organisation into this as a first director position.
To be considered for this role, the successful candidate will:
- Be a fully qualified accountant, ideally with experience in housing or working within a regulated sector.
- Show the flexibility to move from high-level strategic decision making to rolling their sleeves up and getting stuck in to solve problems.
- Have managed teams previously and be able to demonstrate a track record of success.
Please contact Jamie Elliott at MLC Partners for an informal discussion about the role.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Richmond & Hounslow Methodist Circuit is looking for a reliable and committed individual to support the life and work of our group of churches in SW London. They will play a crucial role in ensuring the proper organisation and management of our finances to enable our mission.
Key responsibilities:
- overseeing the Circuit’s day to day financial management
- supervising payroll and staff expenses
- financial reporting
- working with our accountants to produce annual accounts
- helping the Circuit to plan for the future
- advising on all financial matters
Benefits:
- £12,376 per annum based on 14 hours a week (£17.00 per hour; equivalent to £33,592 pa full-time)
- pension contribution of 6%
- working from home, with occasional in-person meetings
- flexible working
- 30 days a year annual leave (f/t equivalent, including bank holidays)
- annual leave increases with long service
- opportunity for additional hours, by mutual agreement
- supportive staff team
- helping local communities thrive and serve those in need
For more details, please see the detailed job and person specification, and the terms & conditions.
This is a new role for the Circuit, replacing a volunteer. In designing the position, the Circuit has aimed for maximum flexibility to secure the best candidate for the role. Initially, the person will need physically to attend some meetings to familiarise themselves with the Circuit's operations and ensure a smooth hand-over. For the right person, though, there will be considerable flexibility about how the duties are fulfilled in the longer-term. It is specifically expected that the role will allow for flexible scheduling to accommodate other responsibilities, including caring.
The Richmond & Hounslow Circuit comprises seven churches in southwest London. As with all Methodist circuits, these churches function autonomously yet collaborate closely in their ministry and mission efforts. The Circuit oversees joint resources, including staff and property. Presently, it employs four full-time ordained ministers, one full-time lay pastor, and a part-time administrator. As a part of the Methodist Church, its mission is “to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission”. To fulfil this mission, the Circuit fosters a broad spectrum of ministry within its congregations, focusing on worship but also engaging in outreach to the homeless, asylum seekers, new parents, and various other groups. Joining a welcoming team, the successul applicant will be a crucial part of an organisation committed to serving Christ and the community.
Closing date for applications: 10 May, 2024 (to begin work as soon as possible)*
* Please note that we will offer interviews earlier than the closing date for suitable applicants, so we strongly encourage you to apply as soon as possible, if interested.
The successful applicant will have the right to live and work in the UK. Although this post is home-based, the Officer will need routinely to attend meetings in London. Owing to the nature of the employment, we are unable to offer support in obtaining a working visa.
To apply, please send an expression of interest of no more than 500 words on how you meet the skills required for this post and a CV to Rev’d Geoffrey Farrar, Superintendent Minister, Richmond & Hounslow Circuit.
To respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Finance Business Partner
Reporting to: Head of Finance
Location: Hybrid: Combination of London office based and home working. Some travel within UK will be required.
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 35 Hours per week
Salary: £52,968 - £55,756
We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Employer that welcome disabled applicants and provide reasonable adjustments.
About FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations. Together, we take good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to nearly 8,500 frontline charities and community groups.
The food we redistribute is nutritious and good to eat. It reaches charities across the UK, including school breakfast clubs, older people’s lunch clubs, homeless shelters, and community cafes. Every week we provide enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people.
Every year, more than three million tonnes of food go to waste in the UK, enough for 7 billion meals. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis is driving millions into food insecurity.
We are fortunate to benefit from the support of major retailers, the media, ambassadors and a groundswell of public engagement. As a result, there has never been a more exciting time to join an organisation at the heart of public consciousness.
FareShare’s Strategy & Vision
Vision: We have the vision of a UK where “No good food goes to waste”.
Mission: To use surplus, fit for consumption, food to feed those who are vulnerable in the UK by supporting front line charitable organisations that tackle the cause and not just the symptoms of food poverty.
Our Purpose: We are doers. We are a community. We change lives.
Our Values:
Passion – for our cause and the challenge that lies ahead
Ambition – to go the extra mile and drive the change that must happen
Respect – for ourselves, each other, our volunteers, our partners and our beneficiaries
Collaboration – it’s only by working with others that we can be stronger
Focus – on providing the best service possible so that we deliver and achieve the most for our clients and customers
The role
We are looking for an enthusiastic and collaborative and versatile finance business partner to join us at this time of growth. Reporting to Head of Finance, and working alongside other Finance Business Partners, you will be responsible for providing your financial expertise and support to our key stakeholders, playing an important part in enabling us to meet our ambitious strategy.
This is an exciting role in a supportive and well established finance team, giving you the opportunity to further develop the finance function and shape your role. You will bring strong communication, analytical and systems skills, as well as flexiblity and motivation to engage in cross organisational projects.
You will thrive in this role if you are someone able to respond with agility, curiosity and open mind to projects and tasks that change and develop whilst FareShare is growing and developing.
Main areas of responsibility
Business partnering:
- Provide a high-quality financial support to the nominated internal stakeholders. These may vary and will include some of the following: Food, Supply Chain & Logistics teams, Network Partner support, Operational centres (warehouses) and Support functions.
- Deliver monthly management accounts and KPI reporting for the nominated stakeholders. Monitor spend and provide financial insight and expertise to drive the delivery in line with FareShare’s strategic direction.
- Collaborate with the nominated internal stakeholders to develop and manage budgets and forecasts.
- Enhance financial reporting and analysis and develop KPI capabilities for the nominated stakeholders.
- Coach budget holders on finance systems and processes to develop effective budget management and controls.
- Provide cover for other Finance Business Partners when required, mainly around month end processes and management account reporting.
Financial accounting:
- Involvement in month end processes: produce month end journals, conduct balance sheet reconciliations for the nominated business centres.
- Support with the development and monitoring compliance of the financial policies and processes and controls.
- Oversee financial aspects of grants, ensuring compliance and accurate reporting to funders.
People and / or project management:
- Provide financial guidance and support to the finance transactional team.
- Line manage (or dotted line management responsibilities, dependant on experience) the finance offices in the operational centres (warehouses).
- Lead on process improvements in the business areas of responsibility.
- Provide any other support as and when required.
- Some travel to the operational centres and network partners, across the UK, will be required.
Person Specification
Skills, experience and abilities
- CIMA/ACCA/ACA fully qualified or equivalent experience
- Business partnering experience, preferably in a similar size organisation and business model. Experience in the commercial Supply Chain & Logistics industry will be of advantage.
- A good track record in managing month end processes
- Strong financial accounting background
- Advanced Excel skills and experience using a range of accounting software and financial reporting tools
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt a style to various stakeholders
- Ability to build effective relationships across teams, ensuring staff are supported, motivated and challenged to achieve objectives
- Line management experience will be of advantage
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills
- Ability to adapt and influence change
- An understanding of either the food industry and/or the logistics industry would be advantageous
Values and behaviours
- Enthusiastic, ‘can do’ approach
- Desire for change and ability to adapt
- Flexibility and ability to work well as part of a team and alone
- A commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Curiosity and empathy with FareShare’s mission and strategy
Benefits
- Hybrid / Flexible working, with regular UK travel
- 28 days’ annual leave + 8 bank holidays
- Employers pension contribution
- Employee Assistance Program
- Interest free bicycle purchase loan scheme
- Season ticket loan
A cover letter is required for a complete application. Applications without a cover letter will be disqualified.
King’s College London offers an intellectually stimulating environment, where staff are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning in the service of society. We are a multi-faculty institution, providing high-quality research, education and innovation across the social sciences, humanities, health, law, dentistry, and sciences. As a member of the Russell Group, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards in research and education.
The Finance, Procurement, Strategic Planning and Analytics directorate, led by the Chief Financial Officer / VP (Finance), comprises c.150 roles located across our campuses in central London. The Finance department of c.100 roles provides various accounting, assurance, advisory, decision support and financial processing functions for the whole university.
The Director of Finance Business Partnering (Operations) is a critical role within the Financial Strategy, Planning & Performance division that will lead, develop and deliver high quality finance business partnering and decision support to all the central services of the university, including providing financial planning, reporting and insight across revenue and capital funded activity.
You will support the senior Director of the Financial Strategy, Planning & Performance function in development and improvement projects. Examples include the development of a professional competencies framework to support career progression and performance at all levels, supported by learning and development opportunities, improving key processes, resource allocation and financial planning methodologies, and reporting on financial performance.
As part of the function’s senior management team, this role will lead a team of finance business partners who will provide outstanding partnering services to our central services including large functions such as Estates and Facilities, IT, Students & Education, Research Management and on other crucial ‘head office’ activities. Working closely with the corporate reporting team on the provision of management accounts, you will lead on financial performance support in-year and across our three-year financial planning framework. You will also undertake and provide professional support to your team on business partnering skills, financial modelling, business case development and financial appraisals. You will play a wider role as a senior member of the finance leadership team on cross-college initiatives and be asked to deputise for the senior Director of the division or their peers.
It is an exciting time to join the university as we are making a step change in our support and advice, particularly to directorate heads and our Senior Vice Principal (Operations), and onwards through the leadership roles across the central service directorates where financial and operational decisions are made.
This is a full time post (36 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract. We work in a hybrid way and there is an expectation of being able to work at least three days a week in our offices to help facilitate a collaborative working culture.
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
1. Professional Accountancy Qualification
2. Highly resilient with the ability to run multiple objectives, large senior teams and complex political processes concurrently
3. Exceptional understanding of running and leading financial planning, monitoring, forecasting and business partnering in a complex and large organisation
4. Exceptional leadership skills and a service approach in your professional work
5. Ability to operate and deliver change and improvements in a complex organisational environment
6. Exceptional business case financial appraisal and modelling skills
7. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in the written word and in person in a variety of formats including committee presentations and policy documentation
8. Numerate and IT literate with the ability to use the standard suite of office software together with excellent knowledge of one or more corporate finance/ERP and reporting systems
9. Significant recent experience of leading business partnering, financial support and advice functions and services
10. Experience of designing, delivering and improving capital planning and reporting processes
11. Leading teams to achieve complex and competing objectives over a variety of time horizons in partnership with other technical leads and partnered areas.
12. Ability to build and manage internal and external relationships
13. Self-management and ability to work independently to meet deadlines
14. Attention to detail and working to a high-level of accuracy
Desirable criteria
1. Degree level qualification
2. Leadership of technical / professional staff who manage their own work and activities
3. Experience of having worked in or with the university sector
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We have a strong equality, diversity and inclusion agenda and would expect the post holder to demonstrate these values.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. The deadline for applications is Sunday 19th May 2024. If you would like to discuss the role, please get in touch with Bryony Thomas via the Allen Lane agency website.
Shortlisting will complete late May and may include an initial conversation with Allen Lane, our recruitment partner for this role. First stage interviews with King’s College London are planned for early June.
We are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates for this role who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Title: Finance Officer
Must have: Full right to work in the UK (if you don't have this we unfortunately won't be able to consider you for this role but we encourage you to look at our other global opportunities on our careers page)
Reporting to: HQ Finance Manager
Hours: 37.5 per week
Principal Location:London, hybrid with a minimum of 3 and an expectation of 4 days in the office per week.
Background:
Street Child believes that every child deserves the chance to go to school and learn. Our projects focus on a combination of education, child protection and livelihood support to address the social, economic and structural issues that underpin today’s education crisis. We partner with local organisations and communities to deliver our locally rooted programmes, using evidence to drive learning and the refinement and scale up of programmes to create maximum impact for the most children at the lowest cost. We pride ourselves on being willing to go to the world’s toughest places where others won’t, including remote, hard-to-reach areas and fragile, disaster-affected states across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Since 2008 we have helped over 250,000 children to go to school and learn and supported over 25,000 families to set up businesses so they can afford the cost of educating their children.
Part 1: Role Purpose:
This role is a key member of the busy HQ finance function. Although the role is primarily focused on the HQ finances, the role operates within the context of Street Child as a global charity and so also has interaction with the global finance team. The role offers the chance to work across a number of finance functions, and some of the subsidiary charities. It is essential that the applicant can juggle the complexities of a busy role with has varied work priorities. Key stakeholders are the HQ Finance Manager, Finance Director and the HQ based fundraising team. The role works alongside the Finance Assistant and plays a role in oversight and coaching of this role.
Part 2: Key Responsibilities:
1) (40%) Deliver all functions related to Accounts Receivable
- Ensure that all income from a variety of different sources is correctly and accurately recorded in the finance system and CRM (which is under development) on a weekly basis.
- Supporting with work on accounts receivable including accessing, downloading and saving in a systematic manner reports from donor portals, bank account and other sources.
- Working with colleagues in Fundraising to analyse and code income reports in Excel and uploading it to the Finance system on a timely basis, at least weekly. Following up on how to code any income which is not allocated to a source.
- Working closely with colleagues in Fundraising to ensure prompt collection of outstanding balances from customers, and sending out monthly debtor balance statements.
- Raising donor invoices and requests for payments, and issuing donor receipts.
- Income and customer account reconciliations and revaluations.
- Any other responsibilities relating to Accounts Receivable.
2) (20%) Lead the Accounts Payable process
- Whilst the Finance Assistant is responsible for all payments, the Finance Officer has a lead role in ensuring that all invoices are paid on time, in an efficient manner and that the finance system reflects the transactions within the correct accounting period and correctly coded in the system – including account code, cost centre, project code and donor code.
- Determine most efficient payment platform to process international payments, and ensure that recorded in the finance system at the correct conversion rate.
- Be a point of contact with the Foreign exchange agents to quickly resolve any questions.
- Work with the Finance Assistant to ensure accurate and timely recording of all approved supplier invoices, requisitions, staff expenses and other expenditure in the accounting system and that all supporting documentation for all transactions are uploaded.
- Managing at least two payment runs a week and additional runs as required; ensuring that all invoices for payment are correctly approved by the budget holder, setting up payments on online banking platforms and sending out requests for payment approvals to payment authorisers and verifying that all payments are fully approved in the banking platforms by the deadline set.
- Once the payment is made, allocating the payment against the invoices in the Finance system.
- Reviewing staff expense claims to ensure that all supporting documentation is provided before payment.
- Managing monthly staff credit card reconciliations and ensure that these are returned on time with all receipts and invoices and checking and reviewing classifications, with follow up as required.
- Carry out monthly Creditor account reconciliations ensuring that all balances are valid and backed up with appropriate supporting documentation.
- Fully deliver the set up all payroll payments in time for the monthly pay day. This involves ensuring correct amount and currency of payment (which may differ from the salary of the individual’s employment contract) and method of payment across all HQ staff.
- Any other responsibilities relating to Accounts Payable.
3) (40%) Month end reporting and reconciliation and subsidiary accounts
- Complete all balance sheet reconciliations, including bank and petty cash reconciliations and submit for approval by HQ Finance Manager.
- Once CRM system is in place, undertake reconciliation processes between finance data and CRM data.
- Carry out monthly revaluations of bank accounts.
- Ensuring supporting information for transactions is correctly stored in electronic format on Teams such as bank statements, remittance advices, credit statements.
- Assist in preparation of internal reports, including working with Operations Department and Finance department to review their monthly reports.
- Take responsibility to deliver the management accounts of two subsidiary companies: Children in Crisis and HQ transactions of Africa Educational Trust.
- Compile information for Gift Aid returns.
- General support and assistance to the team including administrative duties and managing the office post.
- Other ad hoc support to the wider operations team as may be required.
- Audit: support with the year end audit and provision of supporting information to auditors.
Part 3: Person Specification
Attributes / Essential / Desirable
Education / Qualifications
- 5 GCSE at Grade C or above including English and Maths
- Post-GCSE qualification such as A-Level or T-level or equivalent
- Degree
- A Good understanding of double entry bookkeeping
- Part qualified accountancy qualification.
- Full Accountancy qualification
Experience and Knowledge
· IT Literate with strong Excel skills
- Familiar with using Teams
- Experience of working in a similar role
- Experience of using a CRM would be an advantage
- Charity or third sector experience.
Skills and Abilities
- Attention to detail
- Highly organised and self-motivated
- Flexible and able to manage multiple tasks at one time.
- Good written, verbal and presentation skills
- Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- Fast learner whilst not afraid to ask for help!
- Shows initiative in identifying problems and posing solutions
- Persistence and tenacity
Other
- Pro-active communication style including keeping team-members informed and updated as necessary.
- Work co-operatively and collaboratively with colleagues, other departments and other external contacts
- Strong communicator and able to explain work to other team members
- Good Interpersonal skills