Accountant in Aberdeen

About the role

Responsible for provision of financial information, advice and customer service for a range of client services. This includes monitoring and forecasting of revenue and capital income and expenditure, supporting the development of budgets, drafting of Committee and corporate reports, interpretation of financial information, generation of best value options and solutions, review of business cases and financial modelling, and preparation of statutory returns and reports. To support with the development of allocated financial controls, processes and systems in the Finance team.

To liaise with budget holders and project managers across the client to enable them to successfully manage their business and strengthen financial management underpinned by excellent financial controls. To support in the leadership of the wider team.

Within the scope of the Accountant role, the post holder is responsible for ensuring that within defined areas of work that:

• Best use is made of technology to improve service quality, standardise processes, improve controls and improve overall efficiency.
• Procedures are documented and kept up to date.
• Service Level Agreement standards are achieved and reported.
• Staff are trained and developed to perform their roles to high standards, in order to support the needs of the client and to provide a high quality pool of talent to develop the service.

Main Duties

• Provide support to develop budgets, monitor budgets & savings and ensure significant items are correctly reported.
• Liaise with budget-holders, project managers and Services throughout the Client to provide financial support as required.
• Arrange regular budget-holder meetings with service contacts, where all aspects of service budgets will be reviewed and discussed.
• Ensure that correct accounting policies are being applied when budgeting and allocating actual spend.
• Prepare and input forecasts in agreement with the budget-holder.
• Prioritise work to ensure that agreed services are being delivered.
• Prepare reports based on financial information such as quarterly Highlights Reports for Chief Officers, and Committee Reports.
• Support the review of Business Cases prepared by Client Services.
• Prepare Committee Reports such as annual policy reports review reports eg. Lease Policy, Following the Public Pound Policy.
• Prepare financial information in line with accounting standards to be included in the Client's Annual Accounts.
• Prepare Financial Statements for the Client's Charitable Trusts.
• Gain an understanding of local authority VAT procedures and provide VAT advice to Services.
• Undertake Treasury duties including bank payments, managing investments and Client borrowing and providing detailed analysis of interest, debt etc.
• Review and approve balance sheet reconciliations.
• Provide technical finance process advice and assistance.
• Supervise the documentation of processes and procedures.
• Promote the development of a service culture within the team.
• Gain an understanding of all financial systems and how to extract reports from the financial system using Business Objects software.
• Actively support the development of staff of all grades.
• Manage the delivery of standard, efficient, controlled and effective processes.
• Lead projects for the wider Finance team.
• Deputise for the Senior Accountant in the supervision of the wider Finance team.
• Deputise for Finance Partner and attend Senior Management Team meetings as required.
• Promote and ensure compliance with policies such as Health & Safety, recruitment and staff communication.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Accountant membership of a CCAB recognised professional body eg CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA, ICAS.
• Demonstrable accounting experience including having responsibility for financial planning and monitoring, statutory returns and accounts closure processes and providing financial advice to senior managers.
• Experience of working in a business administration/financial role.
• Proven experience of assessing service requirements and providing pro-active solutions.
• Sound knowledge of operation of computerised business/IT systems and Microsoft products.
• Ability to manage change.
• Budget Preparation, monitoring and reporting of financial performance.
• Year End Accounting and associated statutory returns.
• Communicating financial information to non-financial managers.
• Work as an effective and flexible member of a finance team in a management capacity in a large public sector organisation.
• Strengthen the application of financial systems, reports and processes.
• Gain project management experience.
• Generate creative options within rules, standards and processes.
• Identify risks and ensure that they are adequately managed.
• Gain an understanding of Treasury Procedures.
• Gain a knowledge of local authority VAT legislation.

This role has been deemed inside IR35 by the client. Applicants must hold, or be happy to apply for, a valid Basic Disclosure Scotland.