Management Accountant

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Management Accountant to support the financial management of the Hospice group companies. The Management Accountant role is key in tracking the performance of the Hospice through the provision of accurate monthly figures, assisting in the preparation of annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, plus providing ad hoc data analysis to support Hospice-wide activities and senior management decision making.

In addition, the Management Accountant will assist in identifying and implementing changes to reporting processes and financial controls to ensure our financial processes are as efficient, effective and accurate as possible. The successful candidate will report to the Head of Finance and will have one direct report. They will work collaboratively with the wider finance team, including volunteers, as well as colleagues across the Hospice and externally.

We are looking for a part or fully qualified accountant (ACCA/CIMA/ACA/CIPFA), previous experience working within a UK charity or non-profit organisation is highly desirable. Candidates should have strong MS Excel skills (vlookups, pivot tables) and valid experience using accounting software (e.g. Sage). Additionally, the successful candidate will have exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate financial concepts clearly to non-financial stakeholders.

Main duties of the job:

• To be responsible for the accounting function of the Trust and Trading Co including all entries to the Sage 200 finance system and all associated reconciliations.
• Producing a monthly management accounts pack and Balance Sheet reconciliations and providing departmental management information to relevant managers.
• Having management responsibility for the recognition and booking of all charitable and non-charitable income.
• Management of the full Customer/Supplier payment cycle including raising sales invoices, obtaining supplier invoice authorisation, ensuring coding accuracy and payment received/made to terms.
• To constantly look to review and improve the reporting and financial controls functions for the reporting group with support from the Head of Finance.
• To develop an understanding of all aspects of Hospice activity and reporting.
• To seek to utilise financial systems fully to ensure efficient and effective processing and reporting.
• Responsibility for the management and development of one member of staff - ensuring monthly one to ones, quarterly/annual appraisals and objective setting are undertaken in line with the Hospice HR requirements.

About us:

St Clare Hospice is a charity providing specialist palliative care to improve the lives of people affected by a life-limiting illness in West Essex and the borders of eastern Hertfordshire. Our care helps patients, their families, and carers, to make the most of every moment together, no matter how long they have left to live. We support them both at home and in the Hospice.

The Finance Department comprises a small team of four paid staff and four volunteers, who work to provide financial information using a number of IT platforms to support the front-line services of the organisation. Our activities are divided between two legal entities, the Trust (St Clare West Essex Hospice Care Trust) and the trading arm (St Clare Hospice Trading Company Limited). The Trust is a registered Charity and incorporated as a company limited by guarantee so there is a requirement to have or to develop an understanding of charity accounting.

Key Financial documents produced within the department are the annual Statutory Accounts, the annual budget, quarterly forecasts and monthly management accounts.

Job responsibilities:

• Managing one direct report, encouraging professional development and providing constructive feedback through the Hospice objective setting and appraisal requirements.
• Communicating and working flexibly with the direct report to ensure all accounting and reporting processes are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Manage processes to ensure all income streams are recognised in an accurate and timely manner on to the accounting system (Sage 200).
• Monitor the reconciliation of all bank accounts and petty cash accounts.
• Deal with banking issues for any of the bank accounts and support/oversee BACS payments to suppliers actioned by the Assistant Accountant.
• Ensure that the Company Credit card expenses are fully authorised, accurately coded, correctly recorded on Sage and fully reconciled to monthly credit card statements.
• Ensure petty cash payments are authorised and recorded accurately in Sage and a reconciliation kept in excel format.
• Maintain Trusts Fixed Asset Register and depreciation calculations.
• Manage direct reports to ensure that all supplier invoices are correctly coded, authorised by budget holders, recorded accurately on Sage and paid by due dates.
• Ensure that all customer invoices are posted accurately onto Sage and in a timely manner, chasing for payment where necessary.
• Complete the month end process for the Trust and Trading Co, reconcile and evidence balance sheet accounts and prepare monthly management accounts.
• Prepare year-end schedules for audit and work with auditors to answer queries.
• Prepare and submit VAT returns for Trust and Trading Co.
• Participate in payroll processing and review.
• Prepare the payroll journal monthly for the hospice and ensure payroll information is accurately input onto Sage.
• Ensure that monthly pension contributions are reconciled to payroll reports, accurately notified to the pension provider, recorded on Sage and paid on time.
• Supporting our volunteers and working with the Finance team to plan priorities for our volunteer team.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: Part or fully qualified ACCA/CIMA/CCAB or with at least two years recent, relevant financial experience.
• Experienced in the use of accounting systems, software and procedures.
• Experience in the preparation of management and financial accounts and data analysis.
• Solid understanding of double entry bookkeeping, accruals, prepayments, fixed asset registers, bank reconciliation and cash handling.
• Good working knowledge of Excel.

• Desirable: Knowledge of accounting for charities.
• Experience of Sage200 Standard.
• Knowledge of budget and forecast preparation.
• Working knowledge of Payroll and Pensions.
• Staff management experience.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.