Accountant

RTR Accountant 

Manchester

£Competitive Salary 

Kier Group are creating one of the largest Finance Shared Service Centres in the North West, with an enviable central Manchester location, and clear vision for collaborative success. As a result we are seeking a Record to Report Accountant.

The RTR Accountant will be responsible for the execution of comprehensive general accounting and period closing activities, as well as being responsible for the accurate and timely execution of general accounting, period end closing and relevant FSSC specific reporting activities as well as delivery of reporting information to wider Finance function in line with defined reporting protocols.

RTR Accountant Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Effectively lead a team of 1-2 Assistant Accountants

Period end close & reporting

• Timely review of mid-month and month-end journals, applying accounting knowledge in addition to medium level of judgement, and communicating changes required to Assistant Accountants
• Timely review of mid-month and month-end reports applying commercial/industry knowledge and communicating changes required to Assistant Accountants
• Support the Assistant Accountants in preparation of supporting journal calculations for non-recurring/non-standard and/or complex journals
• Manage execution of month-end project accounting activities to allow VCR process to operate
• Delegation of review to Assistant Accountants as appropriate
• Maintain an ongoing daily dialogue with Business Unit Lead, for example in highlighting material impacts to performance, and review of reporting therein
• Take ownership of FSSC month-end and year-end reporting elements pertinent to the relevant Business Unit

P&L preparation & BS reconciliations

• Timely review of FSSC impacted P&L and BS control account reconciliations using judgement to highlight and investigate key and unexpected variances providing supporting commentary when required prior to review by FSSC Finance Manager

Management Reporting

• Timely review of FSSC management reports (e.g. Flash reports, KPI, etc.) using business knowledge and judgement to provide supportive commentary at appropriate level prior to review by the Business Unit Lead
• Delegation of review to Assistant Accountants as appropriate
  Statutory Reporting
• Create detailed project plan for completion of relevant FSSC elements of statutory accounts, including delegation of activities and task to Assistant Accountants as appropriate
• Timely review of activities and task prepared by Assistant Accountants and communicating changes required

Regulatory and Other Reporting

• Timely review of VAT return pro-forma prior to detailed review by Group Tax VAT team
• Delegation of review to Assistant Accountants as appropriate

Fixed Assets/Journals

• Timely review of fixed asset and project manual journals
• Delegation of review to Assistant Accountants as appropriate
  Budgeting & Forecasting
• Where required, provide specific knowledge and support to Business Unit team during the budgeting and forecasting process
• Delegation of review to Assistant Accountants as appropriate
  Project Work
• Provide accounting support for specific project related activities at the BU level, such as preparation of chart of account changes, requesting updates to reports as a result of new cost centres

Continuous Improvement

• Support the Finance Manager and FSSC Service Management and Operations team to identify and implement initiatives and opportunities (e.g. process improvements)

Continued Compliance Focus

• Adhere to Group and Business Unit specific policies and procedures
• Support External and Internal Audit activities as required, such as providing information as requested in a timely manner
• Monitor and remediate effectiveness of controls by responding to breaches in a timely manner
• Ensure accurate recording of transactions for tax purposes

Requirements

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA (or overseas equivalent) with 3+ years Post Qualified Experience in an operational finance role with exposure to issues of similar complexity
• Excellent knowledge of current regulations including IFRS / UK GAAP, Companies Acts etc.
• Good knowledge of core financial systems and general accounting procedures
• Focused on creating value for the Business Units
• Strong organisation and time management skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with presentation experience
• Collaborative, able to work with/through others as part of a team and to mentor colleagues
• Ability to operate in a service driven culture, continuously challenging and seeking to be better
• Proficient in MS Office applications (particularly MS Excel)
• Knowledge of FSSC equivalent systems, processes and workflow technology
• In depth knowledge of ERP software (ORACLE would be preference, SAP experience acceptable)

About the company:

Kier Group employs over 24,000 people in our operations in the UK, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Hong Kong and operates across a range of sectors including defence, education, housing, industrials, power and utilities.

Not only do we provide a challenging environment for our people to exercise their skills, but we invest in their professional and personal development as well as creating a rewards and benefits package that demonstrates our loyalty to our team.