Job Title: Financial Accountant
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £48,818 (£53,956 is achieved after 12 months successful performance in the role)
Working Hours: 35hrs per week
Working Pattern: Monday- Friday
Location: Liverpool, Hybrid
For your application to be considered please attach a current CV and cover letter.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and demonstrate you meet the minimum criteria for the role you will be guaranteed an interview.
Why Riverside?
At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
- Competitive pay & generous pension
28 days holidays plus bank holidays (Full Time Equivalent) - Flexible working options available
- Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
- A wide range of benefits
The difference you will make as a Financial Accountant
The Financial Accountant is a finance professional reporting to the Financial Accounting Manager. The role is responsible for the delivery of financial accounting across the Group and is accountable for cash accounting, rent accounting and the month end accounting process. The role will provide management and direction to the Financial Accounting team in carrying out a range of complex financial activities, whilst fostering a continuous improvement culture across the wider Group Finance team.
About you
We are looking for someone with a recognised professional accountancy qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) and Strong technical accounting skills.
Role Profile
- Manage a team of part qualified accountants. Actively coach and manage the performance of individuals, to achieve the stated objectives of TRGL and positively impact on the customer of TRGL.
- Supervise and support the training and development of the Financial Accounting team.
- Deputise for and support the Financial Accounting Manager as and when required to ensure continued effective leadership across the service.
- Responsible for developing and maintaining robust accounting policies for the Financial Accounting team, ensuring compliance with FRS’s, SORP, IFRS and regulatory requirements. Play an active role in ensuring that accounting policies are communicated and applied effectively across the Group.
- Devise, implement and review financial accounting processes and procedures ensuring compliance and adherence to statutory and regulatory frameworks and Group accounting policies.
- Act as a subject matter expert in financial accounting, providing advice and support to the team and wider Group Finance, ensuring financial accounting transactions reflect current accounting policies.
- Manage the month end process ensuring journals are processed in accordance with specified timetables and financial ledgers are reviewed for accuracy.
- Review and approve a range of complex journals prepared by the Financial Accounting team.
- Review and approve all balance sheet reconciliations performed by the Financial Accounting team ensuring that they are completed effectively and in accordance with specified timetables.
- Work closely with the Financial Accounting Manager to ensure accurate and relevant information is provided for Group balance sheet reporting.
- Manage the provision of cash accounting for the Group, including the management of Group sinking and cyclical funds, tenancy deposits, petty cash, procurement cards and all Group bank journals and reconciliations.
- Manage the provision of rent accounting for the Group. Work closely with the Transactional Services team to ensure that rent control reconciliations are performed accurately and efficiently, and discrepancies are resolved in a timely manner.
- Review and approve the bad debt provisions for rental debtors, ensuring that they are calculated and authorised in line with Group accounting policies.
- Manage the trade creditor and trade debtor ledgers. Work closely with the Transactional Services team to ensure that supplier statement reconciliations are performed accurately, and debtor reconciliations are performed to ensure the accuracy of aged debt.
- Review and approve the impairment of financial assets. Work closely with the Transactional Services team to ensure that up to date and relevant information is provided from the credit control function in the assessment of irrecoverable debts.
- Manage the intercompany accounting process ensuring that journals, cash transfers and reconciliations are performed accurately and timely.
- Support the Financial Reporting team in the delivery of all external audits. Prepare financial accounting year-end working papers, reconciliations, and audit information as required and in line with financial reporting and statutory requirements.
- Ensure the team provide accurate and timely advice, guidance and support to colleagues and other stakeholders as required, dealing with complex financial matters and escalated queries and issues to ensure effective resolution.
- Ensure team processes and procedures are reviewed and updated as required.
- Actively contribute to regular reviews of the Financial Accounting function, seeking feedback from internal and external stakeholders, to continually improve the service provision and identify efficiencies where possible.
- Improvement opportunities identified and realised should be in accordance with change management protocols.
- Manage internal and external stakeholders effectively, building constructive relationships to deliver the Financial Accounting service by creating an inclusive, supportive and professional environment.
- Ensure that all data protection requirements are met in accordance with the Group’s policy, procedures and statutory requirements.
- Ensure that health and safety requirements are met in accordance with the Group’s policy, procedures and statutory requirements.
- To be an advocate and exemplar of ‘Our Riverside Way’.
- To demonstrate a pragmatic and ‘can-do’ attitude to find solutions.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential
- A recognised professional accountancy qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)
- Strong technical accounting skills.
- Experience in a finance management position, preferably within Financial Accounting or Reporting.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and government regulations.
- Customer focused with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work at all levels within the business.
- Proactive approach with the capability to work flexibly and adapt to particular situations.
- Results driven with strong analytical skills and experience of providing meaningful management information.
- Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure, deliver to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.
- Evidence of effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organization.
Desirable
- Previous experience within the sector.
- Good understating of the SORP and FRS 102
- Experience of Sun Systems.
