The objective of the role is to work collaboratively within the Finance team and with the wider business to accurately report upon Business Stream’s financial performance, ensuring our financial and statutory reporting obligations are met, that we maintain a strong Balance Sheet through careful management of our assets and liabilities and that all our transactional processes are robustly controlled. The role holder will work with colleagues across the business to identify opportunities to implement improvements to our processes to maximise efficiency.
The role holder supports the Senior Manager – Financial Control, taking ownership for the Balance Sheet, including our Payment in Advance reporting, working proactively and dynamically with the Business Partners and Finance Analysts within the Finance Team, and the wider business, to provide monthly reporting and deliver financial and statutory control and compliance.
The role also includes working together to develop and maintain strong internal controls governing tax compliance and financial reporting to maintain unqualified audit reports on the statutory accounts and a low risk status with HMRC.
The role has responsibility for one Finance Analyst as a support to the above activities and indirect responsibility for the Accounts Payable team, to ensure controls are in place surrounding the AP system and balances correctly recorded within the financial reports.
Key Accountabilities/Tasks:
1. Responsible for the integrity of the Balance Sheet ensuring the production of monthly reporting and analysis on all aspects of the Balance Sheet, including preparation, review and obtaining final sign off from Head of Finance for all reconciliations.
2. Support the Senior Manager in preparing insightful commentary for input to the Board and ELT on a monthly basis.
3. Support in the budget process, taking responsibility for initial preparation of budget figures for key Balance Sheet accounts such as Fixed Assets, financing costs and the corresponding P&L impact.
4. Assist in the preparation of the Statutory Accounts and the pro-forma templates for submission to the Scottish Water Group including Tax, deferred tax & IAS 19 adjustments for interim and half year.
5. Prepare and collate all information required by external auditors in their review of the Statutory Accounts for interim and half year.
6. Be a point of contact for any technical accounting matters.
7. Challenge accounting policies, processes and practices to ensure that they are appropriate, efficient and meet the needs of the business and regulatory compliance.
8. Ensure appropriate internal controls are embedded within all processes.
9. Prepare monthly VAT and annual corporation tax returns, ensuring that SWBS is compliant on VAT and Corporation Tax.
10. Responsible for advance payment and consolidated billing reconciliations/invoices in line with business timetables and ensure the financial transactions are correctly recorded in the finance system, including monitoring of deposit amounts.
11. Work with the Treasury Accountant to maximise interest receivable and minimise interest payable.
12. Work seamlessly with the Financial Planning and Business Partnering team to ensure our outputs are aligned and take account of all known information.
13. Ensure balances extracted from Billing system (sales ledger) are accurately reporting in the Finance system, through performing daily reconciliations and support the Senior Manager in the preparation and reporting of debt and ECL modelling.
14. Ensure the Business Stream purchase order control system operates effectively and efficiently with appropriate levels of control.
15. To deliver support accountabilities as required including compliance, completion of CIS returns, owning the administrator role for Finance systems, procurement support and other as deemed necessary.
16. Act as a role model, promoting the Business Stream values and setting high standards through own behaviour and actions.
17. Continually strive for operational excellence and ensure delivery of service to internal stakeholders.
18. Develop relationships and partner with other business areas to work together to achieve KPIs.
19. Promote the use of data and analytics across the business to deliver high impact and insightful reporting.
20. Ad hoc project and initiative support as required.
21. To be an ambassador of Business Stream’s Making a Positive Difference vision, values & behaviours at all times.
22. Be responsible for ensuring that the information and records processed (received, created, used, stored, destroyed) on behalf of the company are managed in compliance with ALL applicable legislation, codes and policies e.g. GDPR Data Protection, Information Security and Records Management.
23. To undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
24. Positively demonstrate a full understanding of Business Stream’s Health and Safety obligations and effectively manage the team ensuring all employees comply with all relevant policies and legislation.
Knowledge and Experience:
1. Experience and competence in external financial reporting, including preparation of statutory accounts and monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
2. Competent in dealing with technical accounting queries.
3. Line management experience, coaching and mentoring skills are desirable.
4. Strong individual with an approachable, engaging enthusiasm.
5. Prior experience of managing the relationship with external audit and delivery of outputs to them.
Skills and Abilities:
1. Able to build and maintain excellent working relationships, with both finance and non-finance colleagues.
2. Able to challenge processes and assumptions, with a mindset for continuous improvement, while ensuring appropriate levels of segregation of duties and control.
3. Attention to detail, with the ability to review and feedback and escalate accordingly.
4. Strong verbal and written communication skills.
5. Ability to take ownership of issues and bring them to satisfactory conclusion.
6. Proven track record of working with minimal supervision and ability to prioritise workload.
7. Proactive individual who is able to take initiative.
8. Naturally analytical, with the ability to troubleshoot problems quickly.
Seniority Level:
Mid-Senior level
Employment Type:
Full-time
Job Function:
Accounting/Auditing and Finance
Industries:
Utilities
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