Senior Management Accountant
- Location:
- RGU Garthdee, Aberdeen, AB10 7GJ
- Salary:
- £47,389 - £56,535 per year
- Contract Type:
- Permanent
- Position Type:
- Full Time
- Hours:
- 35 hours per week
- Work From Home:
- Hybrid
Job Summary
Job Description
RESPONSIBLE TO: Financial Reporting Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR: No supervisory responsibility
PURPOSE OF POST: The Senior Management Accountant plays a key role within the Financial Reporting Team, delivering high-quality management accounting, balance sheet control, and financial reporting. The role supports effective decision-making, strong financial governance, and continuous improvement in financial controls.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES:
Management Accounting & Financial Reporting
- Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts in line with agreed timetables.
- Maintain and reconcile the general ledger, including journals, internal charges, and cost allocations.
- Coordinate variance reporting with budget holders and provide clear financial commentary.
- Provide financial advice and support to schools and central departments.
- Support the preparation of year-end accounts.
Fixed Assets & Capital Accounting
- Process fixed asset additions, disposals, depreciation, and reclassifications.
- Maintain the integrity of the fixed asset register and ensure reconciliation.
- Support capital accounting and reporting in line with accounting standards and University policy.
Bank, Cash & Control Accounts
- Prepare monthly bank journals and complete bank reconciliations.
- Upload and reconcile credit card transactions.
- Investigate and resolve reconciling items promptly.
Balance Sheet Review & Improvement
- Lead the review and clearance of historic balance sheet reconciliations, including investigation of long-standing and aged balances.
- Identify root causes of reconciliation issues and prepare corrective journals as
- Ensure reconciliations are accurate, well-supported, and compliant.
- Strengthen balance sheet controls and improve the quality of supporting documentation.
Training, Upskilling & Knowledge Transfer
- Act as a subject matter expert on balance sheet reconciliations within the Financial Reporting Team including, develop and enhance reconciliation templates, guidance notes, and process documentation
- Provision of advice, guidance and training on the RGU budgetary process and management accounts.
- Provide hands-on support, coaching, and informal training to finance colleagues.
- Promote consistent standards and approaches across the team to improve resilience and audit readiness.
Audit & Assurance
- Provide effective support to internal and external audit, ensuring audit information and working papers are accurate, complete, and delivered to agreed deadlines.
- Respond promptly to audit queries and support the delivery of a timely year-end audit.
- Contribute to the resolution of audit findings and continuous improvement of financial controls.
Other Duties
- Prepare HESA and other statutory or regulatory returns.
- Support VAT and reverse-charge reporting, including reconciliations.
- Support finance system implementations, upgrades, and process changes, including user testing, data validation, reconciliations, and reviews.
- Maintain up-to-date technical accounting knowledge and best practice.
- Carry out any other duties appropriate to the role.
Person Specification
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
- CCAB qualified, part-qualified, or qualified by experience.
Knowledge & Skills
- Strong analytical skills with excellent attention to detail.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with large financial systems.
Experience
- Strong experience in balance sheet reconciliations and journal processing.
- Experience of fixed asset, bank, and audit-related accounting.
DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS
Knowledge
- Knowledge of HE governance and audit requirements.
Experience
- Experience within UK higher education or the public sector.
- Experience contributing to finance process or systems improvements.
Behaviours
Behaviour 1: Communication - Ability to receive, understand and convey information requiring careful explanation and information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner
Behaviour 2: Service Delivery - Experience of exploring and adapting a service to meet customers’ expectations and also identifying ways of improving standards
Behaviour 3: Initiative and Problem Solving - Experience of resolving new problems where there is a mass of information or diverse, partial and conflicting data with a range of potential suitable options
Behaviour 4: Liaison and Networking - Experience of circulating information in an accurate and timely manner, working across team boundaries to build and strengthen working relationships, leading and developing internal networks to pursue a shared interest and leading and building external networks to enhance the work of the organisation
Behaviour 5: Decision Making - Experience of using own judgement to make decisions, making collaborative decisions with others to reach conclusions and providing advice or information that will influence the decisions of others
Behaviour 6: Planning and Organising Resources - Experience of planning, prioritising and organising the work of yourself and others (within own area) on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, whilst ensuring the effective use of resources