Financial Accountant

Alzheimers Society

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by providing help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be. Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. Our values ensure that our focus remains clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead, reminding us of what we all stand for.

About the role

At Alzheimer’s Society, we are advisors, supporters, fundraisers, researchers, influencers, communicators, technical specialists, and so much more. We are volunteers, we are employees, and together we are here to make a difference to the lives of people with dementia and their carers. In Finance & Assurance, our vision is to be the Society’s single point of truth. We are trusted partners, credible experts, working as one team to be a true enabler to the organisation as it makes an impact to end the devastation of dementia. Partnership, collaboration, accountability, professionalism, and a restless desire to constantly improve are needed in every role across Finance & Assurance.

That is true for the role of Financial Accountant, which works in partnership with teams across Finance to deliver seamless, end-to-end financial partnership and services to the Society. This role is one based on deep expertise but also on deep collaboration with others to provide the Society with an authoritative single point of truth from which to base faster, better decisions. It is central to our compliance with regulations and other statutory obligations and is key to driving up our standards of reporting, analysis, and engagement across multiple directorates. We are looking for someone who exemplifies our values, someone who is: Determined to make a difference when and where it matters most. A trusted expert who believes in working better together and demonstrates true Compassion. 

Responsibilities

• Prepare regular and high-quality financial statements, ensuring the team delivers to expectations. Prepare and review complex, technical accounting adjustments via journals.
• Ensure the Society’s accounting records comply with accounting standards, company law and charity law.
• Ensure robust and accountable control and efficiency are built into our financial processes.
• Deliver timely and high-quality contributions to month-end and effective leadership of year-end accounts, proactively seeking out feedback and responding with ever-more effective products for colleagues.
• Maintain and reconcile general ledger accounts, ensuring accuracy and completeness in line with strategy and expectations.
• Review and process weekly payment runs.
• Ensure compliance with relevant tax regulations. VAT, Corporation Tax and Gift Aid.
• Prepare and review accurate and timely audit deliverables and ensure good relationships and engagement with external auditors.
• Champion, alongside colleagues across the Finance team and wider Society, has robust expectations and compliance with financial accounting processes and practices, taking proactive action to address challenges.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships across the Society, ensuring understanding and compliance with our accounting obligations and drive towards quality improvement.
• Role-model exceptional partnership with other teams.
• Manage effective approaches to risk management and reporting.
• Working with the Finance Systems & Data team, inform and drive system improvements.
• Work with our Financial Partnering, Planning & Analysis team to provide a seamless partnership approach to all aspects of Finance for the Society.
• Alongside other people leaders, manage the resource and capacity of the Financial Accounting team, ensuring sustainability and flexibility of our workforce.
• Role-model a high challenge, high support culture with accountability and performance as critical drivers to success, ensuring individual and team development is front and centre of our approach to financial accounting.
• Understand the critical role of Finance & Assurance as an enabling partner directorate in ultimately creating impact to end the devastation of dementia, linking everything you do back to the ultimate objectives of the Society.
• Work collaboratively and enthusiastically with colleagues across Finance & Assurance and across the Society more widely to deliver first-class partnership and expertise.
• Role-model our values and embrace a high challenge, high support, high-performing environment.
• Drive continuous improvement, including by bringing best practices from across the sector and more widely, using horizon-scanning and networks to bring new ideas to the table.
• Have the ability and willingness to travel independently on behalf of the Society on request, including occasional overnight stays as required. Adhere to all the Society’s service standards, policies and procedures.
• Comply with the data protection regulations, ensuring that information on clients remains confidential.
• Be enthusiastic for personal learning and development, to support the learning and development of others and the whole organisation.
• Work in a manner that facilitates inclusion, particularly of people with dementia.
• Implement the Society’s health and safety policy and procedures, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with a healthy and safe working environment and that all staff and volunteers for whom you may be responsible are aware of their responsibilities in respect of their role, monitoring data and recommending action as required.
• Administrate and organise own work to ensure that it is accurate and meets quality targets, reasonable deadlines, and reporting requirements.
• Follow the Society’s management information guidelines and requirements, including ensuring appropriate monthly measures on service usage levels are collected and submitted on the services database or other systems in accordance with deadlines.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Skills & Knowledge:

• Extensive experience in facilitating effective end-to-end finance functionality in a large, complex organisation, working closely with systems accountants, data analysts, partners and planners to collaboratively lead an effective function.
• Track record of developing high-quality financial reports for a range of stakeholders, internal and external, and managing relationships with auditors, the bank and senior colleagues.
• Strong working knowledge of SORP/FRS102 and key legislation or regulations. 
• Significant experience in quality and performance improvement through effective engagement, education, data analysis and innovation in a financial accounting leadership role.
• Superb communication and influencing skills, able to engage effectively at senior levels across multiple directorates.
• Capable of working across departmental and hierarchical boundaries to resolve challenges.
• Experience of fostering effective relationships with finance business partners, planners and analysts to create a seamless partnership experience for colleagues.
• A track record of building high-performing, accountable teams with demonstrable leadership in supporting learning, career development and performance management.

Competencies & Personal Attributes:

• Takes initiative and is comfortable working independently as well as collaboratively 
• A critical thinker, able to identify and act on ways to work more effectively and efficiently
• Celebrates progress, solutions and impact rather than activity
• Delivers effectively to timelines in complex and sometimes ambiguous environments
• Deeply committed to the development of yourself and others
• Resilient and adaptable, with a strong work ethic and the ability to navigate changing situations and diverse teams.
• Welcoming and respectful of diverse perspectives, experiences, and opinions
• A team player who sees opportunity and energy in working together to solve problems

Required Qualifications

• CCAB qualified (or part-qualified and able to demonstrate an understanding of the role’s requirements) accountant. ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA (or equivalent) by education or demonstrable knowledge.

Compensation & Benefits

• Paid dependants leave
• Paid compassionate and bereavement leave
• Paid time off work to support
• Annual leave of 27 days, increasing to 30, plus bank holidays
• Career breaks of up to 3 months
• Flexible working
• Wellbeing leave
• Values Hero and Society Legend Awards
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Scottish Widows - with up to 8% employer contribution rate
• Life Assurance Scheme - two times your annual salary
• Health Cash Plan
• Home Allowance of £312 per year
• Discounted gym membership with Society Plus
• Mental health app and unlimited therapy
• Women in Leadership Development Programme
• Leadership development programme
• Financial support towards relevant professional qualifications, enhanced family leave - 16 weeks paid for all parents
• Paid time off work for fertility treatments for both partners, paid carers leave

Working locations

• Home-based

How to apply

• Apply directly online
• Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

Interviews

• Invites sent by: Monday, 12th January
• There will be two interview stages taking place virtually, starting from the week commencing 12th January

Policies

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment, or health condition, or individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy here, along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups, helps us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

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