Service Charge Finance Officer

Manchester, Lancashire
Great Places Housing Group
Salary: Up to £29,098.65Job Type: Full Time, PermanentLocation: Head Office – West DidsburyBenefits: Competitive pension, 26 days holiday plus bank holidays, increasing with service, cycle to work scheme, season ticket loans for public transport plus much more. You will support budget holders in the annual setting of service charges including providing historic costs, group contract costs and ensuring templates balance and are accurate with costs split correctly between leaseholders, tenants and housing benefit eligible and ineligible charges. You will produce annual accounts for audited and non audited schemes in accordance with the group timetable and monthly variance analysis of service charge income and expenditure by scheme to ensure costs are allocated to the correct schemes with corrective action taken and escalation of issues as appropriate. You will provide a full accounting function for Private Managed schemes including updating core financial and housing systems, bank reconciliations, purchase and sales ledger, treasury and audited Service Charge and Statutory Accounts What you’ll be doing

• You will regularly meet and support budget holders and contract managers by providing analysis and scheme performance information highlighting overspends and poor financial management;
• You will prepare routine journals to ensure the service charge accounts accurately report income and expenditure and the balance sheet accurately reports assets and liabilities for each period;
• You will use the monthly variance analysis to support the production of the Directorate Packs, analysing in month and year to date variances against budget and projection and quantifying the year end impact and any potential impact to future years budgets;
• You will advise and train budget holders in matters of financial understanding, service charges and budgetary control;
• You will calculate and update all service charge working papers and produce specified balance sheet account reconciliations on a monthly basis and ensure discrepancies are corrected;
• You will keep up to date on all relevant service charge legislation;
• You will provide information for the annual service charge audit and respond to auditor queries ensuring a clean audit;
• You will regularly visit schemes and complete inventory of all chargeable services and equipment with budget holders.

What you’ll need

• Qualified to minimum GCSE grade C or equivalent in English and maths
• Use of full range of Microsoft Office
• Service Charge experience
• Ability to complete tasks in an accurate and timely manner when working under pressure
• Attention to detail
• Good written and verbal communication
• Effective liaison with staff/other stakeholders to give information/find information/resolve problems
• Organisation and ability to time-manage work load
• Able to deliver a high standard of customer service
• The ability to develop and project a positive image of Great Places through personal, written and oral skills
• An ability to work in uncertainty
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as on own initiative
• Professional and value led with integrity, inclusivity and respect for diversity
• Ability to work flexibly and when needed outside normal working hours

REF-205953