Overview

Our aim is for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.

The National Church Institutions (NCIs) are national administrative bodies that work together to support the mission and ministry of the Church of England. Their activities are hugely varied, ranging from management of a multi-billion-pound investment fund, to a grant-giving charity, a housing service for retired clergy and the administration of three multi-employer pension schemes.

The Finance department is a shared services function working across the NCIs to provide a comprehensive, cost-effective finance service to each organisation, and helping to co-ordinate joint projects where appropriate. The Finance department is on a change journey, transforming the way we work and the service we provide to the NCIs. This role will sit within the Finance Business Partnering team, providing first line support on management reporting, forecasting and budgeting to the NCIs, along with two other Assistant Management Accountants.

Post Introduction

The Assistant Management Accountants are responsible for accurate and timely recording of financial transactions, supporting the production of standardised management accounts, and undertaking initial analysis as part of the monthly reporting processes. Working with the support of the Financial Accounting and Financial Processing teams, the AMAs support the NCIs by ensuring the integrity and reliability of financial information and enabling timely and informed financial decision-making by budget holders and other stakeholders.

Role Responsibility

The main responsibilities for this role are:

Month-end and Year-end Processes

Compliance and engagement with month-end and year-end processes and deadlines, including

• Production of regular monthly journals, including intercompany recharges, accruals, prepayments, etc.
• Production of one-off journal corrections to resolve coding issues or other errors
• Uploading journals into the finance system for approval in compliance with the journals policy and month end deadlines
• Review of purchase order data (goods receipted not invoiced, goods ordered not receipted) to ensure system accruals are valid and accurate

Support to Finance Business Partners

Provide support for the Finance Business Partnering team in the production of monthly management reports, including:

• Producing monthly management accounts / budget holder reports for designated departments
• Undertaking preliminary variance analysis between budgets, forecasts and actuals and drafting variance commentary
• Investigation of discrepancies and unexpected variances, making corrections if required
• Review of Central Services cost recoveries and resolution of any under or over recoveries across the NCIs
• Undertaking ad hoc analysis / production of one-off reports as required
• Assistance in review and preparation of phased budgets, financial plans, and forecasts
• Load budgets and forecasts into SAP
• Produce, review and circulate reports from Travel provider

Support to key stakeholders

Provide guidance and support to key business users to help them follow financial procedures and comply with financial control requirements, including:

• Ensuring that financial projections are supported by robust assumptions / supporting documentation and consistent with underlying trends where applicable
• Being proactive and innovative in resolving issues and queries from departments and other stakeholders, liaising with other members of the Finance Operations team as appropriate
• Providing advice and guidance on compliance with Finance policies and procedures as required

Process and system improvements

Work to maximise efficiency and minimise administrative duplication wherever possible, including:

• Drafting, updating and maintaining comprehensive guidance manuals for all key processes, and providing support and training where required
• Working with users to improve quality and completeness of data in SAP including supporting documentation

Other

• Providing accurate information for the annual statutory audits and internal audits, in line with timetables set
• Providing financial information, support and training to finance and non-finance colleagues to aid financial literacy, promote best practice use of finance systems and ensure compliance with financial control procedures
• Providing cover for, and complementing the work of, other members of the Finance Business Partner team and other Finance Operations teams

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should have:

Essential requirements

Education:

• A level or equivalent.

Skills/Aptitude:

• Good understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and basic accounting adjustments such as accruals and prepayments; understanding of fixed assets.
• Excellent attention to detail, and the ability to identify, investigate and interpret anomalous transactions and provide solutions
• Excellent interpersonal skills to achieve cooperation and results from others 
• Confident communicator with good written and oral skills
• Proactive, self-motivated and enthusiastic.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Excellent IT skills, including advanced MS Excel and experience of handling and manipulating large volumes of data
• Experience of using financial systems packages including financial reporting tools
• Proven experience of influencing others to deliver to deadlines

Personal attributes:

• Well organised approach to work and ability to multi-task
• Ability to prioritise, remain calm under pressure, meet deadlines and have a flexible approach to work
• Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with staff in other departments and at external organisations.

Circumstances:

• Willingness to work in excess of contracted hours if required, to ensure completion of deadlines.

Desirable requirements

Knowledge/Experience:

• SAP experience
• Experience of working in the finance function of a large organisation, including in a management accounting context
• Experience of working for a charity.
• AAT or similar equivalent accounting qualification

About Us

We in the National Church Institutions support the mission and ministries of the Church all over England. We work with parishes, dioceses (regional offices), schools, other ministries and our partners at a national and international level.

Excellence, Respect, Integrity

We follow these three values in everything we do, whether we are of Christian faith, another faith or no faith. To learn more about working for National Church Institutions and our benefits, please click here

As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively look to attract, recruit and retain those of you who are disabled.

As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, we welcome applications from those of you who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to ensuring that everyone, job applicants, customers and other people with whom we deal, are treated fairly and not subject to discrimination.  We will do whatever is necessary to provide genuine equality of opportunity. We continuously review our policies and processes to support our aim to create a workforce as diverse as the nation the Church of England serves.

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