Project Accountant

BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROJECT ACCOUNTANT x2 POSTS Grade: UKRI Pay Band D Salary: £34,905 per annum A great benefits package is offered including an outstanding pension scheme (with an extremely generous employer contribution on average 27% of your pay), 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and access to flexi-time Contract Type: x1 Permanent and x1 one year fixed term appointment Hours: Full-time 37 hours a week(some flexible working options may be available including a small amount of remote working in line with BGS policy) Location: BGS headquarters in Keyworth in Nottingham or BGS offices in Edinburgh Closing date: Sunday 20 October 2024 About the role The BGS Finance Team has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join as a Project Accountant based either at our Nottingham (Keyworth) or Edinburgh offices. Your responsibilities will include: Reporting to the Management Accountant / Deputy Head of Finance, responsible for the financial management of all projects within specific science or support areas. Using a business partnering approach, provide a financial service including advice, reporting / analysis, guidance and support to Chief Scientists / Directors, Programme Managers and Project Managers. Provide financial input on an ad-hoc basis, e.g. corporate and external reports and audits, either based on projects within specific science directorates, or with a wider remit. Report on specific projects to required deadlines, liaising with auditors as required. Work as part of the BGS Finance Team including input into financial exercises for business planning, outturn, as well as interim and year-end accounts. Plan work effectively to meet key deadlines. May be required to deputise for the Management Accountant Involvement in finance training of keys users within BGS. Undertake revenue calculations adhering to relevant financial standards (e.g. IFRS15). Ensure correct VAT applications and interpretations. You may also be expected to: May provide specialist support and knowledge to BGS colleagues in a key policy or knowledge area. Become involved in cross-BGS projects or working groups. About you You should either be part qualified to CCAB / CIMA or have relevant finance experience working within a complex financial environment as well as evidence of working at a high level with a computerised finance system. Working flexibly within a small team, you must demonstrate excellent communication skills as part of the role will require you to be able to explain and present financial information in an understandable way to non-finance professionals. Experience of using Microsoft Excel to at least an intermediate level is an essential requirement of this post and ideally, you should also be capable of generating new ideas for the development of new business systems and reporting. Please also refer to the specific essential and desirable skills criteria for this post. Please note you will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during your employment. The specific essential and desirable skills criteria for this post will be assessed at Shortlist (S) stage, interview (I) stage, or both (S&I). Essential Part qualified Accountant (CCAB or CIMA or equivalent) or significant relevant finance work experience (S) Experience of working within a complex financial environment, with an appreciation of project accounting (S) Experience of working at a high level with a computerised finance system including production of reports and exporting to Excel/Word and manipulating and analysing large and complex data sets (S&I) Very good working knowledge of basic financial accounting functions, such as accruals, prepayments, debits, credits etc as well as control accounts (S&I) Ability to prioritise work and meet tight timescales and adapt to regularly changing priorities including the ability to work unsupervised and under own initiative to problem solve and identify solutions (S&I) Strong numeracy and analytical skills with the ability to interpret and effectively present accurate and complex financial information, applying excellent attention to detail (S&I) Evidence of being able to apply professional knowledge to carry out and communicate detailed financial analyses and to develop trend and other management reporting (S&I) Desirable Fully qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA) and evidence of your own Continuing Professional Development (S) Experience of working in not for profit and/or science research organisations (S) Knowledge of relevant accounting standards and principles (S&I) Knowledge of VAT legislation and application and the OBIEE reporting system (S&I) About us The British Geological Survey (BGS) is an applied geoscience research centre that belongs to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is affiliated to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It is a world leading geological survey whose core mission is to advise government of science related to the subsurface and to undertake applied research to solve earth and environmental issues, both in the UK and globally. It is funded directly by UKRI, as well as through research grants and private sector contracts. We strive to promote equality and diversity across our organisation in order to continuously improve our scientific and organisational efficiency.As such, we aim to have a workforce with employees from all backgrounds with people who are passionate about earth science and who share our dedication to work for the good of the environment and the benefit of society. BGS became a signatory of the Technician Commitment in July 2022. How to apply Applicants are required to include a CV and covering letter outlining their suitability for the role. We would stress the importance of this paperwork in our selection process. A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV. If you experience any issues applying for this role, please contact . The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 20 October 2024 .Interviews are expected to be held in November 2024 in Nottingham. TPBN1_UKTJ