Financial Accountant (2 posts available)

The University of Manchester is highly respected across the globe as a centre of teaching excellence and innovative research and discovery. With 25 Nobel Prize winners among our current and former staff and students, and as part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities, we have a history of world firsts and brilliant discoveries, from splitting the atom to giving the world graphene.

We’re committed to world-class research, an outstanding student experience and social responsibility in everything we do. When you join our university, you become part of a truly diverse and international community of staff and students all focused on ensuring we are recognised globally for the benefits we bring to society.

The University of Manchester is looking for a Financial Accountant who will report to the Financial Accountant and the Financial Controller as part of the central financial accounting team. The post holder will maintain and develop strong financial control processes to ensure data quality and accuracy and completeness of the accounting ledgers. They will:

• work with the Financial Controller to monitor all of the balance sheet ensuring that all balances and control account reconciliations are properly reconciled and that the balances are fully understood and accurately represent the relevant assets and liabilities.
• check the integrity of income and expenditure postings including the pay costs and research income. Ensuring internal income entries are appropriate and allocation codes properly net off. Where appropriate, leading and directing team members in the performance of these activities.
• work with the Financial Controller to review financial control processes within the Faculties and other operating areas and ensure that the controls are appropriate, documented and being adhered to. Work with the Financial Controller to identify and improve financial control processes.
• design and deliver training on control processes and sharing of best practice to the wider finance community.
• work on major finance programmes/project – in particular act as a key member of the Finance Transformation Programme team implementing Oracle Financials.
• monitor compliance with the University’s Financial Regulations, Procedures and Accountants Handbook and help the Financial Controller in their on-going review to ensure that they remain relevant and updated.
• Co-ordinate and / or investigate any fraud/financial misconduct allegations.
• Assist with the preparation of the University financial statements.
• Prepare the Office for Students and all finance related Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) returns for review by the Financial Controller.
• Assist with the co-ordination of all non-research audits and supporting the Financial Controller with the relationship with internal and external auditors.
• Assist the Financial Controller with the planning and delivery of the main University and subsidiary audits. This will include setting the year end timetable and agreeing this with the external auditors, monitoring and chasing all finance staff to ensure they meet key deadlines and information requests as agreed with the external auditors.

The post holder will be expected to be customer focused, flexible in their approach, and to work in conjunction with other finance colleagues, covering for and relating with them in order to develop and enhance the role.

Please see the job description for details on the main duties of the role and the essential criteria we are looking for in a candidate.

The position is available from April 2023 and will be offered on a permanent basis.

• In order to shortlist for the post we need to see information about how you meet the essential and (if relevant) the desirable criteria. A CV is not always sufficient to show this. We suggest that you use the personal statement section of the job application to give us a brief explanation of how you feel you meet the criteria. Examples could be taken from your current or previous jobs, any voluntary work you have undertaken or any experiences gained from study.
• Shortlisting should take place within 4 weeks of the closing date. Due to volume of enquiries we cannot give feedback on each unsuccessful application.
• Interviews may be conducted online or in person. If you are successfully shortlisted you will be contacted with the date and with sufficient notice to make arrangements to attend an interview. All interviews are conducted by a panel, and all members have received the university’s recruitment and selection training which covers equality and diversity issues in full.
• After the interview you will be contacted as soon as possible, by either phone or email, to inform you whether or not you have been successful. We can provide feedback, if requested, following an interview.

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here.

Blended working arrangements may be considered.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Philip Pearson

Email: Philip.pearson@manchestesr.ac.uk

General enquiries:

Email: people.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support:

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.