Project Accountant Edinburgh, Scotland
Job description
About Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages.
With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs : so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.
Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.
We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.
For full details on our University please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt http://www.hw.ac.uk/about/careers-at-heriot-watt.htm
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
About our Team
The Finance team is one of the Professional Services supporting the University's mission and its strategic priorities.
On a day-to-day basis, it does this by delivering a range of financial operations:
- routine financial transactional processing in payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable
- sound management accounting, including ensuring the availability of accurate and timely financial management reporting; and effective budgeting and planning
- effective operation of financial systems
- effective and timely delivery of statutory financial reporting
In addition, the Finance department supports the delivery of the University's strategic plan through effective financial planning, including capital investment planning, project appraisal and identification of sustainable funding streams.
This role is a Grade 8: £44,414 - £52,841
Purpose of Role
The purpose of the role is
- provide expert advice and be the key point of contact across the University on all aspects of project accounting and capital spend,
- provide in-depth analysis and insight into critical projects and how they link into the University's overall strategic aims,
- provide support to both the senior finance team and senior members of the wider University in preparing / submitting business cases, grant applications, capital spend
Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:
The role-holder will provide expert advice and be the key point of contact across the University on all aspects of project accounting and capital spend. They will support senior members of Finance and of the University to maximise income/reduce costs on key projects ensuring alignment to the University strategy. The role-holder will ensure financially robust plans are appraised and committed to, with an appropriate risk/ reward balance for the University.
Key Accountabilities include.
- Challenge and support the preparers of business cases to ensure the cases are financially robust.
- Provide technical expertise on the treatment of income and costs in line with accounting standards and University policy.
- Ensure the business cases are prepared in a consistent manner meeting all standards, act as a dedicated ‘centre of excellence' to ensure consistency of approach and quality in business case preparation prior to submission.
- Design and gain approval for appropriate financials hurdles and targets.
- Ensure an appropriate financial appraisal is carried out meeting agreed financial hurdles and targets.
- Provide and/or verify financial information used in business cases.
- Be the expert financial modeller for business cases : ensuring key matters such as cash flow forecasts, financial appraisal hurdles, tax & vat assumptions, interpretation of standards and policy are accurate.
- Attend internal and external meetings with academics, senior school management, bankers and others as appropriate in preparation or challenge of business cases.
- Work with external advisors to ensure robust and auditable Gross Value Added (‘GVA') figures are used in all submissions.
- Build and maintain to appropriate standards, with embedded control, a financial model
- Ensure proposed capital projects demonstrate appropriate returns and are structured appropriately with respect to tax, VAT, discrete borrowings, etc.
- As part of any set-up, agree ownership of appropriate financial controls and ongoing information requirements to be provided once venture is operational. Provide financial management of projects until close.
- Budget and reforecast any projects during set-up and transition phases (both capital and operating costs and agreed KPIs) until venture is fully operating and has been transitioned to owner.
- Establish and have agreed, an established set of financial input metrics (i.e., staff costs, overhead rates, project management costs). Own and maintain this dataset.
- Establish and have agreed, a set of business case evaluation metrics and a standard presentation format. (e.g., NPV, break-even, ROI, sensitivity options, assumptions)
- Be the financial custodian (i.e., maintain integrity of numbers & associated written sections) of any business cases including bids for government funding. This is distinct from being the budget or business case owner.
- Once operational, ensure transition of ongoing financial responsibilities to appropriate members of the wider finance team (e.g., financial accountant, business partners, etc.). Provide input into the statutory accounts process.
- These duties are delivered under the strategic direction of the Deputy Director Finance.
Education, Qualifications & Experience:
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.
Essential
- The role-holder must be educated to degree level and hold a recognised UK accounting qualification (e.g., ICAS, ICAEW, CIPFA, CIMA, ACCA)
- Demonstrable experience of managing virtual teams
- Demonstrable experience of managing resources, workloads and changing priorities for self and others
- Demonstrable experience of managing change
- Ability to operate in a complex global environment
- Demonstrable ability to work within a fast-changing environment
- Proven experience of dealing with and leading in uncertainty and ambiguity
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent Influencing Skills
- Good track record of developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal and external customers, peers, stakeholders and others
- Subject Matter Expert in business case preparation/ challenge within a large, complex organisation. He/she will have developed an expert knowledge of accepted good practice with modelling and risk/stress testing in particular
- Flexible and resilient
- Collaborative and proactive
This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.
At Heriot-Watt University we understand that being diverse makes us better, which is why we support a culture of respect and equal opportunity, and value diversity at the heart of what we do.
We want to increase the diversity of our workplace to underpin a dynamic and creative environment. Applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK will be considered alongside other applications. For further information on this please visit the UK visas and immigrations website www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g.; part-time working and job share options. The appointment is also conditional upon successful completion of all labour and immigration formalities for non-UK or relevant, and the start date may need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place.
Use our total rewards calculator: www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm
Applications can be submitted until midnight on the 28 April 2023.
Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV
