Company Accountant – British Nutrition Foundation

Person specification

Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications Required

  • Professional Accountant
  • Experience of managing a complete financial function
  • Experience of working as part of a cross functional team
  • Good Excel skills
  • Good communication, presentation and written and verbal reporting skills essential
  • Knowledge of Charity SORP and experience of working with charitable organisations
  • Knowledge of SAGE accounting packages would be advantageous.

The post would suit an experienced financial professional looking to work flexibly (e.g. part-time and/or with some working at home).

Specific tasks

Using Sage as the main information platform, carry out the following accounting procedures in an efficient manner.

1. General accounting responsibilities

  • All financial processes and procedures, including internal controls
  • Project (UK and EU) accounting (income recognition), setting/monitoring budgets for conferences/events
  • EU-funded projects reporting (internal and external)
  • Management accounts preparationand reporting on quarterly basis or when required (for the Trustees/Council meetings)
  • Full control over prepayments, accruals, deferred income
  • Management of relationship with auditors, preparation of annual accounts file and assisting auditors during audit process
  • Budgeting, variance analysis, forecasting and cash flow statements/projections
  • Decision support for Senior Management Team and advisory role on financial/non-financial matters (taxation, investment, income maximisation, fundraising, financial planning, strategies, and efficiency, effectiveness and economy audit)
  • Liaison with the Programme Managers, including decision support regarding new income generation
  • Support with payroll.

2. Cash management

  • Control petty cash, prepare weekly/monthly reconciliation
  • Perform bank reconciliations (GBP, EUR accounts)
  • Control the use of the Company Credit Cards
  • Perform weekly Visa Sales banking
  • Reconcile Visa Sales statement
  • Reconcile credit/debit card receipts obtained through PDQ machine
  • Pay cheques received into bank

3. Purchase ledger control

  • Enter purchase invoices and Staff/Governors expenses
  • Enter Visa purchase payments
  • Prepare and input BACS payments
  • Prepare cheque payments and remittance advices
  • Enter payments received
  • Check supplier statements against records

4. Sales ledger control

  • Raise sales invoices
  • Prepare and send monthly statements to debtors and chase late payments (aged-debt management)
  • Credit control and preparation of statements

5. Governance

  • To ensure that the annual accounts and annual returns (e.g. VAT return) are submitted to the relevant institutions.
  • To advise the organisation on the preparation of contracts/grants for projects (in terms of taxation and cost effectiveness).
  • To review internal financial policies
  • To provide financial input on investment decisions (e.g. reserves)

6. Member Companies and other Donor Organisations

Responsibility for the financial aspects of membership administration including:

  • Maintaining database of contact names and particular requirements.
  • Ensuring good communications with Member Company and other donors’ finance departments on an ongoing basis
  • Preparing invoices and undertaking administrative tasks associated with donations(with input from Senior Management Team).