Assistant Operational Accountant

Reference Number 77435

This Assistant Operational Accountant will report to the Finance Manager - EPN / Trees / Connections Services and will work within our Finance directorate based in our Crawley office. You will be a permanent employee. This role can offer blended working after the successful completion of probation *6 months, 3 days office and 2 from home.

You will attract a salary of £30,000.00 and a bonus of 7.5%

Close Date: 26/05/2024

All applications will be reviewed after the close date.

We also provide the following additional benefits

• Annual Leave
• Personal Pension Plan - Personal contribution rates of 4% or 5% (UK Power Networks will make a corresponding contribution of 8% or 10%)
• Tenancy Loan Deposit scheme
• Tax efficient benefits: cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Occupational Health support
• Switched On - scheme providing discount on hundreds of retailers products.
• Discounted access to sports and social clubs
• Employee Assistance Programme.

Job Purpose:

This role sits within the Business Partnering Finance team in the Finance Directorate and will support the EPN Finance Manager in delivering key performance metrics for the use of senior management within the business. Working closely with the Finance Manager, Management Accountant, and the wider business, it is a pivotal position to enable UKPN to drive down unit costs in line with our ED2 business plan.

You will be responsible for assisting with month-end processes and delivering timely and accurate monthly management reports while gaining a thorough understanding of how the costs and volumes are processed through the various systems of record. Ensuring that accurate unit cost data is provided to the business on a monthly basis as well as ensuring that we can fulfil our regulatory reporting requirements.

Dimensions:

Network Operations East is responsible for approximately £170m of budget. The Asset Portfolio Plan, which is fundamental to this, has 50 individual lines which will need target costs to be calculated and used to monitor actual costs and variances.

Not only will you generate improvements in terms of creating commercial analysis and improved communications, but you will create a consensus and mutual understanding between stakeholders, clear commitments, and improved efficiency. The position will require working in all three UKPN regions.

Principle Accountabilities:

• Understand and feed in to the Performance Packs in Power BI. Use the key metrics to drive performance improvements by supporting the team and partnering with the Business.
• Use technical skills to process and analyse large amount of data with a desire to learn new packages and technologies in order to remain at the forefront of this fast moving field.
• Accurate and timely production of the monthly management accounts, ensuring they are produced on a true and fair basis. This will include posting appropriate journals (accruals, transfers) and looking for ways to improve the journal processes through faster data extraction and automation.
• Identify opportunities and areas for attention and help implement any improvements needed.
• Ensure accurate and timely data analysis is prepared to support the production of the Network Operations Management Accounts pack and Operation Performance Report.
• Actively participate in cross business reviews to compare unit cost data, understand the reasons for variances, cause and effect relationships.
• Document current business processes in order to define the nature of any hot-spots and work with the business to resolve these and deliver best in class processes, ensuring that the necessary controls are implemented as needed.

Nature and Scope:

You will play a pivotal role in supporting the financial operations of the organisation. Working closely with various departments, your primary objective will be to support the team in providing financial insights and analysis to aid decision-making processes. You will collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation to understand their needs and provide financial guidance to drive strategic initiatives. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate complex financial information effectively. It is anticipated that you will undertake this role with a high degree of autonomy, referring to your line manager for guidance or decisions as appropriate.

Whilst the role is based at Crawley, to fully engage with business activities, this role may be expected to attend operational reviews and meetings at other UKPN locations.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Part-qualified Accountant or someone looking to start a career in Accounting.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data in a way which non-financial personnel understand and can act upon.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders and the wider business.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting and analysis.
• Ability to work independently and prioritise tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• A strong team player who is highly committed, enthusiastic and willing to go the extra-mile to provide support to their colleagues.

Key Competencies:

• The successful candidate will be self-motivated & able to work under pressure.
• Ability to provide in-depth analysis of financial data to identify trends, variances, and areas for improvement.
• Support the team in providing actionable insights to enable strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand their financial needs and objectives.
• Assist the team in analysing costs and unit cost efficiency to identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Assist in the preparation of budgets and forecasts, working closely with key stakeholders to ensure accuracy and alignment with organisational goals.
• Conduct ad hoc financial analysis and complete projects as required, providing support to the team on special initiatives or requests.
• Continuously evaluate and improve financial processes and procedures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• The ability to work flexibly throughout the year is essential.
• A current driving license, with access to a car is desirable.

The role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the financial success of the organisation by providing strategic insights and support to various departments. If you are a motivated individual with a strong financial background and a passion for driving business performance, we encourage you to apply and join our dynamic team.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors carry both legal and company responsibilities for ensuring the health and safety of their employees, those under their control and those who might be affected by the work undertaken, i.e. public, visitors and employees of other organisations. This includes briefing individuals working for them and ensuring there is the necessary understanding, competence and application of requirements to work safely and without harming the environment.

Employees will ensure they fully understand the health and safety risks involved in their work activities and their responsibility to apply the controls needed to manage those risks to acceptable levels. Similarly, where work activities can have an adverse impact upon the environment, and particularly where there are legal requirements, employees will understand those impacts and the controls they must ensure are applied.

If in doubt, ask

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.