Treasury Assistant

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development.

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us

An exciting opportunity for an intelligent, switched on and confident individual who is seeking a career in treasury and accounting to join an international, multicultural organisation.

The Role

The Treasury Assistant will support the Treasury function within the organisation by facilitating cash management operations to meet liquidity and funding requirements. The Treasury Assistant will be responsible for ensuring bank accounts are managed and funded efficiently along with providing support to the Treasury Accountant on activities related to administration of bank, credit card and investment accounts, cash and investment reporting, reconciliations, credit card processing, foreign exchange (FX) trading, and treasury risk management. In addition to the treasury related activities, the Treasury Assistant will provide general support on other finance tasks, having exposure to both accounting and treasury practices.

The Treasury Assistant will be an enthusiastic team player with the ability to grasp and learn new concepts quickly, a great communicator with strong attention to detail and the ability to work to tight deadlines. They will learn to process financial transactions including bank transfers, investment/money market deposits, foreign exchange contracts and assist with onboarding activities related to new treasury projects.

The Treasury Assistant will report to the Treasury Accountant and will be based at the SKAO Global Headquarters at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, UK. This role is a 3-year fixed term appointment, and may offer the opportunity for progression to a permanent position within the SKAO finance team upon completion of the apprenticeship.

SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory.

There may be occasions where this role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties
- Prepare a report of daily cash balances and reconciliations.
- Propose and process inter-account transfers to meet the organisation’s internal funding requirements and structure.
- Support the Treasury Accountant in preparation of weekly and monthly cash flow forecasts and preparation of reporting on treasury activities to senior management.
- Assist in the administration of the organisation’s various online banking, credit card, FX trading & investment platforms.
- Calculate investment income accruals and provide details to support the finance team with accurate accounting of related income.
- Prepare bank reconciliations for group managed bank accounts and investments.
- Support the Treasury Accountant in preparing internal controls documentation for treasury related activity, and support with internal audit queries.
- Prioritise and manage treasury-related internal helpdesk tickets as they are raised.
- Respond to customer queries and transaction-related issues via management of the shared department mailbox.
- Support the Treasury Accountant on any other treasury re