Deputy Head of Finance

Armstrong Knight is seeking a highly skilled Deputy Head of Finance to join their team. As a key member of the finance department, you will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the accounts and credit control teams.

The ideal candidate will have significant service charge accounting experience and be fully qualified ACCA or equivalent. You will be responsible for managing a team of 8 direct reports and 3 indirect reports, mentoring and supporting their professional development, and ensuring that reconciliations are performed regularly and strong financial controls are observed.

The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, be able to work under pressure, and prioritize their workload effectively. They will also be passionate about clients and have a customer-first approach.

• Manage a team of 8 direct reports and 3 indirect reports
• Mentor and support the professional development of the team
• Ensure that reconciliations are performed regularly and strong financial controls are observed
• Prepare monthly management accounts and prepare the company's year-end pack for the auditors
• Prepare TBs and draft Year End Service Charge Accounts on the more complex sites
• Supervise and sign off TBs, Service Charge Year End Accounts, and Year End Reports prepared by the accounts team and liaise with the external certifying accountants
• Monitor Purchase Ledger unauthorized bills and report weekly to highlight and avoid backlogs
• Prepare monthly analysis of Debtors by site and cost type and interpret that analysis for non-financial stakeholders
• Analyze external staffing costs to ensure all extra costs are fully understood
• Forecast staffing and utility costs as part of budget preparation and mid-year revision
• Perform mid-year expenditure reviews with the team and advise on actions needed
• Prepare ad-hoc reports as required by leaseholders or internal stakeholders
• Check and approve payments on Barclays
• Oversee and support the team in the preparation of VAT Returns and Trust Tax Returns
• Apply professionalism, accountability, and integrity in all dealings for and on behalf of clients and within Galliard
• Champion exceptional customer services and ensure high levels are maintained
• Encourage close working links between the property management team, accounts team, and credit control/legal team
• Along with the Head of Property, ensure both property and finance teams work effectively to deliver budgets, year-ends, and mid-year reviews on time
• Have a good knowledge of VAT accounting for service charges and rent on both residential and commercial sites
• Be involved in establishing new accounting processes as needed, for instance in response to changing legislation
• Identify the need and source training sessions from external companies as needed
• Assist in the maintenance and development of software systems and technology such as BlueBox
• Contribute your ideas to departmental policies, driving change and improvements

• Experience in the service charge accounting field
• Must be fully qualified ACCA or equivalent
• An understanding of the principles of lease structure and aptitude to read and interpret a range of leases and legal documents
• You need to enjoy preparing detailed analysis, have an eye for the detail, and keep sight of the big picture
• Advanced Excel
• To uphold the ethics of service charge management to ensure compliance
• An in-depth comprehension of budgets and accounts, apportionments, utility billing, VAT, banking, and credit control
• Ability to delegate, supervise, and develop junior members of staff
• Understanding of data security including GDPR

Armstrong Knight is a leading property management company with a strong presence in the UK. They are committed to delivering exceptional customer service and are seeking a highly skilled Deputy Head of Finance to join their team.