Interim Cost Accountant

About Our Client

Leading public sector organisation going through a period of change and transformation.

Job Description

This post will be accountable to the Finance Manager for Costing, Income & SLAs for the successful delivery of robust, accurate and timely costing and analytical information in order to meet both internal and external requirements.

• Responsible for devising, developing, managing and effectively implementing highly complex costing information systems and solutions, using knowledge of costing principles and techniques.
• Plan, schedule and complete costing projects (including annual national returns and Procedure Level Costing development) with a high degree of autonomy.
• Progress the development of the Costing System within the Board to meet the external costing requirements detailed in the Costing Manual.
• Produce detailed audit trails and reconciliation's for the costed financial and activity values at various control levels in line with costing guidance and Audit requirements.
• Critically review significant changes in service costs and activity within the Board between comparative years.
• Produce benchmarking data, comparing the Board's costs and activities against those published by other organisations.
• Produce detailed procedure level costings to monitor in-year costs to be matched against contract groupings by purchasing Boards.
• Liaise closely with Performance Management to provide timely and quality reports that can be presented internally or externally on the details of costs for each area.
• Manage relationship with, and be first line of contact to, external costing software provider(s) to ensure the costing process is accurate.
• Refine costing methodology by critical review of apportionment methods and cost drivers by organising meetings with heads of departments/services and discussing new and innovative ways of allocating costs.

The Successful Applicant

• Specialist knowledge and expertise across costing methodology and processes will also require the management of information and processes, advice to non-financial managers relating to costing processes and guidance on the approach to costing methodologies
• Experience in a variety of software packages which ideally will include some or all of the following: Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, Outlook and Powerpoint, Microsoft Project, Web services
• Previous experience in an autonomous Cost Accounting role.
• Happy to consider PQ, QBE and fully Qualified accountants.

What's on Offer

An excellent long term day rate is available for the successful candidate.