Management Accountant

Fraser Carver Recruitment are working with a reputable legal firm north of Manchester who are looking to hire a top calibre, highly ambitious Management Accountant with a proven track record in delivering management accounts, providing business insight, and maintaining a high quality control environment.

Reporting into the Group Financial Controller of the parent company the successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of management accounting for the law practice. The role involves working with the head of the legal practice and group/head office accounts team to provide accurate and insightful reporting.

Main Responsibilities include:

• Preparation of monthly management accounts information pack which comprises;
• Profit and loss account at different levels of detail
• Gross profit reporting & segmental reporting
• OPEX reporting
• Full balance sheet reconciliations of all accounts
• Cash flow statement (in basic level of detail)
• Commentary of performance and position against budget & forecast
• Supplemental reports (e.g. debtors, creditors, client balances, payroll)
• Posting and tracking of monthly management account journals
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of all monthly accruals and prepayments
• Review of bank reconciliations and disbursement accounts
• Review monthly system validation reporting to ensure accuracy (e.g. review of subledger balances against nominal ledger balances)
• Review quarterly VAT returns to ensure accuracy and timely filing
• Review monthly payroll reports and journal to ensure accuracy and consistency
• Development of posting controls and rules to ensure consistency in the accounts
• Submission of management accounts to group/head office and answering queries that may arise
• Liaise with external firm of accountants to prepare year end statutory accounts and company tax return
• Develop and maintain suite of management accounting reporting to support practice regulatory requirements, and commercial requirements from the Head of Finance & Administration
• Liaise with fee earners to ensure client accounting regulatory requirements are being met (e.g. interest on client account balances, returning client account funds)
• Understand the process and configuration of practice billing and take ownership of practice billing reporting
• Analysing and leading improvements in financial and operational processes to optimise speed of month end close and staff productivity
• Ad-hoc reporting to support group/head office and the Head of Finance & Administration
• Ad-hoc analysis to support business transformation or strategic initiatives
• Maintenance of fixed asset register
• Ownership and maintenance of chart of accounts & liaise with cashiers and accountants to ensure correct accounts are being used
• Liaise with fee earners and other users, and the software developers to understand the configuration of practice management software & reporting tool, and make recommendations for improvements
• Oversee accounts payable processes

Skills/Experience Required:

Qualified or Part Qualified Accountant with solid compliance and financial operations experience.

• Intermediate to advanced user of Microsoft Excel
• Experience of preparing management accounts from scratch and developing management information reporting
• Able to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation
• Ability to challenge current practices and identify more efficient solutions
• Strong commercial awareness and excellent interpersonal skills

Work Pattern:

This role wouild require 1-2 days per week in Bolton, the rest can be worked from home.