Job Description Job title Reporting to Responsible for line managing Salary Department/section Hours of work Located at Type of contract Budgetary responsibility and accountability Assistant Financial Accountant Senior Financial Accountant None Grade D of Mind s salary scales Finance, Infrastructure 35 hours per week, full time Stratford, office based Permanent None Purpose of job We re Mind, the mental health charity. We won t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Mind employs over 200 staff and we have a team of volunteers. Most staff are based in Stratford, London, there is an office in Cardiff and there are a number of dispersed staff working across England and Wales. You will have responsibility and accountability for credit control, sales ledger, helpdesk function, VAT returns and bank reconciliations and other key operational activities including the fixed assets register. Scope of the job You will report to the Senior Financial Accountant and be part of a team of 9 people in the finance team. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation including, peers, managers and heads and will work with volunteers/temporary staff/consultants as required. You will also work with other stakeholders and external contacts including contractors/suppliers, customers and agencies. Mind aims to ensure that the needs and interests of mental health service users, women, black and minority ethnic communities, disabled people, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender and people of all ages are reflected in all its activities. You are expected to contribute to this aim. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 1 of 7
Key responsibilities Top level 1. Provide advice to the Senior Financial Accountant (SBPF) on operational activities and contribute to planning and financial decision making at all levels. 2. Assist the SBPF to develop departmental and corporate processes and implement agreed operational plans and activities. 3. Advise the SBPF of significant operational issues relating to compliance with financial procedures and policies, customer service and the finance function. Credit control 4. Work with budget holders and colleagues across the charity to develop the credit control function to guarantee timely receipt of all income including trade, grants and fee income due to the charity. 5. Produce analysis of outstanding money and categorise them by income source and outstanding periods and produce required reports. 6. Carry out credit control by phone, letters and other suitable methods regularly and endeavor to automate as much of the credit control as possible for it to take place within the finance system. 7. Produce reports on outstanding money and credit control results at regular intervals and have clarity on the recoverability of debts and the debtor position. 8. Work with budget holders and colleagues across the charity to develop and implement policies and processes to achieve prompt payments of money due and reduce debtor days and bad debts including restricted funds. Staff expenses 9. Verify that all expenses claims from staff, volunteers, trustees and non-staff are compliant with the standing financial policies and guidance. 10. Produce guidance on claimable expenses and work with colleagues across the charity to achieve compliance. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 2 of 7
Banking and reconciliations 11. Advise the SBPF on the adequacy of the banking arrangement and assist the SBPF to achieve adequate banking facilities. 12. Reconcile all bank accounts monthly by the deadlines and deal with all outstanding items. This will include work to resolve unidentified income and expenditure going through the bank accounts and assign them to the appropriate budget codes. 13. Reconcile, record and verify all credit card transactions and credit card accounts by required deadlines. This will include working with card holders to assign budget codes and maintaining the credit card facility internally and with the card provider. 14. Carry out reconciliation of debtor and creditors control accounts regularly and other balance sheet accounts as required. Sales ledger and invoicing 15. Produce all sales ledger invoices/payment request on a timely manner. This will include trade, grants, fees and all other type of income. 16. Work with colleagues across the charity to gather sales and income due information and ensure that all invoices/payment requests are captured in the system. 17. Produce adequate reports to show statistical information on the sales / income due and the sales ledger. Help desk function 18. Manage the help desk function of the department to provide highest standard of customer service to the charity. 19. Work with IT to ensure smooth implementation the help desk system with adequate functionality and fit for purpose tools and to ensure problems are resolved promptly. 20. Ensure that all queries to the finance department are recorded properly and dealt with in a timely manner and deal with the queries where appropriate. 21. Design and produce adequate reports to show progress against agreed service standards. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 3 of 7
VAT and taxation 22. Assist the SBPF to implement correct VAT treatment for income and expenditure across the Charity and Retail. 23. Carry out analysis and calculations for VAT returns including partial recovery and annual adjustment calculations. 24. Complete the VAT return to be reviewed by the SBPF and submit the returns. Systems and processes 25. Contribute to the development and implementation of IT systems within the finance department and across the charity. 26. Produce guidance on relevant financial processes, publish them on appropriate medium and to work with budget holders to achieve compliance. 27. Assist with internal audits and implement recommendations in a timely manner. Fixed assets register and the Purchase order (PO) system 28. Maintain and develop the fixed assets register with appropriate functionality and fit for purpose tools. 29. Record, reconcile and report on fixed assets including addition, disposal and depreciations. 30. Develop and keep under review the Purchase order system. This will include writing rules within the system, adding deleting users, updating records and resolving issues. Stock 31. Reconcile stock figures to internal and external stock takes and maintain the stock control account. Other 32. Share peer responsibility for the work of the Accounts Assistants. 33. Work collaboratively with other staff, managers, budget holders and other internal and external stakeholders and contribute to a culture of co-operation, flexibility and adaptability within the department and across the charity. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 4 of 7
34. Attend, contribute to meetings, briefings, reviews, due diligence and auditing and compliance activities. 35. Make a range of technical decisions ensuring that all decisions are appropriately informed and made in accordance with Mind s approach. 36. Assess and manage problems and risks to Mind in own area of work and for the department and where relevant across the organisation. 37. Ensure that the work of the department is appropriately informed by the views and experience of people with lived experience of mental health problems. 38. Undertake other duties that may from time to time be necessary, that are compatible with the nature and grade of this post. Expectations You will be expected to: 1. Attend and contribute to team meetings, supervision, appraisal process, Mind staff training and any other training identified as appropriate for the post. 2. Ensure that all responsibilities and activities within this post are consistent with the terms and spirit of Mind s policies. 3. Occasionally travel to meetings in England and Wales, which may require the need for an overnight stay and evening and weekend work. 4. Maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality at all times. 5. Contribute to making Mind a greener workplace. 6. Have flexibility in undertaking the role. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 5 of 7
Person specification: Assistant Financial Accountant Essential criteria Experience 1. Part qualified accountant (ACA,ACCA,CIMA,CIPFA). 2. Significant experience of working in a team environment within a finance department. 3. Experience of credit control by phone and letters using a computerized accounting system and formally reporting on progress. 4. Experience of verifying compliance in expense claims or otherwise with the standing financial policies and procedures. 5. Substantial experience of reconciling bank accounts and resolving reconciling items. 6. Experience of reconciling debtor control accounts and other debtor/creditor accounts. 7. Substantial experience of working with colleagues across the organisation to gather sales / money due information, producing sales invoices using a computerized accounting system and maintaining adequate records 8. Experience of calculating VAT manually and using the accounting system and completing VAT returns. 9. Experience of implementing and documenting systems and processes within the finance function and other departments. 10. Experience of analyzing financial data and reconciling balance sheet items such as stocks and fixed assets. 11. Experience of planning and organising own work and delivering against targets and delivering work on time. 12. Experience of working collaboratively and in partnership with individuals, groups, organisations and stakeholders internally and externally. Skills 1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills enabling you to work with colleagues at all levels across Mind and explain financial issues to colleagues and external suppliers with a non-finance background. 2. Excellent IT skills including the use of Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook 3. Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills including ability to work with V-look ups, sum if formulae and Pivot tables. 4. Excellent skills of using accounting software and associated reporting tools 5. Excellent self-management skills to work independently and as part of a team, using own initiative and being flexible and adaptable Assistant Financial Accountant Page 6 of 7
6. Flexible and supportive approach to team working. 7. Proactive approach and willingness to develop and document financial systems, processes and procedures. 8. Excellent analytical and problem solving skills. 9. Ability to work on routine tasks with minimum supervision and communicate any problems as and when they arise. 10. Experience of planning and managing your workload and being able to prioritise work to meet deadlines in a calm and professional manner. 11. Experience of reporting progress against targets in an effective and constructive way. 12. Excellent interpersonal skills to work with colleagues at all levels. Knowledge 1. Knowledge of VAT returns and understanding of HMRC regulations including calculations for input and output VAT. 2. Knowledge and understanding of Mind s mission, vision, values and ambition and what this means in relation to this post and the ability to incorporate this into all aspects of work. 3. Knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity and what this means in relation to this post and the ability to incorporate this into all aspects of work Other 1. Willingness to travel. 2. Ability to maintain confidentiality. 3. Willingness to work flexibly when necessary to meet the requirements of the role. 4. Commitment to your own continuing professional and personal development. Desirable criteria 1. Direct or indirect experience of mental health problems 2. Experience of finance function within a similar size charity 3. Experience working with VAT returns in the charity sector and an understanding of partial recovery and annual adjustment calculations. 4. Experience working with Microsoft Dynamics. Assistant Financial Accountant Page 7 of 7