Reporting to the Finance Manager (Fixed Assets, Leases & Property), the Lease Accountant will take ownership of lease accounting and reporting, including ensuring that control accounts are reviewed regularly and all items in query are resolved.
The Financial Accounts team performs a pivotal role within this large business, overseeing fixed assets, leases/IFRS16 accounting, property related transactions, intercompany, balance sheet reconciliations, Group reporting, audit and financial statements, below the line transactions, accounting for M&A and providing advice and guidance on accounting matters as required.
Key Accountabilities
- Carry out all steps required for month end lease processing and reporting
- Ensure that ALAE (lease accounting system) is complete and correct
- Prepare any manual journals required for missed ALAE transactions, to be posted into SAP
- Prepare IFRS16 HFM file for Group reporting
- Review all lease controls accounts monthly with preparers and ensure they are resolving any query items in a timely manner
- Identify new leases, modifications or disposals to be processed on ALAE and ensure change log is updated
- Ensure all lease related queries in the team mailbox are answered within agreed timeframes
- Assist with audit requests and statutory reporting for IFRS16
- Review the P&L for any short term/low value leases and assess correct treatment
- Oversight and co-ordination of all property work undertaken on behalf of the business division – review of working papers/control accounts and ensuring productive meetings take place regularly with the sector finance team
- Approval of fixed asset creation/transfers where required and asset creation using Winshuttle
- Review of ONS surveys and carbon footprint reporting ahead of submission
- Maintain process notes for all business-as-usual work to enable cross training, cover and support within the team
- Cross train other team members and support with training and development of more junior colleagues
Candidate Requirements: Key Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Part-qualified Accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) [at least 3 years completed/4 or fewer exams remaining] and minimum of three years in a finance role.
- Must be willing to commit to actively studying and qualifying in a reasonable time frame
- Intermediate to Advanced Excel skills (complex formulae, pivot tables etc)
- Good organisational and presentational skills
- Flexible and adaptable in this busy, evolving environment
- Experience of balance sheet reconciliations
- Experience of month end (accruals, prepayments, variance analysis etc)
- Experience of ERP software, SAP preferred
- Continuous improvement mindset to question current processes
- Understanding of reporting standard and experience working with IFRS16 accounting