Finance Manager ( Fixed assets & Capital Accounting)

About Our Client

Our client is a large organisation in the Housing Sector. They are a respected employer, known for their commitment to delivering top-quality services and maintaining a professional and supportive work environment.

Job Description

Financial Responsibility:
Circa £7 billion (accounting for Fixed assets)
People Responsibility:
4 Direct reports
Autonomy:
This role will have the autonomy to decide how the team operates, resources are deployed, and how work gets done, within the parameters of our client's overarching values, policies, and controls.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Reporting & Analysis
   Manage all administrative and accounting activities relating to our client's fixed asset register and balance sheet disclosure, including input into the annual financial statements as part of our client's annual report. Other reporting submissions including the office for national statistics (ONS) returns, and input into housing regulator returns as applicable.
2. Accountable for ensuring the fixed asset register is kept up to date, reconciled and compliant with our client's capitalisation policy.
3. Lead regular reviews of the fixed asset portfolio to identify indicators of impairment and provide the annual impairment review summary for external audit review.
4. Manage the annual external audit process for fixed assets working with the Head of Financial Accounting to ensure timely audit sign-off.
5. Proactively liaise with senior stakeholders including executive board and senior Directors across directorate teams and their Finance leads (e.g. development & sales, customer, enabling services) to offer technical capital accounting advice and influence, to ensure key operational and project activities are structured efficiently and conform to latest accounting standards and regulations.
6. Take ownership of identifying opportunities for process optimisation, automation, and best practice implementation within your area of control, and lead and champion initiatives to drive continuous improvement in financial processes and systems, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

1. Accounting & Compliance
   Proactively develop and refine comprehensive capitalisation policies, ensuring ongoing adherence to latest accounting standards (FRS 102/SORP) and other regulatory requirements. This includes providing advice and guidance on fixed asset accounting practices, aligning legacy approaches to one approach.
2. Work with the Financial Control manager, develop and maintain a robust financial control framework for fixed assets across all legal entities, ensuring financial integrity for the balance sheet, aligned with industry best practices and regulatory requirements, including reconciliation and appropriate follow up of balance sheet transactions.
3. Produce annual, quarterly, monthly fixed asset summaries for statutory, regulatory and other external reporting needs for each of the legal entities.
4. Ultimate accountability for the ongoing administration surrounding the fixed asset ledger during the year/month end process, ensuring that appropriate controls are in place and adhered to.
5. Liaise with other finance and non-finance teams to ensure fixed asset accounting decisions are taken with due regard to the tax and accounting requirements and implications.
6. Serve as the primary point of contact for fixed assets for external auditors during the annual audit process, providing necessary documentation, explanations, and support to facilitate a smooth audit.
7. Proactively assess the impact of regulatory changes on financial reporting and fixed asset accounting policies, making necessary adjustments to maintain compliance.

1. Leadership
   Lead the Fixed Asset team with a focus on articulating a clear vision, providing direction, and fostering a culture of accountability, high performance, and continuous improvement.
2. Allocate resources efficiently and effectively within the team, managing workload and priorities.
3. Ensure oversight of relevant systems, processes, policies, and resources to ensure that the Fixed Asset team provide professional, reliable, and responsive services to the business.

The Successful Applicant

A successful Fixed Asset and Capital Accounting Manager should have:

• Qualified Accountant, ACA, CIMA, ACCA.
• Extensive knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. FRS102 or wider financial accounting standards (IFRS 16) in good detail.
• Experience in a business overseeing a large Fixed-Asset Register (could be Housing, Construction, Property, Rail Network etc.).
• Experience of managing a team including qualified accountants.
• UK Right to Work.
• Local/Commutable to Basingstoke (Office 2 days per week).

What's on Offer

• A competitive salary range £70,000 - £80,000.
• 25 days holiday + Bank.
• Matched Pension up to 12%.
• Private medical.
• Hybrid Working (2 days in the office per week in Basingstoke).
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• The chance to work in a large organisation that values its employees.