Job details

Senior Project Accountant

Are you an experienced Project Accountant?  You will help deliver RBG Kew’s mission by managing financial aspects of Kew’s grant-funded and operational projects, and producing, critically reviewing and monitoring business cases. Working with the Head of Project & Fund Accounting to support Project Managers and Heads of Departments, Head of Finance and the Executive Board in making excellent financial decisions through the provision of accurate and useful financial information. This role will focus on major projects at Kew, including grant-funded Science projects, Estates and IT infrastructure projects and other capital and operating projects.  

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As a Senior Project Accountant, you will: 

• Support Project Managers in the preparation and critical review of project budgets and business cases. Ensure the financial aspects of the project meet Kew policies and funder requirements. Ensure recovery of costs, overhead and staff cost is maximised and captured within all project budgets.

• Regularly report actual expenditure against budget for a portfolio of projects, ensuring all costs are accurately and appropriately captured (including cost recovery and overheads). Support Project Managers in ensuring income due for projects is drawn down, claimed or invoiced on a timely basis.
• Regularly report to Project Managers, Fundraising colleagues and external funders including Defra. Ensure information is timely and understood and fully reconciles to the underlying accounting records.
• Ensure project financial information is accurate and complete, to feed into monthly performance reporting undertaken by Head of Financial Planning and Performance, to include an understanding of business performance and variance analysis, significant updates to forecasts, and identification of risks and opportunities within projects.
• Regularly reforecast projects over the life of the project ensuring under-/over-spends are discussed with Project Managers and appropriate action agreed, and changes in delivery schedules are built into forecasts. Provide relevant project narratives in relation to expenditure and financial risks with ongoing risk analysis.
• Provide accounts at the end of the project on a timely basis, agree these with the project manager and ensure projects are closed down

• Ensure all project income and expenditure is in line with Kew policies and any agreed funder requirements. Undertake accounting entries required, including allocation of staff time and overheads, capitalisation of assets, and foreign exchange adjustments

You’ll have:

• Extensive Project Accountant Experience
• Experience Working on Research Council Grants
• Project / Franchise background – worked in various industries