Accountant (Client Finance – Birmingham)

The role

The Accountant is responsible for ensuring the Client Accounting and Financial Reporting for our Client(s) is managed in an effective and timely manner in accordance with Client requirements.

The objective of the role is to:

•    Ensure that all Client and property accounting services are delivered to a consistently high standard and to the service levels required by the Client;

•    Maintaining complete and up to date records and financial management, including applying accounting regulations, query management, service charge management, reconciliations, capex, opex and other Client specific procedures;

•    Working with surveyors, Clients and other team members on the most appropriate actions to resolve queries;

•    Supporting the contractual compliance across the team, including performing within the SLAs and KPIs on behalf of BNPPRE; and

•    Assisting in continuously improving processes for market leading best practise financial management and in accordance with all relevant legislation. 

Key deliverables

Processes

Processes are seen as essential to the operations of the team, department and wider internal stakeholders. It is key that this role will: 

•    Develop, implement and continuously improve processes and procedures to ensure service delivery standards for internal and external clients are met; 

•    Work with internal audit and compliance to ensure that all compliance and control requirements are met; and

•    Participate in controls of activities.

Service Delivery

The Client Finance department is a critical part of service delivery to many of the BNP Paribas Clients and the Client Accounting and Financial Reporting function is considered to be market leading. It is key that this role will: 

•    Work with the management team to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and control their day-to-day work;

•    Act as the principal contact point for surveyors, and other relevant parties on all aspects of accounting service delivery;

•    Produce client accounting records, including client statements and/or profit and loss and balance sheet reporting, VAT and other tax reporting, charges to Occupiers and Clients, reconciliations, CIS, rent deposits, and bank, cash, and service charge reconciliations, query response and maintaining and collating supporting information as required;

•    Assist in internal and external audits of financial information, procedures and controls.

Responsibilities

Financials

•    Individual targets

Clients and Business Development

•    Able to work on projects, referring to senior colleagues/ external specialists as appropriate;

•    Working towards being a specialist in one aspect of own discipline; and

•    Enhances BNP Paribas Real Estate‘s reputation through successful delivery.

Systems and Process

•    Evaluates, adapts and improves standards, techniques and procedures; and

•    Participates in the testing and implementation of new systems features to support accounting operations and is a contributor to BNP Paribas Real Estate projects.

Person specification

•    Highly numerate with strong attention to detail and excellent verbal and written communication skills;

•    Experience of working within an accounting team within in a property management or similar environment;

•    Qualified or part qualified in a recognised accounting qualification (CIMA, ACCA) or qualified through experience. GCSE level qualifications including Maths and English; 

•    Tenacious, presentable, assertive, adaptable, self-aware and self-motivated with excellent verbal and written communication skills and a professional manner;

•    Conscientious and highly focussed, with an understanding of accounting and an appreciation of data protection issues;

•    Some understanding of accounting techniques, including general ledger transactions would be an advantage; and transactional services would be an advantage;

•    Committed to the provision of excellent customer service and to meeting deadlines;

•    Commercially astute, innovative and solutions oriented;

•    Organised and methodical, able to work to tight deadlines and manage time effectively, whilst also able to manage multiple projects; and

•    Good skills in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, and Outlook).  Experience of property management and accounting packages for managing agents (ideally Trace Tramps, or similar packages such as Yardi Propware / Voyager, Qube Horizon) would be a distinct advantage.