Senior Group Accountant - Integration (Fixed Term)

Are you experienced in Group Accounting and looking for your next role? 

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior Group Accountant - Integration to join Sovereign Network Group (SNG) on a fixed term basis for 12 months. You'll be based from our head office in Basingstoke, combining office and home working to ensure a positive work/life balance.

It's an exciting time to join us as Sovereign have joined forces with Network Homes to form SNG. Together we provide over 84,000 homes and invest in communities across London and the South of England – our purpose being to provide quality affordable homes and places that people love for generations.

The Role

Reporting into the Head of FP&A, you'll be responsible for leading on the delivery of robust management information across the merged SNG business, providing sound financial advice. You'll work across the business to deliver both operational and financial information, ensuring that the prime book of accounts is reflective of all the activities of the business.

The role will champion and lead on development of reporting through tools such as Power BI and, continually seek ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the role to help SNG meet its strategic goals.  Responsibilities include:

• Leading on the production of monthly SNG consolidated management reporting, ensuring all relevant information from across the business is accurate and received in a timely manner
• Ensuring periodic reporting packs accurately depict the story of the actual and forecast reporting across the SNG business, including in-depth understanding of Risks and Opportunities
• Developing and presenting reporting packs, including key metrics, to senior leaders, the Board and external parties, being equipped to respond to any questions raised
• Establishing the accuracy of the Group's combined General Ledgers, ensuring that effective procedures are in place and all errors are identified and corrected
• Identifying and driving forward process and reporting improvements to facilitate improved business insights, enabling leadership teams to enhance their understanding of the key drivers of performance in the overall SNG business
• Compiling consolidated budgets across SNG for reporting on a monthly and annual basis, ensuring full understanding of key financial and non-financial drivers of budget by working closely with key business partners across other areas of SNG
• Supporting the preparation and submission of periodic SNG consolidated statutory returns, as well as production of annual statutory accounts for the consolidated Group of companies, including input to disclosures for the Group

What we need from you

You'll be a Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with demonstrable experience in a similar senior accounting role, ideally within a large or complex organisation. A good understanding of relevant legislation and accounting principles for Housing Associations is highly desirable, but not essential. You'll also need:

• Proven track record and knowledge of financial analysis and appraisal, budgeting and forecasting
• To be commercially minded, able to take a broader strategic view of the business whilst also maintaining attention to detail where necessary
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, demonstrating effective communication and ability to influence or add challenge to senior stakeholders where appropriate
• To be a self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset, proactively seeking ways to make improvements to systems and processes
• Strong, clear working knowledge of processes and controls surrounding financial accounting and management account preparation, including detailed report writing and analysis
• A strong, clear working knowledge of management information report writing and design, including detailed variance analysis
• Knowledge of methods to monitor the quality of data and identify issues, propose resolutions and follow through with actions to resolve
• Experience in traditional and modern ERP systems and advanced MS Excel skills would be advantageous

Your Benefits

We have some great benefits at SNG, including: 

• £450 yearly flexible benefit pot to use against benefits of your choice
• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
• Chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our flexible benefits package
• Generous matched pension scheme up to 12% and Life cover at 4x salary 
• Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance and critical illness cover
• Wellbeing discounts, including Gym Memberships and access to a 24/7 virtual GP service

At Sovereign Network Group, we are passionate about inclusion for all and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at Sovereign. Take a look at our careers site to learn more about us and our values.

If you would like the opportunity to make a real impact within our changing and growing organisation, we would love to hear from you!