Head of Central Accounting

Location: Cambridge, CB3 (Hybrid)

Duration: 3-year fixed term contract

Salary: £66,857 - £73,000

Hours: Monday to Friday, full time

The role leads the Central Accounting section, ensuring its strategic and operational success through innovation, planning, organizational effectiveness, and delivery. This pivotal role serves as the dynamic hub for all stakeholders within the Finance Division, institutions, subsidiaries, and trusts.

Key Responsibilities

• General Ledger (GL) Management: Own the base for all financial numbers, ensuring integrity and security while enabling stakeholder access. Oversee monthly and year-end financial processes, coordinating with external auditors.
• Accounting Operations: Manage the University’s GL, Fixed Assets, Inventory, and Grant accounting modules. Own the chart of accounts, enabling all financial reporting solutions, including statutory returns and internal reporting.
• Financial Rules Development: Update and communicate financial rules and guidance, including Financial Regulations, Policies, and Procedures. Run the help desk provision for Central Accounting.
• Transformation Projects: Ensure transformation work is embedded in BAU activity. Lead data cleansing, enhance organizational structure and services, and develop new Financial Regulations.

• Deputise for Deputy Director of Finance: Act on audit, subsidiary and trust boards, and Financial Regulations matters.
• Strategy Implementation: Set and implement the strategy for the Central Accounting Section, aligning with overall FinDiv post-transformation deliverables.
• Team Management: Manage a team of 18+ FTE, including 3 direct reports at Grade 9.
• Financial Integrity: Ensure the integrity of detailed spend/income (£1.5 billion) and total assets (£8.5 billion) for the core academic University. Oversee the consolidation of the university group.

Qualifications and Skills

• Fully ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified with experience of holding senior positions in large organizations
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent strategic planning and organizational abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of financial regulations and accounting principles.

• Leadership of financial systems development and implementation.

They offer employees a wide range of competitive benefits (including discretionary benefits) from health care cash plans to childcare, a cycle to work scheme to shopping, insurance discounts and hybrid working.

If this opportunity is of interest to you, please apply with your up-to-date CV now.

Venn Group is an equal opportunities employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates.