Project Accountant
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
Reporting to the Head of Project Accounting and working closely with the Head of Finance, Estates, Programme Office and Project Managers play a key role in the provision of comprehensive, effective and efficient project financial management support. To provide high quality technical support through insightful analysis and issue resolution. To challenge and help improve existing processes and procedures, and to support provision of financial governance on Projects.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Provide professional financial advice, guidance and challenge to project Managers, including developing robust financial appraisals, leading regular project forecast activity and producing robust project financial reports and analyses together with specialist recommendations on key areas of focus.
- A key member of the finance team you will lead by example and motivate, ensuring behaviours and attitudes reflect University values. In doing so promote a continuous improvement approach, ensuring appropriate professional standards and demonstrate a culture of ownership and accountability to ensure the delivery of excellent services.
- Provide timely management information for both strategic and operational purposes, including strategic financial planning, financial governance and control, budgeting, forecasting, monitoring and reporting.
- Work with the Senior Project Accountant and Head of Project Accounting to oversee the non-strategic projects within the Capital Plan, ensuring early identification of any deviance from budget, the preparation of impact analyses and reports on revenue/capital cash-flow planning, and providing specialist support on appropriate risk management plans.
- Assist the Head of Project Accounting & the Senior Project Accountant to develop and implement a capital project financial governance structure and associated processes and procedures, ensuring alignment with the University's corporate financial processes and that the evolving needs of a continuously growing and developing campus estate are met.
- Work with the Head of Project Accounting to develop the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of financial reports, management information and the financial tools and templates associated with costing, business evaluation, cash flow planning and financial risk management.
- Assist with development of options appraisals and business plans/business cases in respect of estate development and redevelopment strategies and a multi-million pound capital programme, providing robust financial challenge and ensuring that all business cases progressed withstand scrutiny and contain measurable delivery criteria.
- Attend project boards as required, preparing detailed business cases and other analyses for senior management, challenging and testing the data provided and ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of reports. Actively contribute to all relevant project meetings and working groups.
- Provide appropriate input to the monthly management accounts, commentaries and monthly financial performance indicators, ensuring a "no surprises" culture.
- Support the Senior project Accountant & the Head of Project Accounting in an on-going programme of review of capital project financial management, reporting and governance processes, ensuring recommendations for continuous improvement are reported, considered, implemented and measured.
- Promote financial awareness and a culture of financial accountability across the Estates department to ensure financial sustainability is central to all business activities.
- Act as a contact in relation to internal audit and procurement matters, ensuring compliance with all legislative, best practice and University corporate financial requirements and procedures.
- Work with the University's Procurement team to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements in relation to the procurement of contractors.
- Participate fully in the work and activities of the University-wide finance community and contribute to the development of University wide finance solutions, working with the Head of Finance, University Services and finance colleagues in the corporate finance department and those in Colleges.
- Work closely with the central university finance function to ensure all policies and procedures are complied with and transactional support is delivered in an effective and efficient manner utilising the appropriate corporate system and process and all staff comply with the inherent financial controls.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9, (Ordinary Degree, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4) or equivalent.
- Membership of/ progressing with a recognised CCAB accounting professional body.
- Strong evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role.
- Good understanding of budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning.
- Good working knowledge of VAT and its application in capital projects.
Desirable
- Post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline.
- Knowledge of financial governance and regulation in the HE sector.
- Knowledge of financial governance and administration associated with NEC3 contracts.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to prepare and present financial management reports and commentary.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, able to quickly build effective working relationship at all levels, and with the confidence and capability to challenge assumptions and practices.
- Demonstrable customer service skills with the ability to evidence a strategic solution focused approach that is adaptable to the needs of the customer and the continued success of the department.
- Self-motivated with the ability to effectively plan, prioritise and organise workload in response to business needs, working effectively under pressure to ensure that competing deadlines are met.
- Logical and analytical thinker with astute decision-making, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
- Excellent IT skills with the ability to develop and enhance computerised management systems, analyse and manipulate data and present meaningful management information using a range of industry standard and accounting software including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
- An ability to demystify complex financial concepts for non-financial colleagues.
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a similar or related role(s) within a large and complex financial environment with a proven track record in reporting and governance on capital project.
- Experience of working with non-financial managers to drive improvements in financial analysis leading to additional insight and improved decision-making.
- Experience of supporting the preparation of business cases with non-financial professionals.
- Can evidence success in influencing senior management.
- Demonstrable experience of presenting and explaining financial data to both financial and nonfinancial colleagues such that it is fully understood.
- Experience of successfully leading continuous financial process improvement and change with demonstrable operational and financial efficiencies delivered.
Desirable
- Experience of working within the finance team of a large property/FM organisation/ division.
Campus development plan
Our Vision
Over the next 10 years, the major investment will expand our campus footprint by 25%, creating a new urban quarter with the University at the heart of a revitalised west end. This is the largest development since the creation of the original campus in 1870.
This is a unique opportunity for a University to extend the boundaries of its historic core in a central city location. It will create:
- New learning and teaching facilities
- Refurbishment and repurposing of existing iconic buildings for specialist uses
- Identification and design of social spaces that support the student and community experience.
The expansion of our Gilmorehill campus into the 14 acre, former Western Infirmary site will transform the West End of Glasgow. The Masterplan for the site will incorporate:
- New learning and teaching facilities supporting our students and making sure they get the best in modern teaching and learning styles and approaches
- Creation of a Research Hub, housing large-scale multidisciplinary projects and incubator space for spin out collaborations with industry. This will encourage further innovation development
- New public cycle and pedestrian routes and a new central square which will link Byres Road to the up-and-coming cultural quarter for the West End, with new links to Kelvingrove and the newly-refurbished Kelvin Hall
- Refurbishment of five listed buildings: The Chapel, the Outpatients building, the Macgregor building, the Tennent Institute and Anderson College
- Commercial opportunities, including a hotel, restaurant, bars and cafes
- The state of the art Learning and Teaching Hub adjacent to the Boyd Orr building on University Avenue will be completed next year.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created two guides to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 10 July 2024.
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 7, £39,347 - £44,263 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and open ended. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
A flexible approach to working.
A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability