Job Description
SERVICE CHARGE ANALYST
£38,000- £40,000 PER ANNUM (DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE)
SOUTH WEST LONDON
FULL TIME PERMANENT ROLE – HYBRID WORKING
I have partnered with a leading commercial property management company to recruit an experienced and hands on Service Charge Analyst/Coordinator to ensure accurate, transparent, and timely management of building operating costs across their properties.
Day-to-day of the role:
Financial Management & Reporting:
* Maintain a live schedule of service charge budgets and actuals for each building; monitor variance vs. forecast; flag risks and opportunities early.
* Track and reconcile ongoing building costs (utilities, security, cleaning, business rates, insurance, compliance testing, waste, callouts, etc.).
* Prepare periodic service charge statements and summaries for internal review and leaseholder communications; manage queries and disputes professionally and promptly.
* Coordinate year-end service charge reconciliations; support any external review or audit requirements.
* Work with the Financial Controller to ensure accurate coding, accruals, prepayments, and timely invoicing/recovery.
Service Charge Management & Cost Recovery:
* Validate and document the carved-out service charge amount for inclusive licences, ensuring appropriate cost recovery and fair apportionment across occupiers.
* Prepare and maintain RICS-aligned apportionments for mixed licence/leasehold buildings, ensuring consistency and auditability.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
* Bridge Accounts and Operations by working with the Operations Manager to capture operational changes and reflect them in budgets/actuals.
* Drive process improvement across data capture (e.g., meter reads, occupancy changes), documentation, and reporting cadence.
Contracts & Procurement:
* Lead or co-lead negotiation, tendering, and procurement for utilities, cleaning, waste disposal, and assist with business rates mitigation.
* Liaise with brokers/suppliers to secure competitive tariffs, manage contract start/stop, validate billed volumes, and resolve billing anomalies.
* Maintain contracts register, key dates (renewals, break points), and performance KPIs.
Compliance & Governance:
* Ensure service charge handling, apportionments, and communications align with RICS best practice and internal policy.
* Maintain accurate records, version control, and an audit trail for all calculations and occupier notifications.
* Support health & safety/FM compliance cost tracking and ensure those costs are appropriately allocated.
Reporting & Insights:
* Provide quarterly reports to the Director, Head of Operations, and Financial Controller covering variance analysis, recovery rates, and key supplier performance.
* Recommend cost optimisation opportunities and portfolio-level improvements.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
* 5+ years’ experience in service charge management within the commercial property sector.
* Strong financial literacy: budgeting, variance analysis, reconciliations, accruals/prepayments, cost coding, and recovery mechanics.
* Proficiency in Excel and property management/accounting software.
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of working closely with both Accounts and Operations teams.
* Highly organised, detail-oriented, and proactive in managing multiple buildings and deadlines.