This role is for 14-month maternity cover with expected start date in early January 2026
About Smart Data Foundry
Smart Data Foundry has a purpose to unlock the power of financial data as a force to improve people’s lives.
We enable the research ecosystem to flourish through the provision of research ready real financial data.
We create data-driven insights based on real financial data, that identify areas to inform policy change and enhance regulation.
This role is for 14-month maternity cover
This role contributes to the accurate and timely preparation of the monthly financial reports and quarterly grant returns; leads the account payable and receivable activities and assists the Head of Finance in budgeting and forecasting and the procurement process.
Financial Reports Responsibility
Work closely with the Management Accountant on the timely preparation of Smart Data Foundry’s monthly financial results, including completion of journals (payroll) and the provision of variance analysis reporting to budget and forecast
Update monthly project reporting to obtain monthly cost of sales and understand profit/loss on individual projects
Assist with the annual statutory audit through the provision of requested workings and supporting documents as requested by PWC
Support the Head of Finance in preparing the quarterly Board financials reports and any ad hoc information, including the preparation of the annual statutory accounts document
Review and reconcile monthly payroll reports from Smart Data Foundry’s payroll agency and ensure the staff costs align to the monthly financial results
Prepare monthly reconciliations (such as deferred revenue, debtors, creditors) and other balance sheet accounts to support the monthly results.
Prepare the quarterly grant claim forms on a timely and accurate basis with back-up reconciliations and supporting invoices to provide, where requested, to external auditors and the grant monitoring officers
Contribute to defining the allocation methodology for both resource and costs being claimed across multiple grant awards and ensuring compliance to the grant award terms and conditions
Assist with the annual grant audit through providing the supporting documents as requested by the external grant auditor including responding to ad-hoc queries
Respond to any ad-hoc queries from the Smart Data Foundry grant providers on a timely basis
Regularly update the 13-week cash-flow forecasts to proactively manage the cash positions and support cash injections and outflows between the investment and current bank accounts
Contribute to the completion of ad-hoc cash management exercises
Lead on all account payable and receivable activities, alongside other finance team members, with the aim of ensuring the accurate and timely processing, supplier payment and cash receipts
Support the Head of Finance and internal stakeholders in ensuring procurement process is followed effectively and resolving any ad-hoc queries
Assist the rest of the finance team with coordinating the timely receipt of individual monthly timesheets and importing into Microsoft Dynamics finance system
Where required, identify and support the implementation of process changes to improve the efficiency and timeliness of timesheet recording
Assist the Management Accountant and Head of Finance in the delivery of the annual budget and quarterly forecast outputs
Collaborate with, and where necessary, challenge internal stakeholders on delivery of their financial and business targets
Finance Support Partner
Provide finance partnering support to Smart Data Foundry to increase financial awareness, cost management and profitable income growth
Manage and respond to financial and accounts queries raised by a variety of stakeholders including Smart Data Foundry colleagues, the University, external auditors and grant bodies
This role requires a finalist qualified accountant who is either studying towards a formal accountancy qualification (such as ICAS, ICAEW ACCA, ICMA) or holds qualification through relevant experience.
Alternatively, the job holder could hold an accountancy degree (minimum 2.1).
High accounting and finance technical skill-set
Strong communicator, specifically possesses a good grasp of building relationships with their team and a variety of stakeholders on both a virtual and in-person basis
Good planning and organising skills specifically with adhering to timely completion of monthly/quarterly routine tasks
Delivery of high quality financial outputs
Accounts preparation including accruals and prepayments
Excel (v-lookups, pivot tables), Dynamics Business Central and Power BI
Accounts payable and payroll activities
Ability to deal with ambiguity and react quickly in an evolving and fast paced environment.