Job Title Assistant Payroll & Central Costs Accountant Responsible to Finance Manager (Payroll, Tax and Intercompany) Location Parklands Court, Rubery Sector/ Business area Financial Accounts team, Central Finance Overall purpose of the role Reporting to the Finance Manager (Payroll, Tax & Intercompany), the Assistant Payroll & Central Costs Accountant will take responsibility for ensuring all central costs are correctly budgeted, forecasted and recorded, with variances reviewed and explained and corrective action taken as necessary. They will play a key part in ensuring proper control of CGUK&I balance sheets and that payroll payovers are correct and on time. Financial Accounts team - Purpose and Context The Financial Accounts team performs a pivotal role within Compass UK&I, overseeing fixed assets, leases/IFRS16 accounting, property related transactions, intercompany, balance sheet reconciliations, Group reporting, audit and financial statements, below the line transactions, accounting for M&A and providing advice and guidance on accounting matters as required. We also support the Tax team on sales and employment taxes as well as other Central Finance teams. Key Accountabilities PURPOSE Ensure central costs are correctly recorded in SAP Budgeting and forecasting of central costs Balance sheets/control accounts PEOPLE: Working effectively as part of a team Building relationships with key stakeholders Liaising with colleagues from other teams for resolution of queries PERFORMANCE Prepare and post month end journals relating to payroll and central costs (e.g. audit, insurance etc), maintaining clear, professional working papers to back up all journals Assist with budgeting and forecasting of central costs Liaise with Intercompany finance assistant to ensure recharges are raised and posted in a timely manner Reconcile and post credit card charges on a monthly basis, including resolution of queries Review and post month end journals relating to working capital and cash Reconcile various balance sheets on a monthly basis, highlighting any risks and opportunities and providing a clear plan to resolve any items which have not cleared as expected Prepare payment files for payroll related 3rd party payments (“payovers”) including reconciling from payroll reports and resolving any variances with the payroll team Maintain process notes for all business-as-usual work to enable cross training, cover and support within the team Cross train other team members Candidate Requirements: Key Skills, Knowledge & Experience Essential: Part-qualified Accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) [approx. 1 year completed] and minimum of one year in a finance role. Must be willing to commit to actively studying and qualifying in a reasonable time frame Intermediate Excel skills (common formulae, pivot tables etc) Good organisational and presentational skills Flexible and adaptable in this busy, evolving environment Continuous improvement mindset to question current processes Desirable: Experience of balance sheet reconciliations Experience of month end (accruals, prepayments, variance analysis etc) Use of financial software (particularly SAP) We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to: • Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more • Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and more • Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster • Regular emails filled with the best discounts and savings available • Receive Wow Points every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands • Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes • You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families • Contributory pension scheme • Study support • Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes