Download Responsible To: Senior Management Accountant

Job Description
Job Title : Management Accountant
Details
Responsible To:
Senior Management Accountant
Management Authority: None
Budgetary Authority:
n/a
Purpose of the Role:
As a Management Accountant at Student Loans Company you will be chiefly responsible for
producing business plans and budgets, whilst providing specialist financial advice to your client group.
As a subject matter expert you’ll be a true business partner, highlighting risk, monitoring
opportunities and presenting relevant information at key stakeholder meetings. For you, success is a
financially aware client group, whose risk aware decisions are based on solid numbers and relevant
information.
You’ll have the chance to challenge yourself, simply explaining financial concepts to non financial
stakeholders, working in diverse areas, in a company whose turnover is amongst the largest
companies in the country. What’s more, you’ll play a pivotal role in helping us to achieve challenging
targets, using your interpersonal skills you’ll become a true business partner to your client group.
As a member of the Finance Team:
Our remit is huge – one that supports around 1.6 million student finance applications a year pays out
£6.6 billion in maintenance loans and grants and £5.9 billion to higher and further education
providers and manages a loan book with a value of £62 billion. The growing value of the loan book is
a key foucs for the organisation, the loan book is becoming a significant national asset.
At the Student Loans Company, our Finance function is key to our success. Our team is responsible
for ensuring we secure appropriate funding and get the best possible value for the money we spend,
driving forward our continuing mission to enable our customers to invest in their futures by
delivering secure, accurate and efficient assessment, payment and repayment services.
We control expenditure and provide clear and accurate management information, providing value for
money from suppliers through contracts and procurement, we also mitigate the Company’s exposure
to financial risk.
Detailed Portfolio Accountabilities & Objectives
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To support the Finance Business Partner and the Directorate Accounting and Analysis
Manager in the setting of the annual directorate budget through understanding and
documenting the key business assumptions, main cost drivers and the impact of the service
proposal/operating plans
Support the preparation of business plans and budgets, providing specialist advice
Produce and present period actuals and forecasts for budget holders, including preparing
month accruals, transfers and adjustments
Issue reports and support budget holders in understanding the impact of the month results
and forecasts against budgets (support the reporting analyst in automating this activity)
Produce the month end business review pack and highlight any significant issues with
financial and other business results (support the reporting analyst in automating this activity)
Monitor and promulgate corporate governance throughout the function and review
compliance with financial regulations
Actively feed into capacity planning
Contribute to understand customer requirements to provide a customer focused perception
as well as engagement to resolve queries in a timely manner
Model and analyse the cost base and identify and monitor opportunities and efficiencies
Participate in budget holder key meetings to provide sound financial advice and support
Provide day to day support to business teams assisting as necessary to provide financial
analysis
Support the procurement and commercial services as required as well as assisting in contract
tenders as required
Support the integrity of the finance information within all reports and management
information created, highlighting risks as appropriate
Manage the provision of investment and project accounting services as required for areas of
responsibility
Conduct investment and other project appraisals, including business case analysis
Develop and maintain budgetary control over the programme of works by reporting
variances, utilisation and risks/opportunities to the various Project Managers in an
appropriate format and timely manner
To ensure that all financial governance and expenditure monitoring arrangements are
adhered to
To ensure that the budget is in place for authorised establishment and that the correct
approval process is being followed
Development of the service of senior stakeholders to ensure it meets their needs in a
sustainable way.
Key Outputs:
1. Monthly budget holder reports
2. Monthly Directorate Reports
3. Audit trail and evidence of realised benefits in Directorate
4. Record of upwards pressures on expenditure
5. Trace of forecast movements to drivers
6. Fully documented assumptions and risks within forecast
7. Formally approved quarterly forecasts
8. Formally approved annual budget for directorate in line with approved establishment and
approved resource model assumptions
Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
Job Skills, Experience and Qualifications
Essential
 Student/part membership (or equivalent) of the relevant professional body having
progressed to the final stage of qualification, or possession of sufficient experience to fulfil
the requirements of the role without membership of the relevant professional body
 Knowledge of current accounting standards
 Advanced Excel skills
 Management Accounting Experience
 Proven ability to present financial risks and assumptions to non financial audiences
 Experience in owning business problems and devising and delivering solutions
 Experience in initiating improvements to customer service
 Experience in identifying financial governance risks and issues and generating corrective
action
Desirable
 Full membership of relevant professional body
 Experience of Oracle based system
 Post qualification experience
 Experience in delivering investments appraisals that have influenced business decisions
 Experience in supporting commercial activities
 Experience in identifying business financial efficiencies and opportunities