Management Accountant
Trees For Life
41,479 per year
Dundreggan
Full-time
Listed 1 week ago
Role profile Job title Management Accountant Reporting to Head of Finance and Resources Has reporting Accounts Assistant Starting salary Grade E - £41,479 Permanent 0.80 FTE Findhorn / Dundreggan Hybrid working location flexible Job type Location Additional requirements Trees for Life Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands. Hopeful and bold, we are committed to creating nature-rich landscapes that include and support people. Working on a grand scale, we aim to close the gap between people and nature. Focusing on Scotland’s spectacular Caledonian forest, we foster biodiversity and encourage natural processes essential to life. From the iconic red squirrel to the elusive lynx, we are working to bring more life back to our landscapes. Rewilding is a shared journey. Together with communities, we are restoring Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage while supporting local livelihoods. Join us on this path of hope and positive action. Rewild the Scottish Highlands. Dundreggan and the Rewilding Centre Dundreggan is our 10,000-acre estate in Glenmoriston between Loch Ness and Skye. Since 2008, the estate has been transformed by Trees for Life and its volunteers into one of the best examples of forest restoration in Scotland. It includes a ground-breaking tree nursery and is where many volunteers come to take part in rewilding projects. The Rewilding Centre opened in April 2023 and serves as a gateway to make Dundreggan, and the work being done here, making rewilding more accessible to a broader audience. It operates under the Enterprises arm of Trees for Life and is a commercial business. The site includes an innovative visitor centre, a café, 40-bed accommodation, events and educational facilities. The Rewilding Centre welcomes visitors of all ages, interests and backgrounds to explore the natural, Gaelic and cultural heritage of the Highlands and be inspired by rewilding initiatives, including the restoration of the Caledonian forest. Join the Trees for Life team! Join our friendly, values-driven team, taking practical steps to rewild the Scottish Highlands. We offer competitive pay and benefits, flexibility, great working culture, and much more. We welcome applicants from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. If you require any adjustments during our recruitment process, that would enable you to do as well as possible in the process, please let us know. Don’t meet every single requirement? That’s okay. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team, and we know that skills and experience come in many forms. The right mindset, attitude, and potential to grow are just as important to us as ticking every box. If you’re excited about this role, meet some of the core criteria and feel you can make a meaningful contribution - we encourage you to apply. Please use the personal details section of the application form to tell us why you’d be a great fit. Our values Our values are at the heart of our mission to rewild the Scottish Highlands, guiding us in everything from the daily rhythms of office life to the development of our landscape-scale initiatives. We are Bold We are an ambitious charity with a critical purpose. For us, being bold means thinking about landscape restoration on a grand scale, embracing innovative rewilding methods and challenging the status quo. This approach ensures that every step we take is a bold stride toward a revitalised, thriving natural landscape. We are Collaborative Our approach, deeply rooted in community and collaboration, involves working closely with local communities, conservation groups, landowners, and volunteers. Finding common ground and working together we will initiate positive solutions to the twin climate and biodiversity crises. We are Pragmatic We embrace pragmatic and sustainable solutions in everything we do. We are always mindful of our duty to our supporters, our volunteers, our staff and above all to Scotland’s wild forest. By adopting practical solutions, we safeguard our efforts and ensure a resilient future for our initiatives. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. Overall purpose of the job As one of two management accountants that support the Trees for Life Group, the post holder will produce accurate and timely management accounts with reports, that provide analysis and insights on the Dundreggan Estate and Rewilding Centre. They will calculate and submit quarterly VAT returns, support the production of year-end accounts and relevant reconciliations. They will be required to actively contribute to finance systems development and process improvement. The post holder will report directly to the Head of Finance but will work closely with budget holders across the estate to aid them with project costings and understanding budgetary performance. The management accountant needs a strong understanding of revenues related to the Tourism sector, including accommodation, café, retail and our Visitor Experiences, with the ability to identify trends, opportunities and risks. They will need to develop an understanding of the wider work of the Charity and how that is reflected in the financial reporting. The management reports will include performance against KPI’s, trend analysis and forecasts that aid management review and decision making. The two management accountants are supported by two finance assistants and the post holder will be required to line manage, mentor and develop at least one of these posts. The post holder will have to opportunity to regularly visit the estate and visitor centre to meet with managers and staff to learn about the organisation and share insights based on the financial analysis. Throughout the year there will be several all staff meetings either online or in person and the post holder will be expected to be on site an average of two days a week. Key liaisons Head of Finance and Resources, Rewilding Centre Director, Chief Operating Officer, Operations Manager and the finance team. Line management responsibility for one of two Finance Assistants. Key responsibilities • Prepare and present monthly management accounts, including variance analysis against budget and forecast. • Analyse sales revenue across accommodation, café, and retail outlets, identifying trends, opportunities, and risks. • Ensure accurate income recognition for the estate and the centre, allocating revenue to correct periods and reporting on deferred revenue, particularly for advance bookings, deposits, and gift vouchers. • Manage VAT returns, ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations and hospitality-specific VAT rules. They will produce the Enterprises VAT report and support the consolidation and submission of VAT returns for the Trees for life Group • Support budgeting and forecasting processes, providing insight to operational managers. Including meetings with managers, development of data collection templates and budget reports. • Develop and maintain financial models to support decision-making and profitability analysis, including cashflow forecasts. • Reconcile key balance sheet accounts, including intercompany charges, deferred income, accruals, and prepayments. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. • Monitor cost controls and margins across different business areas, providing recommendations for efficiency improvements. • Assist in year-end audit preparation and liaise with external auditors as required for the whole Trees for life group. • Support the stock management processes and manage relevant adjustments in the accounting systems, reconciling stock to the EPOS systems • Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines. • Work alongside and support the production of management accounts for the charity, supporting the other management accountant. • Developing and mentoring the Accounts assistants to help build their abilities to support the finance team • Assist with the consolidation of Trees for Life Enterprises and Trees for Life (Charity) accounts. • Provide financial guidance to non-financial managers, supporting operational decision- making. • Occasional deputization for the head of Finance, including attendance and participation in Senior management Meetings, Board meetings and Staff Meetings Person specification The successful candidate for the role will be: ● A fully qualified accountant with excellent interpersonal skills, who has prior experience in the hospitality/tourism sector (or similar) and is confident in managing balance sheet reconciliations. Experience of being responsible for the production of monthly management accounts with financial commentary. Ability to analyse retail sales, hotel sales. You will need to be inquisitive, systematic and solutions-focused. Excellent Excel skills and the ability draw data from a range of sources and consolidate into meaningful reports. You must be willing to try to solve problems, communicate ideas and be a team player. The post holder will be able to demonstrate their skills of using accounting software and spreadsheets and will have good attention to detail. They will be able to inspire and motivate the small finance team to ensure completion of the organisations’ financial reporting requirements. Good communication skills are required and ability to explain finance information to non-finance managers. Knowledge and experience Essential: ● Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) accountant. (Nearly Qualified accountants will be considered with relevant sector experience. ● Minimum of 3 years of management accounting experience ● Working knowledge of accounting packages, ability to develop/adjust Chart of Accounts and work with cost centres/project accounting modules. ● Experience of working with EPOS and Accommodation Software (for integration of financial results into the accounting software) ● Good working knowledge of and competence in the use of software packages: Microsoft Office, Google Suite and Google Sheets. ● Excellent Excel skills with the ability to use formula to develop models and manipulate data. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. ● Proven ability to negotiate contracts or financial settlements Desirable: ● Experience in producing group accounts and processing inter-company transactions., Professional knowledge of accounting terminology and practices (e.g. working towards NVQs/SVQs or Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualifications or some equivalent experience). ● Experience in Tourism/hospitality sector Personal attributes ● Must be committed to the ethos and values of Trees for Life ● Genuine enthusiasm and a passion for nature conservation. ● Highly motivated and professional in approach. ● Team player – a readiness to work as part of a team and support colleagues. ● Positive attitude to taking the initiative. Skills and competencies ● Attention to detail, methodical with a tenacity to ensure accurate resolution of accounting queries and reconciliation work. ● Well-organised and committed to ensuring proper documentary records are established/maintained. ● Ability to think clearly and objectively, conduct complex analysis of data and provide/propose logical solutions to accounting problems or queries that arise. ● Ability to work independently and accurately with limited supervision. ● Complete discretion in dealing with confidential information. ● Numeracy and aptitude, and enthusiasm for figure work. ● Ability to work to deadlines and prioritise tasks, managing own time as necessary. ● Ability to work as part of a team. ● Good interpersonal and communication skills, professional telephone and face-to-face manner with customer service orientation. Ability to write letters as and when needed. Working conditions and special demands Minimum of 1 day per week working at the Trees for Life office, regular travel to the Dundreggan Estate and Trees for Life operational sites. Occasional out-of-hours working with prior agreement with your line manager. Trees for Life is a registered Scottish charity (SC021303) and a company limited by guarantee (SC143304) with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH.