Are you a qualified financial accountant looking for a fun new challenge?

We are looking for a qualified Financial Accountant to help MTS (and its sister company ABC Exams) to take professional control of the finance department and attend MTS’s SMT and Board meetings to present on MTS’s finances and budgets. The successful candidate will need to be self-reliant and able to implement new ways of working across the whole company including introducing tighter financial controls, reduced use of external third-party accountants and payroll processors, implementing budgeting, carrying out formal month-end, quarter end and year-end reporting and performing ad-hoc financial analysis. The overall goal is to introduce a step-change in the financial capability of MTS and perform all the financial management tasks to ensure that MTS has an efficient, professional and effective in-house financial management function. The role-holder will work closely at a strategic level with MTS’s Senior Management Team as well as working operationally to manage the day-to-day financial management and bookkeeping. MTS is a dynamic and exciting place to work with plenty of opportunity to learn new skills and grow professionally. The role-holder will benefit from a generous additional bonus dependent on the financial success of the company.

• Start date: ASAP.
• Recruitment process: Please submit your up-to-date CV and short cover letter outlining why you are applying for this role, using the platform you are reading this job advert on.
• Extended deadline for applicants: Wednesday 15 March at 11.59pm. Shortlisting thereafter.
• Interviews: w/c 20 March 2023 (serious applicants should diarise this week).
• Come and join our friendly and dynamic exams team here in west London!

Location:

• Mostly working from MTS’s London head office, at 65 Westcroft Square, London, W6 0TA.
• Frequent travel to MTS’s various exam venues, principally the rented properties in: Brighton, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.

Key eligibility criteria:

• Must have long-term eligibility to live and work in the UK.
• Must comply with a UK government Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.

Reporting to: Head of Strategy, Resources and Development.
Team Management: No.
Suitable for remote working? Partially (to be discussed)
Job

Location:
MTS Head Office at: 65 Westcroft Square, London, W6 0TA.
Contract Type: Full time (35 hours per week), 12 months fixed term contract.
Salary and bonus: Band 8 (£41,000 - £44,000) depending on experience. Additional discretionary bonus dependent on the financial success of the company and personal performance.

Job purpose (overview): The Financial Accountant will work closely at a strategic level with MTS’s Senior Management Team as well as working operationally to manage the day-to-day financial management and bookkeeping of MTS and associated company’s ABC Exams.

The Financial Accountant will be responsible for preparing, examining, and analyzing financial records to ensure that MTS and any associated companies produce accurate financial reports, delivered in a timely manner and in-line with standard accountancy practice. These reports will be presented as required for the appropriate audience, with sufficient business commentary. Furthermore, the Financial Accountant will own all MTS’ and ABC Exams’ process documentation, carry out regular internal financial audit work and implement an ongoing programme of improvement based on areas of highest risk.

Main duties and

responsibilities:
Finance processesIncome (Accounts Receivable)

• To work with the senior management on issuing invoices to partners and customers for incoming payments
• To ensure test taker payments from FirstData are reconciled against bank statements and categorized correctly using Quickbooks.
• To keep effective records of all major contracts which have income streams and check invoices against parameters in the contracts.
• To ensure correct categorization of all customer income and assigned to the correct budget line and venue.
• To carry out effective credit control processes, chasing customers for any late payments and implementing payment recovery plans if necessary.
• To apply for and manage any government business support grants, in line with set processes and provide all evidence to support claims.
• To effectively manage income-related correspondence in the ‘MTS Finance’ email inbox.

Expenditure (Accounts Payable) and payrolls

• To run accurate and timely MTS UK, MTS Ireland and ABC Exams accounts payroll processes.
• To reconcile payroll records against the financial accounts.
• To respond quickly and effectively to all payroll queries and make amendments for errors or omission in the payrolls, ensuring any learning is captured and acted on.
• To develop and maintain a good working relationship with the HR Assistant who processes the timesheet pay claims internally. (150+ per month)
• To manage all HMRC, tax, NI, and pension arrangements.
• To check and approve all self-employed worker invoices and staff agency sign-off timesheets.
• To support the procurement process, working to ensure suppliers give value for money and negotiating good deals for MTS, working closely with the Procurement Manager.
• To ensure appropriate financial spending controls are placed on the MTS Amazon Business account, and to monitor and audit the spend as required.
• To manage staff expenses process, checking all claims for accuracy.
• To manage and review all MTS staff credit card expenditure.
• To review and record all contracts, such as leases on buildings, etc, and manage down any risks or additional costs, working closely with the Facilities Manager.
• To effectively manage expenditure-related correspondence in the ‘MTS Finance’ email inbox.

Assets

• To work with other colleagues (eg IT, Exams team) to run an effective IT, stock and other fixed asset management process.

Liabilities

• To support the CEO in managing all business loans, bank overdrafts, intercompany loans, etc.
• To monitor major unpaid invoices and payment plans and ensure payment terms are met to avoid breach of contract.

Financial records and financial reporting

• To be responsible for preparing, examining, and analysing financial records to ensure that MTS’s (and its associated company ABC Exams’) company's financial reports are accurate, timely and in-line with standard accountancy practice.
• To translate financial reports into actionable management information, linking financial information with non-financial information drawn from key colleagues.
• To deliver process improvements to the Quickbooks expenditure process and bank payments process
• To help implement improved ownership of the company financials through budget-setting and working with budget-holders to help them to manage the business effectively.
• To proactively work with MTS’s external financial accountants and Companies House for formal external financial reporting requirements.

Internal auditing

• To own all MTS’ and ABC Exams’ process documentation, updating documents as processes change
• To carry out regular internal financial audit work and implement an on-going programme of improvement based on the areas of highest risk.
• To implement a regular programme of auditing of casual worker timesheets to ensure workers submit accurate and evidenced pay claims.

Compliance, safeguarding and upskilling

• To ensure that confidential documents, information and data are not disclosed to anyone other than their intended recipient/reader.
• To comply fully with MTS’s GDPR and data protection policies and standards and Safeguarding (Children and Vulnerable People) policy.
• To review all exam board partner GDPR and data protection policies and inform the regular updating of MTS’s policy to ensure alignment.
• To support the upskilling of key MTS staff in terms of their financial, budgeting and accountancy literacy/knowledge and their ownership of the company financials.
• To carry out any additional relevant activities according to MTS’s business needs.

Job Skills - Essential

• Qualified Financial Accountant. (ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CIPFA or AAT-Level 4)
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role.
• Proficiency in financial software, ideally QuickBooks.
• Proficiency in payroll software, ideally BrightPay.
• Advanced Excel skills and willingness to share skills with close colleagues.
• Confident in bringing in new, professional financial processes internally, and challenging existing assumptions and ways of working.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Strong intellect and ability to deal with complex data.
• Great team player with a ‘can-do’ attitude.

Job Skills - Desirable

• Educated to degree level before achieving chartered accountant status.
• Experience in the professional development, examination and/or educational sectors.

MTS’s Values: MTS is a dynamic and ambitious exams services company. All MTS people are expected to follow MTS's Values:

• We are dynamic, flexible and rise to the challenge.
• We act quickly and resolve problems with ease.
• We set high standards and adhere strictly to compliance conditions.
• We treat everyone with dignity and respect, valuing our diverse workforce.
• We greet our customers with a friendly attitude, helping them to view us in a positive light so that they feel happy engaging with us.
• We always act with integrity and in MTS’s best interests.

The above list of job responsibilities is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope, grading of the post and at the request by management.

About Mobile Testing Solutions Ltd:

MTS Ltd is a dynamic exam services company and online language school. We take a ‘can-do’ dynamic approach and are experienced at delivering large numbers of tests at a professional level. We are experts in high-stakes tests, computer-based testing, and remote proctoring. Our head office is in West London and we operate venues across the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. www.mobiletesting.uk.com. MTS is an authorised test centre for the following partners: -IELTS (British Council) -Aptis ESOL (British Council) -Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge English -LanguageCert (Prometric) -ACCA (British Council) -CFA (Prometric) -AAT -ICAEW -Pearson