Project Accountant - Shared Services Facility

SNC-Lavalin is going through an exciting period of change.  A Canadian listed engineering and construction firm, on July 2017 they acquired the UK engineering consultancy Atkins bringing with it a great opportunity to re-position the SNC-Lavalin brand in the eyes of our markets and ahead of our competitors.  The combined group now has approximately 50,000 employees around the world and both Atkins and SNC-L’s offerings combined give us the opportunity to continue our growth.  The future of engineering and construction is in the greater use of data, combined with technologies to deliver our services more efficiently and bring different offerings to our clients.  From apps, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, to mobility as a service and digital asset management, we are combining our traditional engineering skills with technology to fundamentally change the way we do things. 

EDPM is the Engineering, Design & Project Management sector of SNC-Lavalin. We plan, design and enable the delivery of complex projects and major programmes across transportation, energy and infrastructure. Primarily made up of Atkins, including Faithful+Gould, we push boundaries and create value as trusted advisors to our clients and partners.

SNCL Atkins currently have an opportunity for Project Accountant in Shared Services Facility team.

The role

The key purpose of the role is to support Project Managers to manage the financial aspects of their projects, and to enable timely collection of cash from clients through prompt issuing of accurate invoices.  The role is part of the Project Accounting Team based in our Epsom, Worcester and Bangalore offices. This team  provides project accounting and invoicing services to the Atkins Group UK based businesses.

The role is  based in Epsom Gateway Office. This role is currently being advertised as 6 months FTC.

Key Relationships

• The role will be part of a co-located Project Accounting Team, members of the team work closely together, reporting to a Team Leader.
• The role involves working closely with a number of Project Managers and embedded Finance staff; who are located at  different UK offices and client sites.

Key Responsibilities

Supporting effective management of  Client invoicing, including:

• Liaising with Project Managers to ensure that all invoicing is completed in a timely basis.
• Preparing sales invoices, applications for payment  and credit notes and any necessary supporting documentation.
• Preparing and distributing information regarding unbilled balances.
• Obtaining approval for sales invoices and credit notes.
• Posting invoices and credit notes onto the finance system.
• Working closely with Project Managers, and the Cash Collections Team to ensure timely resolution of any billing queries, and collection of cash.

Supporting Project Managers to understand the financial performance of their projects.

• Supporting the correct set-up of new projects in the finance system.
• Supporting correct allocation of costs to projects, eg by coding invoices, setting up access for staff to be able them to book their time to a project, and correcting coding or time booking errors.
• Preparing and distributing job-related information and reports, e.g. time and expense reports.
• Supporting the controlled closure of completed jobs in the finance system.

Supporting the implementation of new processes and procedures:

• Support the Team Leaders and Head of Project Accounting with design and implementation of process improvements.

Requirements

It is essential for candidates for this role to demonstrate:

• Experience of working in a busy finance function, preferably working as part of a team involved with preparing client invoices.
• Good analytical, numerical and technical skills, together with Intermediate Excel skills (including sorting and filtering data, pivot tables and lookups).       
• Experience of using accounting systems to extract financial information for review and collation.
• Good attention to detail.
• The ability to work collaboratively, building strong relationships with colleagues in their own and other teams and with business and project managers to ensure joined-up delivery .
• Ability to explain financial issues  to non-finance staff in a clear and concise manner.
• Capability to manage a diverse range of activities with short, medium and long term deadlines, prioritising workload to meet deadlines.
• A desire to own tasks and the resilience to work through issues to conclusion, maintaining energy and motivation .
• Good written and verbal communication skills .
• An enquiring mind and a confident, proactive approach.

It is desirable for candidates for this role to have:

• Studied for a relevant degree or currently studying for an accounting qualification.
• Knowledge of VAT
• Knowledge of JD Edwards accounting software.

Security Clearance: 
This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary it will be discussed with you at interview.

If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

ATKINS, part of the SNC Lavalin Group, is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.