Project Accountant

Vertex Associates are proud to be partnering with a leading architecture business in hiring a Project Accountant on a permanent basis. This is a hybrid position consisting of 3 days per week in the office. Duties and responsibilities:

• Initiating and assisting with the monthly billing process, including providing quality assurance and control
• Generating and issuing fee forecasts to all job runners prior to billing, to check for any updates/changes, and identify priority accounts
• Raising, reviewing, and analysing all fee accounts for chargeable time
• Resolving any errors identified in invoices (charges, expenses, etc.) to ensure compliance with all necessary regulations and project requirements and issuing credit notes where required
• Monitoring timesheet completion and compliance to support accurate billing and project reporting
• Chasing Personal Assistants for any outstanding chargeable project-related expenses for the directors
• Monitoring return of invoices and chasing job runners to ensure accounts are issued and deadlines are met
• Reviewing and drafting final invoices before director sign-off
• Producing fee projections for review and discussion at fee meetings and daily management of the fees billable control spreadsheet
• Obtaining relevant information for fees/billing/contractual documents, capturing, and forecasting new fees
• Chasing fee agreements from job runners and ensuring all contracts are in place for new instructions
• Notifying new projects to all staff and maintaining all fee related filing
• Verifying documents for completeness and compliance with the project contracts, e.g. special hourly rates, commission agreements, outsourcing stages, split billing arrangements/consortiums, etc.
• Notifying the Financial Controller of overseas projects to ensure compliance with tax regulations
• Updating Timemaster with relevant changes from fee meetings, setting up new projects and closing out completed ones
• Support the drawing office teams in monitoring project performance and financial information
• Preparation of project financial analysis & monthly commentaries to senior leadership
• Monthly WIP reporting for the management accounts, and participation in the annual audit
• Assisting with project financial reviews, monitoring and reporting write offs, and escalating WIP at risk to the Finance Controller
• Assisting job runners in monitoring project budgets, fee arrangements and project profitability
• Liaising with Project Managers on aged WIP and ensure billing when appropriate
• Resolving time entry and project financial discrepancies to reduce corrections at the billing stage Requirements:
• Proven experience of billing, preferably in the professional services sector
• Experience of project financial databases, maintaining data and supporting the monitoring of financial performance
• High level of numeracy and an ability to problem solve
• Ability to identify issues and areas for improvement in financial processes
• Ability to work independently and to use own initiative
• Team orientated, with adeptness to form good business relationships with all colleagues
• Acting as a point of contact when other team members are unavailable
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Organisational and time-management skills for meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Management of a portfolio of projects from a financial perspective