Senior Manager - Service Charge Accounting

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions businesses need to navigate today’s changing world.

Our clients are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy - and the owners and management teams that lead them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

The Business Services and Outsourcing team are essential to meeting our clients' evolving requirements. As well as delivering long-term, sustainable value to businesses by providing a range of solutions such as accounting, payroll and compliance services, they also play a key role in tying together many of our services across BDO both domestically and internationally. By building deep and meaningful relationships with a range of clients from ambitious entrepreneurial SMEs to large multi-national groups, our BS&O team don’t just advise on their specific business challenges, they open doors for other teams to provide our firm’s wider service offering. To succeed in this agile environment, you’ll need to demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills and initiative. In return, you’ll have the opportunity for progression, and the chance to develop in one of the industry’s most exciting and varied roles.

Detailed responsibilities include:

• Build sustainable external and internal client relationships, especially with senior client contacts.
• Support Directors and Partners across BSO in expanding the business further, supporting delivery of strategy, while also creating a strong team identity and culture
• Manage risk at an operational level
• Lead specific strategy focus areas/projects
• Develop and own a pipeline of new business opportunities to grow the business
• Empower and energise others to go the extra mile, leading to exceptional client service.
• Manage a portfolio of clients from a client service and financial controllership point of view, maximising profitability.
• Work with bid teams and help to lead client proposals and presentations.
• Lead special assignments on an ad hoc basis.
• Network and build relationship cross stream and sector.

Portfolio of clients will include:

• Commercial Property Agents and landlords that require an independent accountants report on service charge accounting for a range of property portfolios.
• Other organisations in the property and related sectors that require the services offered by the service charge accounting centre of excellence team.
• You will need to be flexible, proactive and commercially focussed with excellent project management skills.

Principal Responsibilities

• Lead large and/or complex client assignments, which include determining the resource requirements, monitoring progress against budget and established timeframe, timely review of work completed by junior team members and resolving all project issues prior to Partner and Director review.
• Assist in managing the overall team on a day-to-day basis. Ensures clear roles, responsibilities and expectations of each member of the team are agreed and recorded
• Lead client implementations and project transitions.
• Act as a major point of contact within the firm for the client together with the Project Director and Partner. This includes responding quickly to, as well as anticipating, client requests/needs, keeping clients informed of progress in relation to all aspects of the service provided and maintaining regular contact with clients.
• Ensure that the firm’s risk management and quality control procedures are adhered to, as well as highlighting any potential risks as they arise.
• Support the cold and external review process, ensuring that client files always contain the appropriate documentation
• Manage a portfolio of clients including control of billings and cash collections within the firm’s criteria, as well as leading on fee negotiations
• Understand the firm’s contracting framework and ensure that any changes in the scope of client work are properly dealt with, from a commercial and risk management perspective
• Share knowledge within the team, proactively manage regulatory changes and facilitate research and personal development.
• Capture client feedback and ensure it is addressed and effectively communicated to the Service Charge Accounting team.
• Build sustainable relationships with clients, and take point responsibility for delivering answers to clients in most cases, escalating to Directors and Partners as needed.
• Identify and recognise new project and business opportunities for Business Services and Outsourcing, and inform the Partner and client accordingly. Act as an ambassador of the firm, participate in marketing events, keep abreast of the wide range of services the firm offers and suggest innovative products and services.
• Recruit, retain, develop and motivate our employees (includes participating in graduate recruitment, ensuring job appraisal documentation is completed within deadlines and ensuring appropriate objectives and development plans are in place for counselees).

Technical Knowledge and Professional Qualifications

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified or qualified by experience (essential)
• Experience in managing complex transition projects
• Experience in managing ongoing operations using or within a shared service centre (desirable).
• Knowledge of major accounting systems and software solutions (desirable)
• Knowledge of the commercial and residential property sector (desirable)
• Knowledge and experience of Excel, Word and PowerPoint (essential) and SharePoint (desirable)

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task in hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

We can provide the best support for our clients and people when we’re working side by side. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for our clients and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy.

Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in them. Across 17 UK locations, we are 6,500 unique minds coming together to help our clients reach their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.

For further information, and to apply, please visit our website via the “Apply” button below.