Port of London Authority

Vacancy Advert

Job title: Costs and Investments Accountant

Department: Finance

Reporting to: Chief Accountant

Grade: 4

Salary: £65,443 per annum

Base: Gravesend, Kent

Closing date: 14 February 2025

Interview date: week commencing 3 March 2025

Who we are:

The Port of London Authority is the statutory harbour authority for the tidal Thames and responsible for 95 miles of the River Thames from the Estuary to Teddington Lock in West London. We work to keep river users safe, protect and enhance the environment and promote the use of the river for trade and travel.

The role:

We are looking for a Costs and Investments Accountant who is responsible for managing the PLA’s cashflow to ensure sufficient liquidity for operational requirements to enable surplus funds to be invested. The provision of secure, accurate and timely management and statutory accounting information to support Chief Accountant.

Role responsibilities:

Cash and Investments Management

• Develop and maintain a robust cash management system.
• Work closely with other departments to forecast the daily cash demands, including payroll, procurement, accounts payable, accounts receivable, capital projects managers and others.
• Co-ordinate the placement of investments of surplus funds, both short and long term, working with investment managers to ensure optimal returns while maintaining the required liquidity.
• Monitor the return from investments, reporting regularly to management.
• Collating the required information on the investments for the auditors and the tax consultants.
• Develop reports to present the cash position and trends to management along with the opportunities for investment.

Financial Services

• Monitor and reconcile the recording of financial information in the computerised accounting systems, to ensure accurate bookkeeping records are maintained.
• Examine recorded financial information and liaise with allocated department managers in order to assess and determine departmental prepayments, accruals and provisions.
• Interpret, analyse, review and check accuracy and integrity of information before input to the computerised accounting systems, for use as a basis for the construction of the annual budget.

Assistance to the Chief Accountant

• Assist with producing the PLA annual financial statements including liaising with external auditors to ensure an unqualified audit opinion is achieved.
• Assist in the preparation of budget, forecasts and long-term plans.

What we are looking for:

You will have:

• A ACCA qualification with at least 5 years’ post qualification experience, plus a Treasury qualification (AFP/ACT)
• Experience of cash/ investment management and financial/ management accounting.
• A high standard of numeracy/ literacy and the ability to communicate at all levels of management internally including EXCO.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and experience using accounting software.

Benefits package:

• 28 days annual leave
• Medical Cash Plan (Bupa)
• Generous pension
• Onsite parking with electric charging
• Access to Occupational Health, Mindfulness, Counselling and Physiotherapy
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to MyGymDiscounts

For further information or if you would like to have an informal discussion about the position, please contact Angela Jeffrey on 07711640131 or angela.jeffrey@pla.co.uk. 

The PLA are not registered with the UK Home Office and do not sponsor candidates who require a visa or work permit to work in the UK, therefore an offer of employment cannot be made unless you currently hold the rights to live and work in the UK.