---

Job description

This is a dual role, combining commercial cost analysis with financial accounting, so the post holder will need the skills to deliver in both areas and the judgement to balance competing priorities. On the commercial side, the role analyses capital and maintenance expenditure and works closely with operational teams to turn financial information into practical insight, challenge spend constructively and focus on cost control and efficiency. On the financial side, it supports the wider finance team with management accounts, balance sheet reconciliations, year-end reporting, audit, tax and financial controls. This role suits a part-qualified accountant with industry experience who wants to balance a traditional financial accountant role with a genuine opportunity to engage in the commercial side of the business. The commercial side calls for someone with the confidence to build trusted relationships across the business, working alongside budget holders, engineering teams, and external contractors to ask the right questions, challenge constructively and put forward practical solutions and fresh ideas. This will require the preparation of detailed financial analysis built with financial rigour and informed by commercial thinking. The financial accounting side involves playing a collaborative part in a well-established finance team, contributing to the delivery of monthly accounts, reconciliations, audit and tax support. This will appeal to someone who is detail-orientated, enjoys variety, and is happy to roll their sleeves up to support the team in delivering a first-class service to the business and its stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Prepare accurate, timely and detailed analysis of construction costs.
• Analyse capital and maintenance expenditure against budget and KPIs, identifying trends and cost drivers and explaining key variances.
• Work with budget holders, engineering teams and external contractors to understand performance, question expenditure constructively, raise potential issues early and proactively suggest solutions, cost savings and efficiency opportunities.
• Produce clear management reports and present financial and commercial performance with confidence to managers, and non-finance stakeholders.
• Participate actively in performance meetings and review groups, contributing to continual improvement and bringing fresh approaches to how information is analysed and presented.
• Assist with regulatory cost reporting, including Annual Cost Reporting and Price Control.
• Support management accounts, year-end reporting and external and internal audit requirements, including the accurate reporting of contractor and engineering costs
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations, investigating and clearing differences promptly.
• Assist with the annual budget and rolling forecasts, working with budget holders to ensure assumptions are robust.
• Operate internal financial controls and recommend practical improvements.
• Assist with tax compliance, including VAT, Corporation Tax, CIS, IR35 and PSA.
• Provide cross-cover for finance team colleagues, support the team at peak times and take on new areas as needs change.
• Establish, develop and maintain effective working relationships with all work colleagues, contractors and partnering agencies to ensure an integrated contribution to Phoenix Energy’s corporate objectives.
• Observe and comply with policies and procedures for Health and Safety at Work and observe and continually promote equal opportunities and customer care in compliance with organisational aims and objectives.
• Participate in learning and development activities that develop personal effectiveness and assist in improving performance in the role.
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required in line with the level of responsibility of the post and in order to meet the changing needs of the organisation.
• To promote and adhere to the workplace values of Respect All, Dynamic, Forward Looking, Serving Community Needs and Excel Together.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Part-qualified accountant, with exams passed towards ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent.
• Industry finance experience, to include detailed cost and variance analysis; preparing balance sheet reconciliations and management accounts; internal financial controls.
• Experience working with non-finance colleagues, such as supporting budget holders, presenting results or influencing decisions
• Strong analytical skills
• Commercial curiosity and understanding
• Confidence to challenge constructively and suggest practical solutions
• Excel skills and confidence with financial systems
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Good report writing skills and confidence presenting financial information to a range of stakeholders
• Organised, flexible, team player, willing to take on a variety of tasks

Desirable Skills

• Degree in accounting, finance or a related discipline.
• Business partnering experience
• Experience analysing capital and maintenance expenditure, or contractor and project costs
• Tax compliance experience (VAT, Corporation Tax, CIS, IR35, PSA)
• Experience using reporting tools or automation to improve process