Duties and Responsibilities or HERA Competencies

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Leadership and Management

• Play a lead role in the development of Financial Strategy and management of the LSE Group;

• Lead, manage, and motivate multi-disciplinary teams of professionals in financial accounting, tax and subsidiary companies, ensuring staff are contributing to excellent service delivery standards; undertake performance and development reviews to ensure staff have measurable objectives aligned with the School’s strategies;

• Ensure effective coordination with the work of the Financial Planning and Analysis team;

• Maintain close relationships with Department Heads, managers and other members of staff to ensure regular customer feedback is sought and to resolve issues effectively and efficiently;

• Advise the Finance Director regarding external and internal reporting requirements and manage their implementation;

• Coordinate Investments Committee, induct new Committee members, manage its business and agenda, advise the Committee on investment matters, produce papers and manage the decision-making process;

• Deputise for the Finance Director as required.

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Financial Accounting

• Lead the preparation of the Group’s external consolidated financial statements comprising the School, its subsidiary undertakings and joint ventures in accordance with the Higher Education ‘Statement of recommended practice’ and UK GAAP and when required, US GAAP;

• Prepare the Group’s subsidiary and associated entities financial statements as required;

• Ensure all working papers, variance analysis and ‘Prepared by ‘Client’ papers are prepared and reviewed in a timely manner for the external audit to support the Group and subsidiary annual accounts;

• Liaise with the external auditors on all matters related to the annual accounts audit and its completion;

• Prepare and review other statutory reporting such as the Corporation tax, VAT, Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) and other statutory returns;

• Ensure Group monthly balance sheet and cashflow analysis are reviewed and completed in accordance with the monthly reporting timetable;

• TRAC return.

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Financial Compliance and Control

• Manage the Division’s relationship the School’s Internal Auditors, negotiate practical solutions to audit issues and ensure agreed audit recommendations are fully implemented;

• Manage the development, and maintenance of robust financial procedures and controls across the Group;

• Lead the annual review and revision of the School’s Financial Regulations and associated procedures;

• Control of the development and integrity of the of Chart of Accounts;

• Communicate the importance of the compliance with the School’s Financial Regulations to budget holders by hosting user group meetings, attending other sector specific (AUM and Centre Managers) meetings as well as providing regular training;

• Lead and participate the development of financial training courses and assess their effectiveness by seeking customers’ feedback;

• The approval of all financial system journal entries and creation of new accounts and expense types.

 

Treasury and Cash Flow

• Manage the Group’s cashflow and banking relationships;

• Develop and operate treasury management policies for the management of surplus cash ensuring the balance of risk and return;

• Develop and monitor the management of the endowment cash flow;

• Develop and monitor accounting and administrative arrangement for investments, trusts, endowments and donations, and improve the processes for accounting for these assets;

• Communicate investment and trusts performance against budget to Advancement and FSO and instigate actions on overspend.

 

Other

• Deliver financial training courses to staff on a regular basis;

• Attend external meetings and participate on behalf of the School;

• Act as a mentor to junior colleagues.

• Manage a team of 8 professionally qualified staff.