Treasury Accountant

The Organisation

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development. 

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us!

The Role

Reporting to the Group Financial Accountant, the Treasury Accountant will be responsible for the management and administration of the day-to-day activities of the centralised treasury function of the SKA Observatory, and providing treasury support to the Finance Managers and Finance & Procurement Business Partners located across the three host countries.

Initially the Treasury Accountant will focus on the administration related to rolling out host country banking arrangements and corporate credit card schemes, and fostering the working relationships with banks and lenders.

The role will have a strong focus on cash management, responsible for consolidating and reporting on cash actuals and forecasting across the global operations of SKAO. As SKAO is now in its busy construction phase, the Treasury Accountant will be responsible for ensuring that payments are remitted as they fall due, safeguarding SKAO’s cash and confirming availability in the correct currency when required. The role will also place trades to buy and sell currency and propose the best approaches to minimise SKAO’s currency risk. The Treasury Accountant will also be responsible for investing SKAO’s surplus funds and monitoring the counterparty risk of those investments.

The role would suit an individual with experience of working in a complex small-medium multi-currency treasury environment, who has experience of developing and enhancing existing treasury policies and procedures and hedging strategies. The ideal candidate will have experience of working in or with public sector or not-for-profit organisations, or on the working capital management of a large-scale infrastructure project. We are looking for a creative strategic thinker, but someone who can also implement and operate best-practice transactional level treasury tasks.

This role will be based at the SKAO Headquarters at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, UK, and flexibility around working hours will be accommodated in agreement with the Line Manager and where operationally viable.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties

The Treasury Accountant will:

• Manage the multi-currency cash-flow on a daily basis, including consolidation of short-term and long-term forecasting;
• Ensure completion and timeliness of supplier payments;
• Manage investment of the SKA Observatory’s surplus cash, including identifying suitable investment opportunities;
• Manage inter-company cash lending and borrowing;
• Hedging of foreign exchange and other cost risks;
• Support the finance team with fair valuation calculations for hedging activity;
• Month-end posting of treasury related accounting;
• Support the finance teams with bank reconciliation queries;
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure funding availability;
• Identify and implement methods to reduce costs associated with payment providers, banking and borrowing;
• Act as administrator of banking functions and handle bank administration;
• Manage and administer the corporate credit card programme and facility;
• Prepare monthly management information reports concerning the Treasury function and assist with preparation and presentation of financial reports for the Finance Committee, Board and Council;
• Provide budgetary and forecast information concerning costs associated with the SKA Observatory’s financing costs and interest income;
• Review and enhance the Treasury & Financial Investment Management Policy and associated procedures for the SKA Observatory;
• Document treasury processes, along with key risks and controls, in the form of Internal Control Statements (ICS), and perform annual walkthrough tests as required;
• Work alongside the ERP System Manager and Group Financial Accountant to continuously improve the ERP system treasury processes, controls and reports;
• Support the finance teams with internal and external audit queries concerning treasury matters;
• Support the CFO by monitoring changes in banking and lending legislation and regulations and its applicability to IGOs;
• Train finance and non-finance staff as required;
• Undertake any other reasonable duties, such as assisting with other business activities, as directed by the CFO or other senior managers.

Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• CCAB accounting qualification with at least two years’ experience in treasury roles, or AMCT qualified or working towards qualification with at least five years’ experience in treasury roles (equivalent qualifications will be considered);
• Experience in a similar role within a complex multi-currency business;
• Experience in managing foreign exchange risk and placing deals to mitigate such risk;
• Experience as the administrator of bank accounts, online banking, and corporate credit card schemes, preferably in a global group treasury capacity;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, demonstrable through experience of writing formal business papers such as Board or Finance Committee reports;
• Experience of documenting policies, processes, risks and controls;
• Ability to self-manage projects through to completion;
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint;
• Experience of consolidating complex multi-currency cash flow models in Excel and liaison with internationally located finance teams to ensure accuracy;
• Problem solver with the ability to manage conflicting priorities and work to deadlines;
• A self-motivated team player who is flexible and adaptable to change.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of IFRS or IPSAS accounting standards;
• Experience of managing banking relationships and/or lender relationships;
• Experience of presenting formal reports to management, Boards and Committees;
• Experience of working in a public sector or not-for-profit environment;
• Experience of managing the working capital of a large-scale infrastructure project;
• Experience of working alongside and assisting with development of a multi-currency ERP system;
• Management and/or co-ordination of remote staff.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement

SKA Observatory recognises that our diversity is a strength. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive. As such, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the core of SKA Observatory’s agenda.

Our aim is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, nationality or background.

Women have traditionally been under-represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA Observatory welcomes and encourages female applicants. 

Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the recruitment process, these will be provided.

SKA Observatory welcome all candidates, especially those from member countries.

The “How to Apply” information contained within the SKA Observatory recruitment portal provides more detail regarding our application and selection approach.