PROJECT ACCOUNTANT POSITION DESCRIPTION

Transcription

1 PROJECT ACCOUNTANT Primary Location: Employment Status: Term: Project/s: Western Sydney Office Full time Two-year term Various The Project Accountant is accountable and responsible for the various processes and functions as outlined under Primary Objectives. Please refer to the full Position Description attached for further details. To apply, please highlight your relevant and specific skills, knowledge and experience by ing a detailed cover letter and resume to recruitment@landcom.nsw.gov.au by 5:00pm Friday 12 January For further information, or if you wish to refer a suitable candidate for this position, please contact Rachel Quinn, Human Resources Manager, on (02) POSITION DESCRIPTION Position Reference Classification Grade Division Location Reports to Direct Reports PROJECT ACCOUNTANT PD - X Landcom Officer Level 6 Corporate Services - Finance CBD & Western Sydney Office Financial Planning & Analysis Manager Nil Landcom use only

2 - 2- ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT Landcom is the NSW Government s land and property development organisation. We are a state owned corporation working in conjunction with the private sector to produce quality housing and communities that also delivers social and economic benefits to the people of New South Wales. Our role is to deliver on the NSW Government s housing agenda, which is currently focused on housing supply, affordability and diversity. We aim to achieve this on strategic and complex residential projects on both vacant land and established sites. We use Government owned sites and our close working relationships with the private sector to deliver quality residential communities that demonstrate industry-leading sustainable urban development. This is directly aligned with our Sustainability Strategy and its four goals focused on social, environmental, accountable and economic sustainability. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES The Project Accountant is responsible for: Acting as Project Accountant on a program of development projects. Completing the project accounting, project forecasting and project reporting process for their portfolio of projects. Providing insightful monthly analysis and reporting on the performance against budgets and forecasts. Contributing analysis, information and assistance as required by management as part of the forecasting process. RESPONSIBILITIES Project Accounting and Reporting Prepare, analyse, monitor and report project financial information including budgets, expenditure, forecasts, cost control and cash flows. Identify and report on expenditure, budget and income variations as well as implementing monitoring processes to provide for effective project management. Business partnering focus establishing strong relationships with development teams by embedding with the business to ensure full awareness of the status and issues around the project and can proactively assist the development teams as needed. Assist the Development teams in the preparation and update of budgets and forecasts including robust review and challenge of the numbers, ensuring all deadlines are met. Review submissions/ finance committee/ board reports emanating from projects responsible for to ensure financial accuracy prior to formal submission for approval. For projects in your program, review of costs coded to projects, journal processing for projects in your program (including settlement and cost of sales journals) and ensuring accruals and billings occur accurately and in a timely manner. For projects in your program, hold regular project review meetings with development team (outside of Quarterly review process) to ensure issues are identified early and picked up in advance of forecast updates. Review and interpret project delivery agreements and ensure the system is set up appropriately to calculate development returns and distributions to all parties. Strong system and project structure knowledge to be able to create reports and provide analysis in a short time frame. Liaise with project partners and provide information and reports as required.

3 - 3- Manage the project accounting and reporting team members to ensure that all deadlines are achieved. Assist the finance team, as required, with special projects, systems administration, new system implementations and other duties as requested. Non-Project Forecasting In partnership with HR, lead the headcount/ salary forecasting process to create the salary and capitalised overhead budget/forecast and corporate overhead rates. Prepare insightful analysis on non-project business unit costs and revenues to highlight areas of inefficiency or potential savings. Provide business unit heads with budget/ forecast versus actual information in a timely manner to ensure costs are being controlled appropriately. Manage the non-project forecasting team members to ensure that all deadlines are achieved. Business Planning and Forecasting and Reporting (Quarterly (Q) review process) Assist the Finance Manager Project & Portfolio and Financial Modelling & Analyst with any tasks required during the preparation and update of budgets and forecasts including robust review and challenge of the numbers. Organise, attend project review meetings during the Q review process, and robustly challenge the forecast to ensure it is as accurate as possible. Contribute to the corporate level 10-year Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cashflow and supporting schedules and analysis for review, ensuring numbers at the corporate level are accurate and explainable. Preparing insightful reports with clear analysis that explains Landcom s performance against forecast and budgets including reports to the finance committee, board and treasury including revenue, margin, and expenditure by project. Monitor and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of performance in compliance with basic policies, use of resources and targets set out in the Business Plans and Statement of Corporate Intent (SCI). Monitor financial information for Landcom against monthly and quarterly forecasts and benchmarks/targets and identify differences to SCI or previous quarterly review. General Responsibilities Provide advice and assistance to other finance team members as requested. Liaise and collaborate with the financial accounting team including keeping that team aware of the status of projects, when large settlements are occurring, seeking advice on accounting treatment etc. Assist the CFO, as required, with special projects, systems administration, and new system implementations and other tasks and duties as they arise. Interpret Landcom s key performance indicators when preparing reports and recommending remedial action to development staff. Conform to Landcom s policies and practices and comply with Landcom procedures and probity requirements, Anti-discrimination and Work Health and Safety legislation and promote the establishment of equal employment opportunity in accordance with agreed Government policy.

4 - 4- Ensure 100% participation in the Landcom Performance Management scheme and provide direction, guidance and feedback to direct reports to ensure organisational and personal development objectives are achieved. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE and QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge and Experience The position requires: Understanding of the fundamentals of property development and have a working knowledge of the construction, building, property and land development industries and industry performance norms and performance indicators. Strong management and consulting skills with commitment, dedication and initiative. Significant experience in Real Estate Development, Capital Transactions and Business Development. Demonstrated experience working within a commercial financial function in a substantially diverse and complex organisation. A strong customer focus, outward, upward, consistent with, and sensitive to, customer expectations. A demonstrated track record driving and delivering transformative change, continuous improvement and innovation to deliver quality outcomes. Strong knowledge and expertise in modelling methodologies, processes and systems. Sound understanding of financial management, including budget and reporting. Demonstrated high-level analytical, conceptual and tactical thinking. Excellent organisational and time management skills and the capacity to manage heavy workload within tight timeframes. Demonstrated capability in project accounting or similar position ideally within the land property development industries. Proven experience in business planning, financial modelling and in the review of business strategies associated with a major trading organisation. Experience in analysing numbers, as well as formulating and writing reports in a succinct manner for senior management and board audiences. Extensive experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and cash flow preparation and management in a high volume project related environment. Knowledge of the Australian Accounting Standards and concepts, general finance and current and emerging accounting issues, particularly as they relate to land property development. Advanced excel modelling skills and property finance knowledge (IRRs, discounted cashflows, NPVs etc.). Knowledge of the Landcom Corporation Act 2001, the Public Finance & Audit Act, the State Records Act, EEO and Work Health & Safety (WHS) requirements, as well as state owned corporation systems, policies, procedures and practices. Effective communication, negotiation, presentation and training skills, particularly related to the transfer of complex concepts, models and information into easily understood language. Strong alignment with Landcom values particularly strong accountability and collaboration skills and a can do attitude. Demonstrated capability in project accounting or similar position ideally within the land property development industries Proven experience in business planning, financial modelling and in the review of business strategies associated with a major trading organisation. Experience in analysing numbers, as well as formulating and writing reports in a succinct manner for senior management and board audiences.

5 - 5- Extensive experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and cash flow preparation and management in a high volume project related environment. Skills Strong strategic planning, forward thinking and business skills. High-level written and oral communication, presentation and facilitation skills. Well-developed interpersonal, conflict resolution, communication and negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to apply strategic level thinking, problem solving and decisionmaking to the resolution of complex problems. Strong business partnering, stakeholder management and communication skills. Qualifications Tertiary qualifications in accounting. CA/ CPA member. Ongoing professional development involving finance, analysis, research, computer applications and report writing are highly desirable. COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Business Acumen Applies an understanding of business fundamentals and financial skills to the position. Relationship Management Works with own team members, other teams, and external providers to ensure the success of our projects. Team Management Contributing to individual and team deliverables in a customer focus manner in accordance with Landcom project demands. Customer Focus - Proactively developing customer relationships by making efforts to listen to and understand the customer (both internal and external); Anticipating and providing solutions to customer needs; Giving high propriety to customer satisfaction; developing and sustaining productive stakeholder relationships. Time & Priority Management - Establish a course of action to accomplish specific goals to meet tight deadlines in a high-pressure environment; Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Building Relationships - Works with own team members, other teams, and external providers to ensure the success of our projects. Teamwork & Collaboration - Work effectively and proactively with team/work group; take actions that respect the needs and contributions of others; contribute to and accept consensus; open-minded and willing to adopt new approaches and techniques. Communication - Expressing ideas effectively in individual and group situations (including nonverbal and written communication); Adjusting language or terminology to the characteristics and needs of the audience. Results Orientation - Consistently deliver required business results; sets and achieves achievable goals; consistently complies with quality, service and productivity standards and

6 - 6- meets deadlines. Influencing - Asserts own ideas and persuades others, gaining support and commitment from others; mobilizes people to take action, using creative approaches to motivate others to meet goals. Developing Others - Planning and supporting the development of individuals skills and abilities so that they can fulfil current or future job/ position responsibilities more effectively. Planning & Organising - Establish a course of action to ensure that work is completed efficiently; Strong organisational and planning skills