Description
Service Charge Analyst
East London | Hybrid
£40,000–£45,000 pro rata
Initial two-month contract, likely ongoing
We are looking for an experienced Service Charge Analyst to join a developing finance team and help complete the 2024/25 and 2025/26 service charge accounts.
This is a hands-on delivery role for someone who enjoys working with detailed financial information, investigating discrepancies and seeing complex reconciliation work through to completion. You will be responsible for reviewing, correcting and remapping financial data to ensure that service charge costs have been allocated accurately and that balancing charges are correctly identified.
The organisation is strengthening its service charge processes and financial controls, so this is an excellent opportunity to make a tangible contribution. Alongside completing the outstanding accounts, you will help identify improvements that support more accurate, consistent and transparent service charge accounting in future years.
Key responsibilities
- Review and reconcile the 2024/25 and 2025/26 service charge accounts.
- Analyse and reapportion costs in line with lease requirements.
- Identify and correct cost misallocations and accounting treatment issues.
- Investigate variances and undertake detailed reconciliations.
- Prepare and support the issue of accurate balancing charges.
- Work with Finance and operational teams to validate costs, data and assumptions.
- Identify risks relating to income recovery, cost allocation and financial accuracy.
- Support and manage the service charge audit process.
- Provide clear supporting information and respond to audit queries.
- Maintain robust audit trails for financial decisions and adjustments.
- Help improve coding structures, apportionment methods, reconciliation processes and data quality.
- Work independently to resolve outstanding issues and complete accounts within agreed timescales.
About you
You will need strong experience of financial analysis, reconciliations and variance investigation, together with advanced Excel and data manipulation skills. Previous service charge experience within the housing sector is essential, as is an understanding of leasehold accounting and service charge requirements.
You should be comfortable analysing cost allocations, identifying financial issues and developing practical solutions. A high level of accuracy and attention to detail is important, alongside the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
The role involves working closely with both Finance and operational colleagues, so you will also need confident communication skills and the ability to ask questions or constructively challenge information where appropriate.
Experience using MRI, Orchard Accounts or Open Accounts would be beneficial. Experience of supporting or managing financial audits would also be advantageous.
This position would suit a practical, solutions-focused analyst who takes ownership of their work and enjoys getting into the detail. You should be comfortable working independently while contributing positively to a small and collaborative team.
The role offers hybrid working, with attendance in East London. Exact working hours will be confirmed during the recruitment process.
If you have strong housing service charge experience and are ready to help deliver accurate, transparent and well-supported accounts, we would be pleased to hear from you.