Costing Manager

Are you a qualified accountant who thrives in complex analytical environments?

We’re seeking a confident and technical Costing Manager to own key costing processes and produce insights to influence senior decision making.

You will have the opportunity to develop expert knowledge of course costing and TRAC (Transparent Approach to Costing), a costing methodology specific to the Higher Education Sector. We have also developed course costing information from the TRAC data, which is of growing importance to the University.

Your role will involve:

• Managing the full TRAC process, liaising with colleagues across the university to collate the relevant data.
• Ensuring our process complies with the latest TRAC requirements and submissions to OfS.
• Producing course costing information and updating the dashboard (Power BI).
• Assisting members of the team and academic colleagues with understanding course costing results.
• Producing the resource allocation model (internal management report).
• Preparing and presenting reports for senior management.
• Leading the TRAC steering group, chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

This is a highly technical, intensive cyclical role requiring a balance of analytical rigour with confident, clear communication. You’ll benefit from high levels of autonomy and ownership of a key institutional process. Additionally, your input into the new course costing system will be vital in shaping new ways of working within the team.

You’ll liaise with Finance Business Partners and senior management regularly as well as Estates, Space, Research Innovation Services and Core Research Facilities, developing strong working relationships, distilling costing concepts for non-financial audiences, and educating colleagues on the importance and value of TRAC processes.

About you

Our ideal candidate will:

• Be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA etc).
• Have experience with activity-based costing.
• Be confident presenting insights to senior leaders.
• Enjoy working with data and analysis, and be able to interpret the reasons underlying the results.
• Take ownership of the process, use judgement and communicate complex information.
• Be confident in learning to use new and different systems, although support and training will be provided.

Experience of TRAC alongside an interest in the Higher Education sector and how Universities are funded is desirable.

About us

You'll join a team of experienced accountants and accounting technicians, providing reporting, budgeting and forecasting information to both the Academic and Professional Service departments and to external funding and regulatory bodies. Our team sits within the Finance & Procurement department, reporting to the Director of Finance.

Hybrid working is one of the many ways we recognise the importance of achieving a positive work life balance. Whilst the exact days you can work remotely will differ between teams and departments, it should provide you with greater flexibility, provided you are in the UK. Learn more about our future ways of working and explore further at interview.

Further information

This role is hybrid, with an expectation of 1 day on site per week. We are based in the Virgil Building in the centre of Bath and there will be a requirement to work on the main campus at times. 

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

What we can offer you

We're continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Free counselling services through Health Assured.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym.
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees.
• Staff discount on language courses.
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes.
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance.
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more.
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath.
• Local discounts and more.
• A family-friendly workplace.
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance.
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses.