Introduction
Our client within the higher education and research sector is seeking an experienced Cost Accountant to support research budgeting, proposal costing, and post award financial management.
The successful candidate will ensure accurate, compliant, and funder aligned costing at proposal stage, while maintaining rigorous financial monitoring and forecasting throughout the project lifecycle. This role plays a key part in safeguarding financial sustainability, full cost recovery, and audit readiness across research portfolios.
Duties & Responsibilities Pre Award Budgeting and Costing
• Develop detailed and defensible research budgets aligned to scientific workplans
• Apply funder specific costing rules and ensure full overhead recovery where permitted
• Prepare budget justifications and coordinate internal approval processes
• Consider multi year phasing, contingencies, and foreign exchange risk
Project Setup and Controls
• Establish cost centres and budget structures within ERP and grants systems
• Implement appropriate budget controls and reporting frameworks
Post Award Monitoring and Forecasting
• Monitor actual spend versus budget and analyse variances
• Forecast burn rate and Estimate at Completion
• Recommend re budgets, amendments, and corrective actions
• Ensure expenditure eligibility and correct cost allocation
Compliance and Governance
• Ensure adherence to funder terms and institutional finance policies
• Support audit readiness and maintain accurate financial records
• Apply VAT, asset management, and data protection requirements appropriately
Stakeholder Support
• Provide financial advisory support to Principal Investigators and research teams
• Deliver guidance on costing templates, compliance, and reporting requirements
• Collaborate with HR, Procurement, Legal, and Finance teams
Systems and Process Improvement
• Maintain and improve costing models and templates
• Support system enhancements and reporting dashboards
• Identify efficiencies to improve turnaround time and accuracy
Desired Experience & Qualification
Minimum Requirements
• BCom in Accounting, Finance or Management Accounting
• Minimum 3 to 5 years’ experience in budgeting, management accounting, or research finance
• Experience within higher education, research, or grant funded environments is highly advantageous
• Strong understanding of cost allocation principles and financial compliance
• Knowledge of public sector funding frameworks and compliance requirements is beneficial
• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, lookups, and financial modelling
Professional certification such as CIMA or progress toward CIMA will be advantageous.
Key Competencies
• Strong analytical and problem solving ability
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple proposals and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgement
• Resilient and able to perform under pressure during peak submission periods
Key Performance Indicators
• Budget accuracy and forecast reliability
• On time submission of proposal budgets
• Effective overhead recovery
• Positive stakeholder feedback
• Audit compliance and clean audit outcomes
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