Head of Service Charge Accounting

WE ARE LANDSEC

We identify and shape places that create opportunity enhance quality of life and bring joy to the people connected to them.

This is how weve created the UKs leading portfolio of urban places and one of the largest real estate companies in Europe.

Our 10 billion portfolio is built around premium workplaces the countrys pre-eminent retail platform and a residential pipeline that will redefine urban life.

Weve honed this ability over 80 years. Spotting the opportunities building the partnerships and continually adapting to shape the places that meet the needs of a changing world.

Places where life happens. Where businesses grow. And where cities are defined.

LOCATION

This role is based at London Victoria and offers hybrid working (Minimum 3 days in the office).

THE TEAM

You will lead the Service charge Accounting team within Group Finance working closely with colleagues across Finance Operations Financial Reporting Commercial Finance as well as our Operations and site teams based at head office and at our shopping centres and office assets across the country. The team sits at the heart of the organisation and plays a key role in supporting Landsecs internal and external financial reporting including service charge reporting to customers.

The team culture is collaborative supportive and focused on continuous improvement. You will work alongside experienced finance professionals who value clear communication teamwork strong analytical skills and a proactive mindset that embraces accountability and delivers positive change.

THE ROLE

The Head of Service Charge Accounting is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership of the Service Charge Accounting function. The role holds full accountability for the integrity governance and transparency of service charge budgeting expenditure control variance analysis and insight to drive performance as well as robust and timely yearend reconciliations across the portfolio.

Acting as a strategic business partner the role drives continuous improvement and automation champions new systems and ways of working and ensures service charge processes deliver value for money regulatory compliance and customer confidence. The Head of Service Charge Accounting is a role model for the team setting high standards for performance accountability and control while building a highperforming team with strong technical capability advocating system-led solutions and challenging the status quo.

A core expectation of the role is to drive change and improvements proactively identifying opportunities to simplify processes improve controls enhance reporting quality and embed more efficient datadriven ways of working across the service charge lifecycle.

What makes this role unique

• You will not simply identify improvement opportunities but own and deliver change initiatives from concept through to implementation making this a role that truly creates lasting benefits.

• You will proactively leverage new systems to deliver efficient automated and system-led solutions challenging the status quo and improving end-to-end processes across reporting analysis and insight.

• You will take the full endtoend ownership of service charge accounting outcomes with accountability for ensuring budgets expenditure reporting and reconciliations are accurate and timely well governed and deliver value across the Landsec portfolio.

• You will work closely with senior stakeholders across finance operations and property building strong partnerships and influencing decisionmaking to improve transparency control and customer outcomes.

• You will shape how service charge governance is delivered strengthening confidence with customers and stakeholders through clear accountability insight and consistent application of best practice.

• You will lead and develop a highperforming specialist team setting the standard for ownership professionalism and continuous improvement within the Service Charge Accounting function.

• You will play a visible role in the performance and reputation of our flagship assets.

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead develop and inspire the Service Charge Accounting team with full accountability for recruitment onboarding performance management capability development and succession planning to ensure high performing future-ready function.

• Set clear expectations and standards embedding a culture of ownership accountability continuous improvement and customer focus.

• Build strong credible relationships with internal stakeholders acting as a trusted advisor on service charge matters and influencing decisionmaking through expertise insight and constructive challenge.

• Lead engagement with tenants service charge consultants and external partners resolving issues pragmatically while protecting Landsecs reputation and customer trust.

• Work closely with our external partners to conduct cost reviews challenge spend and drive efficiency and valueformoney outcomes.

• Act as a role model for proactive leadership professional judgement and collaborative working setting the tone for high standards and constructive partnership across teams.

• Work closely with the Operations team and take ownership of service charge budgeting processes ensuring robustness consistency and alignment with operational plans and business priorities. Influence and positively challenge the budget assumptions driving value for the business and customers.

• Review challenge and approve service charge budgets and yearend reconciliations ensuring accuracy transparency and full compliance with lease obligations and bestpractice requirements.

• Oversee service charge expenditure across the portfolio proactively identifying investigating and addressing variances and emerging risks.

• Produce and own portfoliolevel variance analysis providing clear insight and actionable commentary to senior stakeholders.

• Provide service charge expertise to support acquisitions and disposals ensuring risks liabilities and assumptions are clearly understood accurately assessed and effectively managed.

• Lead the review and allocation of central service charge costs ensuring fairness transparency and consistency.

• Drive system optimisation and process improvement initiatives championing new tools controls and ways of working to improve efficiency insight and data quality.

• Continued maintenance of process documentation ensuring endtoend finance processes are clearly documented kept up to date and aligned to current controls governance requirements and ways of working.

• Review KPI performance and reporting leveraging Power BI providing clear narrative and insights that support informed management action.

• Partner closely with the D&T team to create and develop a suite of reports for Service Charge providing clear standardised analysis and insight into the business supporting decision making.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Proven leadership experience with a strong track record of building highperforming teams and driving accountability ownership and consistent delivery against expectations and deadlines.

• Solid understanding of complex budgeting accruals reconciliations and variance analysis ensuring accuracy and strong financial governance.

• Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior business partner influencing stakeholders across finance operations and external partners through insight and constructive challenge driving performance.

• Highly analytical and commercially minded with the confidence to challenge existing practices and recommend improvements.

• Proactive pragmatic and solutionsfocused approach with a continuous improvement and growth mindset and the ability to challenge and improve processes

• Resilient in the face of challenges and adversity whilst demonstrating integrity and courage through decision making.

• Track record of driving change from concept through to implementation holding teams to account for delivery and ensuring improvements are embedded into businessasusual governance and ways of working

• Strong ability to prioritise effectively in a fastpaced complex environment making sound transparent decisions where there are competing deadlines risks and stakeholder needs.

• Strong change and improvement mindset with the ability to pragmatically assess existing processes challenge the status quo and embed sustainable improvements.

• Strong communication skills able to distil complex financial issues clearly for nonfinancial stakeholders.

• Agile and flexible willing to champion new systems and ways of working

• High level of accountability and ownership of deliverables and outcomes

• Demonstrated ability to manage detail pragmatically balancing accuracy with efficiency and business priorities.

Experience with service charge accounting would be helpful in getting up to speed but it is not essential. We are most interested in individuals who can build and lead a highperforming team take ownership of processes and actively drive system and operational improvements. The role calls for someone with resilience initiative and a proactive handson approach who is motivated to make a meaningful impact and continuously evolve how we work.

Life and Benefits at Landsec

We have a great benefits package there to support you with your work-life balance and in moments that matter. We offer fantastic Learning and Development opportunities to help you grow and reach your potential and we also play our part in supporting the communities where we live and work.

Below are some of our core benefits make sure to visit our My Total Reward page for more information.

• Performance based annual bonus plan

• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) rising to 27 days after 2 years and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days each year. Enjoy an additional three-day December festive break on top of your leave and a special My Day to take off for whatever you choose.

• Enhanced pension contributions Landsec will contribute up to 10.5% subject to your contribution.

• Private medical insurance Health Cash Plan Life assurance and income protection.

• Enhanced maternity adoption shared parental leave policies (view our Family policies page for more details)

• Two different share plans enabling you to share in the success you will help to build

• Up to 4 working days to volunteer per year and Give As You Earn programmes allowing you to donate to charities straight out of your pay and we top up by 20%

And when it comes to your health and wellbeing you will also have access to other benefits: our employee assistance programme digital GP cycle to work scheme a mindfulness app and a health app supporting fertility and menopause

Diversity and Inclusion

At Landsec we value diversity & inclusion. We work to better reflect the diversity of the communities we work within and empower everyone who works at Landsec to realise their potential.

We strive to ensure all our information and services are accessible to andusableby everyone. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or would like us to do anything differently to help you apply for our roles please get in touch with our recruitment partners by emailing

To find out more about our approach visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

Required Experience:

Director

Employment Type : Full-Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1