TRAC/Project Accountant

FTE: 0.6FTE (working 22.2 hours per week)/0.8FTE (working 29.6 hours per week)

Duration of Contract: Permanent

Salary: UH8 46,970pa pro rata to £59,390pa pro rata by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience

Annual Leave: 30 days pro rata pa plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year

Location: Hatfield

Main duties and responsibilities

The successful applicant for this role will lead the completion, quality assurance and submission of the University’s annual Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) return. You will manage and coordinate the annual Time Allocation Survey (TAS), ensuring the timely collection, validation and analysis of academic activity data, while supporting the implementation and ongoing development of the Workload Allocation Management System (WAMS). Working closely with Schools and Professional Services, you will lead the collection, review and validation of TRAC-related data, analysing outcomes and providing meaningful insight and reporting for the TRAC Steering Group and other internal stakeholders. You will also maintain specialist knowledge of TRAC methodologies, guidance and sector developments through engagement with relevant professional networks, conferences and practitioner groups.

You will manage and develop the University’s overhead allocation model, ensuring that cost drivers and allocations remain transparent, robust and aligned with TRAC principles. The role will also undertake and coordinate ad hoc costing exercises, data returns and analysis required by external bodies, including the Office for Students and Department for Education. In addition, you will lead the year-end reconciliation of research and other externally funded projects, ensuring compliance with accounting policies, accurate revenue recognition, reconciliation of control accounts and the provision of high-quality audit evidence. You will maintain and develop costing models and financial analysis for other commercial or educational delivery activities and support the annual planning and budgeting process through the provision of financial analysis and modelling.

Skills and experience required

For this role you will need to have previous experience of working in a financial environment, including experience of providing financial advice, support and influence to non-finance colleagues, as well as experience of using accounting packages within large/complex organisations. With excellent IT skills, including advanced Excel, you will have a proven record of development and achievement in the provision of management information and be able to analyse and interpret financial data. You will combine business partnering with financial principles and have a strong understanding of budgetary control processes and the principles of devolved budget management. Proven time management and organisation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities successfully ensuring reporting deadlines are met, whilst also responding to in a timely manner to ad hoc queries is essential.

Qualifications required

You will be a Qualified member of a professional accounting qualification (CCAB) – level achieved to be clearly stated on application. You will be educated with a minimum of Degree or equivalent or substantial proven professional work experience.

Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria.

We regret that we are unable to offer UKVI sponsorship for this post; applicants will either hold UK Right to Work or demonstrate access to UK Right to Work before an offer is made.

Contact Details/Informal Enquiries: Jason Khangura, Group Management Accountant, 07540528770, j.khangura@herts.ac.uk

Closing Date: 27 October 2026

Interview Date: TBC

Reference Number: REQ000914

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