Senior Management Accountant

THE ROLE

WiseEnergy is a trusted and established solar asset manager, offering all the services clients require to manage and optimize large-scale solar plants, from development and construction through to long-term operational asset management. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, passionate finance professional to support the delivery of finance asset management services to one of our most important clients in multiple international jurisdictions.

We are looking for someone who genuinely cares about the people they work with, naturally seeks to collaborate, and enjoys the buzz of good camaraderie. Although, as with all finance roles, you will need to have exceptional attention to detail, this role is not suitable for someone wanting to lock themselves away – you will need the right balance of introversion and extroversion to be comfortable in this role. In other words, you will be a key member of the team who can build and maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

The role is a senior role and will be expected to be part of the team to manage the finance operations for our assets in USA. You will also be expected to manage the finance operations for other regions as required either as a lead or supporting role.

For most of our assets in multiple regions, the current model is to oversee deliverables from outsourced service providers. As scale increases, the model is set to evolve with some of the regions setting up offices locally. This role is then expected to support the provision of financial services out of those markets.

Reporting to the Finance Manager based in London, the successful role holder will work with other accountants and professionals from other functions of the business. From time to time the successful candidate may be asked to perform tasks at the same level within our other range of funds/clients.

We have offices in multiple locations, however this role would be either from our office in Spain, EU or Hyderabad, India and we have a hybrid working model between working from the office and remotely. The hybrid arrangement is to be discussed and agreed with your line manager on a continuous basis and subject to changes.

There is an expectation of consistency and accuracy of outputs, as well as delivering and maintaining a high degree of customer service (internal and external). In view of this, you will be expected to appropriately flag issues and support their resolution through to the end and proactively drive continuous improvement. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Onboarding

• Verifying the documents against the onboarding checklist and cross-checking information availability in the virtual data room
• Collation of documentation required for KYC checks and admin support to setup/update applicable administrative & finance applications (e.g. online banking, Registered Agent etc.)
• Review of contracts to analyze financial impact in conjunction with the Commercial Department.

Accounting & Reporting

• Preparation and review of (monthly, quarterly, annual and ad hoc) management accounts and financial statements of SPVs and Holding companies ensuring accounting records are maintained to a high quality and in compliance with USA statutory rules and regulations. This will include consolidation
• Review of monthly book-keeping records for SPVs, Holdco and Topco either provided the subcontractor or prepared inhouse
• Preparation and review of the monthly Clearance Dashboard (portfolio level operational review) to assess the performance of the SPVs
• Management of compliance tracker - tracks financial deliverables to Group and to external investors and clients. This will involve coordinating with key stakeholders
• Inhouse finance function:
  • Assist in ERP implementation to onboard the SPVs from subcontractors
  • Coordinating and owning the strategy to fully in-house all SPVs, working closely with the internal Finance Transformation Team
• Audit: Manage the relationship with auditors providing all necessary deliverables and addressing queries
• Budget: Manage the annual operating budget process, coordinate with stakeholders and review updates to budget on quarterly basis.

Cash management

• Reviewing invoicing and payment processes
• Setting up bank accounts, managing the treasury activities
• Full ownership and tracking of cash and maintaining liquidity forecasts
• Review of fund management report to manage cash flow at Holding entities.

Systems and Processes

• Assist in documenting, designing and implementing systems (ERP, payments) and processes (control processes)
• Ensure all documentations are stored in an orderly format in common share drive.

Tax

• Maintain the tracker for all local tax compliance matters supporting the appointed tax advisors ensuring they are filed before the due dates
• Ensure all tax payments (like property taxes, etc.) are reviewed and made timely
• Review of tax returns (local, state and federal).

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with other Wise delivery functions – Technical, Commercial and Loan Management- within the jurisdictions named above (and others assigned in the future)
• Regular interaction and communication with the Client Portfolio Managers – the managers of the SPVs (the solar farms)
• Collaboration with local USA Accounting and Tax Subcontractors appointed.

Ad-hoc

• Given the dynamic nature of our business in the early-stage sector we operate in, the successful candidate is seen picking up ad hoc tasks as part of the team’s agility to provide the best service to its range of clients.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Time management & prioritization skills - things can get a little hectic, so the ability to effectively manage yourself and your workload is critical
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (in English or/and other European languages) - you must be able to organize your thoughts in a way that others find clear and compelling. You will be expected to together well-written, grammatically correct emails and other communications. When communicating verbally – whether over the phone, on video calls, in person or in meetings – you will need to be articulate, warm and engaging
• Flexibility - being an effective team player means being flexible in your approach and open to getting involved with new things, even if they are not spelt out in your job description
• Intellectual Curiosity – Finance is a broad and nuanced field and we are looking for someone who is truly interested in our profession and has the intellectual curiosity to delve deep into topics and bring fresh ideas to the team
• IT Literacy - you need to be comfortable with IT systems and working with data (you should have at least intermediate-level excel)
• Delivery focus – it may sound obvious, but the ability to proactively churn through work at pace and deliver quality outputs really matters
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Passion for our mission ‘to generate a more sustainable future by leading the transition to clean energy
• Our values: be a leader, build trust, be responsible, be innovative and ‘bring your alpha’.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS 

• ACCA/ ACA/CA qualification or similar (essential)
• Budgeting, forecasting and reporting skills (essential)
• Experience of multiple GAAPs (including consolidation) (IFRS, US GAAP) (essential)
• 3-4 years finance experience (essential)
• Capable in taking ownership and managing accounting software
• Knowledge of NetSuite (advantageous)
• A passion for process improvement and operational efficiency (essential)
• Renewable energy experience (highly desirable)
• Experience of working for multi-entity scale up businesses (desirable)
• Experience in overseeing or collaborating with third party service providers on behalf of clients notably local accountants, auditors and tax advisors (highly desirable)
• Superb presentation and conflict resolution skills, robust, resilient and articulate (essential)
• Advanced business level English (essential).

 WHAT WE OFFER

• A busy role in a supportive team, with plenty of opportunities to learn
• International scope – we operate in over 8 countries
• Hybrid working/remote working
• Annual discretionary bonus.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in this opportunity, please follow the link to apply or send your application to careers@nextenergygroup.com. If you have been shortlisted for the next stage, we will be in contact within 14 days.

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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our approach to diversity and inclusion is a natural extension of our values. Our entrepreneurial culture inspires us to try new things, be open to different viewpoints and be bold. Our Group is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of connectedness that values difference and gives space for individual expression. The collective sum of our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent and hard work form the bedrock of who we are and who we aspire to be.

We are committed to equal employment and advancement opportunity irrespective of race, color, ancestry, social background, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability and gender identity.

ABOUT US

NextEnergy Group was founded in 2007 to become a leading market participant in the international solar sector.  Since its inception, it has been active in the development, construction, and ownership of solar assets across multiple jurisdictions.  NextEnergy Group operates via its three business units: NextEnergy Capital (Investment Management), WiseEnergy (Operating Asset Management), and Starlight (Asset Development). 

NextEnergy Capital manages the Group's investment activities and has invested in over 520 solar plants, exceeding 2GW in capacity across its institutional funds.

• NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF): Listed on the London Stock Exchange, NESF manages 102 solar and energy storage assets in the UK and Italy, with a total installed capacity of 983MW and a gross asset value of £1,014m.
• NextPower II (NPII): A private fund of 105 solar plants (149MW) focused on Italy, successfully divested in January 2022, delivering net IRRs exceeding its 10-12% target.
• NextPower III ESG (NPIII ESG): A private fund targeting solar infrastructure in OECD countries (e.g., US, Spain, Italy), with $896m raised, exceeding its $750m target.
• NextPower UK ESG (NPUK ESG): A private fund dedicated to new-build solar plants in the UK, with ~£600m raised.
• NextPower V ESG (NPV ESG): A private OECD solar fund investing in solar and adjacent technologies like battery storage. To date, it has raised $745m, targeting $1.5bn ($2bn ceiling).

WiseEnergy® is NextEnergy Group’s operating asset manager.  WiseEnergy is a leading specialist operating asset manager in the solar sector.  Since its founding, WiseEnergy has provided solar asset management, monitoring, technical due diligence and under construction services to over 1,500 utility-scale solar power plants with an installed total capacity in excess of 3.4 GW.  WiseEnergy clients comprise leading banks and equity financiers in the energy and infrastructure sector.  

Starlight is NextEnergy Group’s development company that is active in the development phase of solar projects.  It has developed over 100 utility-scale projects internationally and continues to progress a large pipeline of c.10GW of both green and brownfield project developments across global geographies. 

NextSTEP is the venture capital fund of NextEnergy Group, dedicated to investing in innovative startups in the field of environmental sustainability. The fund primarily focuses on investments in Italy and the United Kingdom but also extends its reach to the rest of Europe and the United States, targeting startups in the pre-seed and seed stages. NextSTEP pays particular attention to emerging entities from incubators, startup accelerators, universities, and research centers, supporting projects that address global challenges in crucial areas such as Climate Change, Energy Transition, CO2 Capture and Sequestration, Circular Economy, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Fashion, Waste Management, Water and much more. 

NextEnergy Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 by the NextEnergy Group that operates internationally and whose mission is to proactively participate in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions by providing clean energy sources in regions where they are not yet available and thereby contributing to poverty reduction. As the main sponsor of this foundation, the NextEnergy Group donates at least 5% of its consolidated net profits each year. The NextEnergy Foundation has no overhead costs and therefore 100% of the funds raised go to donations for the various projects. Since 2016, in 8 years of operation the foundation has donated more than £1.2 million, supporting over 30 projects in 27 different countries around the world.