Landsec
Head of Service Charge Accounting
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Head of Service Charge Accounting – Landsec
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 we’ve created the UK’s 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 country’s pre-eminent retail platform, and a residential pipeline that will redefine urban life. Our expertise spans over 80 years, honing the ability to spot opportunities, build partnerships, and continually adapt to shape places that meet the needs of a changing world.
Locations where life happens, businesses grow, and 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 across the country. The team sits at the heart of the organisation and plays a critical role in supporting Landsec’s 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, driving positive change.
THE ROLE
Core Responsibilities
The Head of Service Charge Accounting is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership of the Service Charge Accounting function, holding full accountability for:
- Budgeting, expenditure control, variance analysis, and insight to drive performance
- Robust and timely year-end reconciliations across the portfolio
This role acts as a strategic business partner, driving continuous improvement and automation, championing new systems and ways of working to ensure 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 high-performing team with strong technical capability. The role is committed to:
- advocating system-led solutions
- challenging the status quo
- embedding data-driven ways of working
Key Differentiators
- Own and deliver change initiatives from concept to implementation, ensuring lasting benefits
- Leverage new systems to deliver efficient, automated, and system-led solutions, challenging end-to-end processes across reporting, analysis, and insight
- Take full end-to-end ownership of service charge accounting outcomes, ensuring budgets, expenditure, reporting, and reconciliations are accurate, timely, well-governed, and value-driven
- Influence decision-making through transparency, control, and customer outcomes
- Shape governance, strengthening customer confidence and partnership through insight, best practices, and clear accountability
- Lead and develop a high-performing, specialised team, setting professional standards for ownership and continuous improvement
- Ensure the prominent performance and reputation of our flagship assets are maintained.
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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 a 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 decision-making through expertise, insight, and constructive challenge
Lead engagement with tenants, service charge consultants, and external partners, resolving issues while protecting Landsec’s reputation and customer trust.
- Work closely with external partners to conduct cost reviews, challenge spend, and drive efficiency and value-for-money.
Embody professional leadership, fostering proactive decision-making, judgement, and collaborative working, setting high standards across teams.
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Partner closely with the Operations team to lead service charge budgeting processes, ensuring robustness and alignment with business priorities and driving value.
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Influence and challenge budget assumptions.
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Review, challenge, and approve service charge budgets and year-end reconciliations, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and compliance with lease obligations.
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Oversee service charge expenditure across the portfolio:
- Proactively identify, investigate, and address variances
- Manage emerging risks
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Produce portfolio-level variance analysis with clear insights and actionable commentary for senior stakeholders.
Provide service charge expertise during acquisitions and disposals, ensuring risks, liabilities, and assumptions are accurately assessed and managed.
- Lead the review and allocation of central service charge costs, promoting fairness, transparency, and consistency.
- Champion system optimisation and process improvements, promoting new data tools, controls, and ways of working to drive efficiency, insights, and data quality.
- Maintain and keep up-to-date documentation of end-to-end finance processes.
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Review KPI performance and reporting in Power BI, providing clear narratives that support informed decision-making.
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Partner closely with the Development & Technology (D&T) team to develop standardised reports for service charge analytics, supporting decision-making.
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
Experience & Leadership
- Proven leadership experience, with a track record of building high-performing 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
Strategic & Commercial Acumen
- Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior business partner, influencing stakeholders across finance, operations, and external partners through insight and constructive challenge
- Highly analytical and commercially minded, with the confidence to challenge existing practices and recommend improvements
Execution & Approach
- Proactive, pragmatic solution-focused mindset
- Embrace continuous improvement and growth, with a willingness to challenge and evolve processes
- Resilient under pressure, demonstrating integrity, courage, and sound decision-making
Change & Improvement
- Track record of driving change from concept through to implementation, holding teams accountable and embedding improvements into standard operating procedures
- Strong prioritisation in a fast-paced, complex environment, balancing risk, deadlines, and stakeholder needs
Mindset & Behavioral Traits
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Strong change and improvement mindset, assessing processes effectively and embedding sustainable improvements
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Sharp communication skills, translating complex financial issues clearly to non-financial stakeholders
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Adaptable, willing to champion new systems and ways of working
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High accountability and ownership of deliverables and outcomes
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Balances detail pragmatism, ensuring accuracy and efficiency
Experience Note
Experience with service charge accounting would expedite the transition, but it is not mandatory. Landsec prioritises candidates who can build and lead a high-performing team, take ownership of processes, and actively drive system and operational improvements.
This role thrives on resilience, initiative, and proactive ownership, championing individuals wishing to make a meaningful impact and continuously evolve how we work.
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