Finance Assistant

About newcleo

Privately funded and headquartered in London, newcleo was launched in 2021 – and since raised a total of EUR 400m – to be an innovator in the field of nuclear energy. Its mission is to generate safe, clean, economic and practically inexhaustible energy for the world, through a radically innovative combination of existing, accessible technologies.

With visionary co-founders, newcleo capitalises on thirty years of R&D activity in metal-cooled fast reactors and liquid-lead cooling systems, and our senior management and advisory team can boast hundreds of years in cumulative hands-on experience.

newcleo’s technology, mostly comprising a novel approach to already qualified solutions, addresses equally well the three challenges affecting the nuclear industry to date: waste, safety and cost.

• Waste: fast reactors are capable of efficient use of depleted uranium, plutonium and Minor Actinides. When operated with MOX fuel generated from reprocessed nuclear waste, newcleo’s reactors not only ensure sustainability by closing the fuel cycle, but can also boost energy independence.
• Safety: lead-cooled reactors operate at atmospheric pressure. The properties of lead (thermal capacity and conductivity, boiling point, chemically inert, low neutron activation, shielding properties) together with newcleo’s passive safety systems ensure very high levels of safety.
• Cost: newcleo’s reactor design has been optimised over the last 20 years leading to the concept of an ultra-compact and transportable 200MWe module with improvements in energy density compared to other technologies. Costs are kept low by means of simplicity, compactness, modularity, atmospheric pressure operation and elevated output temperature.

newcleo is also working to significantly invest in MOX fuel manufacturing in developed countries, extracting energy from the current nuclear industry by-products.

newcleo is ready to develop a new, sustainable, and completely safe ways of generating nuclear energy that will help humanity reach zero emissions, and mitigate global warming.

Overview of the role:

The Finance Assistant will be employed in our UK Operations subsidiary (GenCo), working closely to support the Senior Finance Assistant [SFA] and the Financial Controller [FC] by providing transactional support, using accounting systems and maintaining accurate records. The role will also have some interaction with Group Finance colleagues.

The primary responsibility of this role is to ensure that business transactions are undertaken with sound financial backing and are compliant to rules laws and processes. The Finance Assistant will be responsible for supporting the SFA in maintaining accurate accounting records to ensure transactional compliance and the maintenance of supporting information.  The role is also responsible for the undertaking day to day Purchase Ledger UK activities for the UK businesses.  This role will work closely across the Finance team and Commercial & Procurement colleagues to ensure the accuracy of financial information, and to ensure that financial processes and procedures are followed.

This is an excellent opportunity for a finance professional looking for their next career move, to join a disruptive nuclear power start-up as it becomes established and develops mature processes.  The successful candidate will have some experience of working in accounting and or accounts payables / receivables, and an understanding of financial processes and accounting systems. 

The role will be based at the newcleo GenCo office (Manchester, NW England) with possible occasional travel requirements to other newcleo offices in the UK (London/ Gloucester) and overseas offices.

Main duties/role and responsibilities:

Including, but not limited to the following:

• Processing purchase invoices into the Accounts Payable ledger for UK based activities, ensuring all invoices are received and entered onto the ledger accurately. Matching to purchase orders and resolving any queries liaising with Procurement colleagues. Support the SFA with the Goods Receipting process. Securing approval to pay from budget holders. Assist in compiling 2-weekly payment register for approval.
• Support the SFA in managing the General Ledger.  Preparing journals for posting.  Running ledger reports and saving these. Support the SFA in preparing Balance Sheet reconciliations.
• Fixed Asset management of the Fixed Asset Register, ensuring additions and disposals are captured in a timely manner.  Running monthly depreciation processes, compiling journals for posting and ensuring accuracy and compliance to the relevant standards.
• Running reports and assisting the SFA and FC to complete bank reconciliations. Downloading bank statements and General Ledger reports.  Saving all supporting information.
• Running reports to identify payroll deductions and helping the SFA to prepare reconciliations and submissions to HMRC and other external bodies.
• Work closely with other members of a close-knit finance team to ensure the accuracy of financial information.
• Support the Financial Controller as required in the preparation of financial statutory requirements (e.g. accounts, tax returns, payroll compliance), working with the group finance team as appropriate.
• Awareness of foreign exchange transactions. 
• Assisting the FC to maintain a strong control environment.
• Provide support for ad-hoc financial analysis as needed.
• Participate in cross-functional teams to support business initiatives

Attributes/Experience Required:

• Experience in similar finance role.
• Knowledge of financial and accounting processes and procedures.  
• Knowledge of principles of Data Protection eg GDPR.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to form trusted relationships with multicultural stakeholders rapidly.
• Knowledge of MS Excel and PowerPoint.  Finance system experience. 
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• This role will evolve over the next few years as the business develops, and it will require a proactive and flexible approach to work. Flexibility, and the ability to prioritise competing demands and tasks will be essential.