Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, fueling the spirit of adventure in 23 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey 28 years’ ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has swiftly expanded to a global fleet of over 400 hundred open-top buses, turning 5 million tourists into explorers, every year. Big Bus Tours operates in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Istanbul, Miami, Muscat, Rome, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Darwin, Sydney, Vienna, Washington DC, Dublin, Singapore, Los Angeles and Berlin with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations, with complimentary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to make Big Bus Tours the number 1 thing to do in each world-famous city. In 2016, Merlin Entertainments PLC became a shareholder, offering a natural synergy with Big Bus Tours and Merlin attractions and experiences around the world. With entertaining guides and commentary and knowledge of the latest events in each city, the Big Bus City Crew leaves every passenger with a story to tell.

Overall Purpose

We require an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual to join the European Finance team in an Assistant Accountant role. The individual will have a strong focus on data processing, continuous improvement and a desire to implement positive change.

As a key part of the European Finance team, the purpose of this role is to oversee the delivery of a consistent and accurate transactional accounting service whilst ensuring that the team is managed and developed, operating with controls appropriate to the assessed risk.

Area of Accountability /Responsibility

E-commerce sales

• Take responsibility for the Group’s material rechargeable balances including intercompany invoicing for web and credit card sales, as well as cost recharges to subsidiaries
• Be a part of the project to transition our payment service provider, helping to ensure the correct structure, set up, process and reconciliation
• Manage the Head office expense claims process

Global trade

• Take ownership of our finance processes for our biggest B2B channel
• Produce billing and reconciliation on a monthly basis
• Work with global trade partners to ensure timely collection
• Manage new customer set up process for global trade
• Ensure local finance teams worldwide correctly account for intercompany sales
• Business partner with internal sales teams

Brand licensing

• Manage the billing and revenue accounting of brand licensing operations including Budapest, Istanbul and Munich
• Foster regular communication with brand licensing partners
• Maintain a clear reconciliation and audit trail for ongoing settlement of fees
• Develop a strong understanding of each contractual arrangement

Other

• Ad hoc duties where required within the European Finance team

Knowledge

• Knowledge of accounting, financial processes and business analysis
• Good understanding of travel/tourism industry is preferred

Skills

• Highly proficient in use of Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• An interest in data management/processing/ manipulation would be helpful
• Previous experience of SAP By Design and Concur Invoicing is preferred
• Excellent communication skills
• Time management
• Proven ability to manage multiple work streams at the same time while paying strict attention to detail
• Culturally sensitive, with experience of working with and directing people from and in different countries and cultures

Experience/Qualifications

• 2 or more years of previous experience in an accounting or auditing environment is required
• Degree level qualification, preferably in a relevant discipline (accounting and finance, business, economics)

Competencies

• Communication – Ability to express ideas or facts in a clear and persuasive manner
• Leadership – Motivates and inspires others to succeed, utilising appropriate styles. Has a clear vision of what is required and acts as a positive role model
• Strategic and Critical Thinking – Takes account of a wide range of longer-term issues, opportunities, and contingencies. Identifies the means of implementing plans in line with the vision and direction
• Analytical – Effectiveness in identifying problems, seeking pertinent data, recognising important information and identifying possible causes of problems
• Planning and Budgeting – Ability to establish efficiently an appropriate course of action for self/others to accomplish a goal
• Resilience – Able to maintain effectiveness in situations of disappointment and/or rejection
• Confidential - Able to manage data confidentially