Personal Accountant and Administrator

Job Summary : The Personal Accountant and Administrator keeps complete, accurate and reconciled financial records for a family with bank accounts and assets. Records cover the principals, their children, extended family support and household staff. The role is the family's day-to-day contact with bank relationship managers on operational matters. It tracks major spending against approved budgets, reconciles transactions between personal accounts and the family's businesses, and keeps documents, renewals and adviser deadlines under control. The job holder works independently and prepares payments for approval; they do not release payments or make investment decisions. Family expense accounting and reconciliation • Record all personal and family income and expenditure across bank accounts, credit cards and cash. • Categorise each transaction by family member, cost centre and expense category. • Track regular support payments and medical costs for extended family against agreed amounts. • Reconcile all bank accounts, credit cards and cash balances monthly and resolve discrepancies. • Keep supporting receipts and invoices for every transaction and obtain any that are missing. Identify unusual spending, duplicate charges, unused subscriptions and avoidable fees. Household budget and household staff costs • Prepare monthly and annual household budgets for approval and monitor spending against them. • Maintain the schedule of recurring bills, including utilities, telecoms, insurance, groceries and maintenance. • Maintain records of household staff salaries, advances, reimbursements, leave, air tickets, visa and medical insurance costs, and end-of-service gratuity. • Manage and reconcile the household petty cash float. Confirm goods and services received with household staff and suppliers before payment is prepared. Banking operations • Act as the family's day-to-day contact with relationship managers at its banks on operational matters. • Handle service requests, including statements, cards and limits, cheque books, standing orders, beneficiaries, account updates and KYC renewals. • Prepare transfer and payment instructions for approval and file all confirmations. • Monitor balances, scheduled debits, cheque clearances and minimum balance requirements. • Prepare documentation for cross-border transfers and account remittances. Obtain bank charges and foreign exchange quotations on request. Business and personal reconciliation • Record and reconcile reimbursements, drawings, loans and transfers between personal accounts and the family's businesses. • Identify business expenses paid personally, submit claims to the relevant company finance team and follow up until reimbursed. Agree the balance with each company finance team monthly. Major spending and project budgets • Projects: maintain the project budget; track contractor and supplier payments against approved quotes, milestones, variations and retentions; reconcile invoices with the project manager; report cumulative spend against budget. • Property: keep separate records of rent, service charges, maintenance, utilities and insurance for each property. Maintain rental schedules covering rent due, overdue collections, security deposits and tenancy renewals; follow up with property managers and escalate collection delays. • Education: maintain a term-by-term schedule of school fees and related costs for each child. Travel and vehicles: track family travel, vehicle finance, insurance, registration, servicing, fuel, tolls and fines. Documents and renewals • Set up and maintain a secure, searchable digital filing system with consistent naming and access restricted to authorised people. • Maintain a renewal calendar for identity documents, residence visas (family and household staff), passports, insurance policies, tenancy contracts and tenancy registrations, vehicle registrations, driving licences and school contracts. • Review renewals at least 60 days before expiry, initiate them within the relevant renewal window and see them through to completion, coordinating with PRO services where needed. • Keep an inventory of important original documents and their storage locations. Maintain current trackers, contact lists and documented procedures, with a secure handover for authorised cover during absence. Reporting, cash planning and adviser coordination • Maintain a rolling three-month forecast of expected income and commitments. • Flag funding needs early enough for transfers to be approved and completed. • Produce the monthly report: balances by account and currency, spending against budget, project spend, business reconciliation balance, renewals due in 60 days, and decisions needed. • Coordinate with the family's appointed accountants and tax advisers; prepare the schedules they request and track adviser-confirmed deadlines to completion. Keep copies of submitted returns, payment confirmations and related correspondence. Decision-making authority • The job holder prepares and verifies; the Principal or spouse approves and releases. • Recording, categorising and reconciling transactions: Personal Accountant: decides; Principal or spouse: informed monthly. • Preparing payments and transfers: Personal Accountant: prepares and verifies; Principal or spouse: approves and releases. • Bank service requests (statements, cards, KYC): Personal Accountant: initiates; Principal or spouse: signs where required. • Household budgets: Personal Accountant: proposes; Principal or spouse: approves. • Changes to supplier or beneficiary bank details: Personal Accountant: verifies by call-back to a known contact; Principal or spouse: approves. • Investments, borrowing and contracts: Personal Accountant: no authority; Principal or spouse: decides. • The job holder has no signing authority or payment release rights. Bank access is view-only or preparer-only, using individual credentials. • Where instructions from the Principal and spouse conflict, the job holder raises it with both before acting. • Every payment has a documented approval trail. Promptly escalate suspected fraud, unexplained transactions, missing funds, data breaches and deadlines at risk to the Principal or spouse. Document the issue and follow up on agreed actions. • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or Commerce. • Experience: 5+ years of hands-on accounting, including managing multiple bank accounts and currencies independently. • Technical skills: Bookkeeping, bank and card reconciliations, budget tracking, financial reporting; advanced Excel or Google Sheets (pivot tables, lookups); practical experience with accounting software and digital document management systems. • Knowledge: Banking practice. • Languages: Fluent written and spoken English.