March, 2010

Recently announced TRAMPS vacancies from Acme Appointments.  Acme are contactable on 020 7034 2950

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ACCOUNTANT – Ref. TR14252

Tramps experience preferred

WEST END £30-40,000 pa

An experienced residential property accountant, with knowledge of the Tramps system is urgently required to join a leading UK Property Management Company. Being familiar with all aspects of service charges, as well as the full remit of the client accounting function, you will be responsible for a large portfolio. Working within a busy team, you will be in charge of managing the accuracy of reporting and accounting client and tenant funds.

Duties include:

• All aspects of the service charge function

• Bank reconciliations

• Utility invoices

• Year end account preparation and reporting

• Expenditure Statements

• Ground rent statements

• Dealing with all queries from clients, accountants, suppliers and leaseholders

• attend internal/external meetings

PROPERTY MANAGER – BLOCK MANAGER – Ref. TR14276

VARIOUS – Tramps experience welcome

WEST END £35,000 - £38,000

PROPERTY MANAGER - BLOCK MANAGER - £35,000 - £38,000… Our client is a leading block management company known for providing a high quality property management service to clients and for its friendly approach. Located in the heart of the West End they are now looking for an experienced property manager – block manager - to look after a portfolio of developments that are mostly located in the W1 and SW7 area covering the West End, South Kensington and Knightsbridge.

These positions carry an excellent salary package and other. Our client would prefer to meet experienced block managers with good property management experience as well as good communication skills.

Duties include:

• Responsibility for the day to day management of a portfolio of properties located mainly around South Kensington and ensuring that a high level of service is provided to clients.
• Carrying out site visits to ensure blocks are properly maintained

• Ensuring notes are properly recorded re inspections and health and safety matters

• Preparation of service charge budgets for all properties in your portfolio

• Monitoring expenditure against budget
• Managing all maintenance and repair work which

• Liaising with surveyors re major works projects

• Approving invoices for works requested
• Dealing with insurance matters
• Dealing with residents associations and representing at AGM’s
• Dealing with day to day correspondence in a timely manner
• Managing any on site staff – e.g. concierge/porters

PART TIME - PROPERTY MANAGER - BLOCK MANAGER - 3 DAYS PER WEEK - WEST END...Now recruiting for an experienced block manager who only wants to work 3x full days per week. You will be looking after a small manageable portfolio and also be responsible for coordinating health and safety assessments for the property portfolio. If you relevant block management experience and are looking for just 3 days per week then please apply by forwarding a copy of your cv

PROPERTY MANAGER - RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS - £35,000

A regular block manager is required for our client, an established property company in the heart of the West End. They are looking for someone who is used to dealing with a mix of small and medium size blocks, service charges, site visits etc. A nice, friendly office with an excellent group of people.

PROPERTY MANAGER – RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS – 1 YEAR CONTRACT

A lovely firm in Kensington where our client is looking for an experienced block manager to cover maternity leave. There is a preference for candidates who have worked with RMC’s in the smarter London postcodes. A very friendly office close to a few underground stations and near Victoria.

PROPERTY CLIENT ACCOUNTANT- Ref. TR14122

Tramps experience required

WEST END £30,000 - £32,000

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced client accountant, fully familiar with the Tramps system (TBS or PM&A) to join a leading international Property Management Company. Responsible for carrying out the full remit of the accounting and service charge functions in relation to property portfolios of clients which are managed by the Management Division. You will have extensive property management accounting knowledge and working knowledge of service charge reconciliations, along with a clear understanding of double entry accounting principles and excellent numeric and communication skills

Main duties will include:

•Ensuring client service is delivered

•Contributing to system development

•Ensuring bottom line and quality systems are fully adhered to

•Assisting Team Leader with Management of assistant accounts

To apply for any of these roles please email: trace@acme-appointments.co.uk

To view other vacancies, visit our website www.acme-appointments.co.uk

Trace Solutions' Managing Director, Mick Flynn also sits on the board of OSCRE.

Below is an article written by him about OSCRE the organisation and the standard.

eBusiness is defined as the use of information and communication technologies in support of all activities of the business and as usual, the property sector sadly lags behind other industries. The last two years have hardly been enjoyable but if it has taught us anything, it is that we all need to run our businesses leaner and meaner and better use technology to bring about efficiencies and cut costs.

VHS and Betamax were both video tape systems that held the same data but in incompatible formats. Remind you of anything? Yes, property data held in different software suppliers’ systems.

Over  time, suppliers have developed modules that allow the exchange of data via a common medium, Excel but when you bring data in, you have to go through a manual transformation exercise e.g. my code for English Quarter Days is ‘EQD’ but you used Usual Quarter Days ‘UQD’. Human intervention is required to iron out all of these inconsistencies. Inevitably this increases the scope for errors, additional cost and time.

What happens when an external party needs your data for some reason? Maybe it’s a transfer of management, sale, purchase or valuation. Wouldn’t it be great if all software systems used data that was held in a common format that they could understand without the need for human translation?

This is what brought about the formation of an organisation that became known as PISCES which transformed into a global data standards body earlier this year and is now known as OSCRE.

OSCRE is a not for profits organisation that exists to help the property sector and is reliant on annual membership fees to develop and maintain these data standards. OSCRE operates in the investment, corporate real estate and home buying sectors. It provides a facility and framework for its members to decide how to address industry data exchange problems.

From a request that originated from our user group, Trace drove the creation of a work group to define a standard for the exchange of property management data and this became known as PIE (Portfolio Information Exchange). After much input from industry experts, a standard was agreed, published and Trace participated in a pilot development to prove that data could be exchanged efficiently between disparate systems. We have gone on to convert this pilot into ‘industrial strength’ software. Having the ability to import and export data in a recognised data standard format gives Trace and its clients many advantages.

OSCRE has facilitated the creation of an Investor Forum which is supported by the likes of Legal and General and ING with a view to drive through industry adoption of this standard.

One day, all data will be exchanged this way. The IT industry has matured over its relatively short life and we now think it is normal that different suppliers’ hardware and operating systems can communicate with each other. Standardising data is the missing piece of the IT puzzle.

I sit on the OSCRE board and am a fervent supporter of what OSCRE exists for. We need you to adopt this technology and OSCRE needs your support too. You can find out about OSCRE at www.oscre.org .

The Trace bi-monthly newsletter goes out later today by e-mail.  If you don't receive it by lunch time tomorrow, check it hasn't been caught by your spam filter.  If it's not there, contact your Account Manager to esnure that your e-mail address is on the mailing list.

I wonder how MIPIM will feel this year?  It's notorious for its lavish parties and I suspect the novelty of them may be wearing off a bit - and that's ignoring the fact that we are in recession.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/construction_and_property/article7062263.ece

Ref: 57309

Salary: £34,000 - £38,000 pa

Location: West End of London

"My client is a London Estate Agent focusing on Residential Properties in and around the city. They are a very well established business with over 150 Real Estate Agents throughout London.

The company is currently recruiting for a Client / Service Charge Accountant for the London based headquarters. To be considered for the role you will need to have had experience, ideally working with a residential portfolio, of inputting service charge budgets, preparing service charge year end accounts including reconciliation and trial balance. Furthermore to be shortlisted for the role you will also have had exposure to producing monthly and quarterly income and expenditure statements. If you have knowledge of the Tramps system then it will differentiate you from other candidates that apply to the position as it is the system the business use.

The package offered by my client is very competitive including Private Heathcare, life insurance and eligibility to join the company pension scheme after two years service."

For more information contact Witan Jardine.  http://www.ambition.co.uk/job/29350-client-accountant

This one from Witan Jardine.

Ref: 57952

Salary: £21,000 - £23,000 pa

Location: West End of London

"My client is a leading global Real Estate Advisory business offering a diverse range of services across Acquisition and Disposals, Property Management, Fund Management, Corporate restructuring and many more.

The business is currently recruiting for an Accounts Payable Clerk to join the team as a result of a recent promotion within the finance function. To apply for the role you will have had at least six months experience within the Property sector and ideally an understanding of the Tramps system. You will be responsible for the day to day running of a portfolio of suppliers, scanning and processing invoices, supplier reconciliations, dealing with supplier queries and liaising with internal customers.

To be shortlisted for this vacancy you will have a minimum of six months experience within Accounts Payable within a Property Management Company, Investment / Development business or Real Estate Fund Environment."

http://www.ambition.co.uk/job/29351-accounts-payable-clerk

Apologies, the e-mail address for Acme should be tramps@acme-appointments.co.uk  (not trace).

Acme Appointments, possibly the leading recruiter of TRAMPS staff, has made us aware of the following vacancies.  Please contact them direct if you have any interest.

PROPERTY CLIENT / SERVICE CHARGE ACCOUNTANT – Ref TR14252

West End

£30-35000

An opportunity for an experienced property client accountant, fully familiar with the Tramps PM&A system, has arisen to join the finance team of a leading UK Property Management Company.

You will be an organised and conscientious client accountant, who is familiar with all aspects of service charges, and proficient with the Tramps system. Taking responsibility for the client accounts for a designated portfolio, you will be working as part of a team managing the accurate accounting of client and tenant funds.

Duties include:

* Input service charge budgets, raise charges and demands ready for sending to leaseholders

* Prepare service charge year-end accounts

* Quarterly / monthly income and expenditure statements

* Quarterly Ground Rent

* Assist with weekly payment run

* Ad-hoc duties as required

PROPERTY MANAGER – BLOCK MANAGER - REF TR13952

WEST END 

TO £38000 per annum

Our client is looking for an experienced block manager (property manager) to join an established team where you will be responsible for managing a small (approx 25 developments comprising some 250 flats) but busy portfolio of leasehold apartment blocks that are mostly in and around Westminster, South Kensington and Pimlico.

You can look forward to an excellent salary package, good team atmosphere and a well structured administrative support department that will assist you in dealing with your main responsibilities. Our client would prefer to meet candidates with at least 2 year’s experience so if you have good communication skills and a desire to progress in this industry, you will be joining a company that has enjoyed sustained growth and as this continues there could well be opportunities to progress. Experience of Tramps PM&A is most welcome.

Responsibilities will include:
* Managing your own portfolio of residential block developments
* Regular site visits to ensure that blocks are properly maintained
* Chairing and attending AGM’s, EGM’s, residents meetings when required
* Assisting with the preparation of annual service charge budgets, reviewing expenditure
* Planning and dealing with maintenance issues from minor repairs through to major works
* Instructing contractors to deal with works required including monitoring contractor performance
* Dealing with all aspects of Health, Safety and Fire risks and where necessary liaising with Insurers and Loss adjusters in relation to insurance claims including dealing with remedial works

Assistant Property Accountant (Tramps PM&A) - REF TR14225

West End

£22,000-£25,000pa

A position is vacant in the busy property accounts team of a well known West End Commercial Property Management company. The role will be working on a high profile client and working with senior surveyors, meeting strict client deadlines. Candidates must have previous experience of working in property accounting; good Excel skills and have working knowledge of the Tramps PM&A system.

Duties will include:

* Ledger input and maintenance

* Assisting with Client reporting

* Assisting with Be-spoke reporting

* Payovers

* Funding requests

* Head rents

* Liaising with regional surveyors

* Reporting to a team leader

* Any other ad hoc duties within the department

To apply for any of these roles please email: trace@acme-appointments.co.uk

To view other vacancies, visit the Acme website www.acme-appointments.co.uk

Has the world gone mad?  I have just received an e-mail and the footer contains: a mobile number, Skype address, Blackberry PIN, e-mail address, LinkedIn link, Twitter link, web address, phone number, fax number, and a postal address. 

Is it me?  Surely we should be bringing technologies together?  i.e., if someone is trying to contact you they should get diverted to whatever medium you happen to be on at that time.  Are some of us forgetting about keep-it-simple?

Find us on Twitter. 

Our Username is TraceSolutionsL

Did you know that your TRAMPS, o6ix or BlueBox system can send out messages as a text?  This has proved particularly popular with agents who wish to chase up residential arrears but can actually be used in a variety of ways, for example instructing a contractor on a new job.

Though this has been available for a time, we now have a preferred partner for providing the SMS service, this being mediaburst.  mediaburst are experts in this area with such clients as The Co-operative, Tesco, Morrisons and Kellogg’s.

More on mediabust here:  http://www.mediaburst.co.uk/

For more information on the automatic sending of SMS messages from our systems, saving time and money and getting the message delivered more quickly, contact us.  (Did you know that research has indicated that a user is much more likely to react to an arrears message delivered by SMS than by paper or e-mail?).