Melanie Craig

• Financial vetting of new client’s documentation, including account opening.
• Support other departments with directions for correct compliance documentation.
• Supported the execution of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing overall service delivery.
• Quickly learned and applied new skills to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
• Contributed to regular audits to maintain compliance with internal policies and regulations.

Hired as Assistant Accountant reporting to the Accounting Manager, with responsibility for overseeing data entry and bookkeeping within the finance department.

• Consolidated complex data sets across multiple services budgets covering HR and Organisational Development, Community Development, Libraries and Archives, People, Community and Wellbeing Management, Regeneration and Inclusive Growth, and Chief Executive Office.
• Monitored expenditure against budget, providing council leaders with qualitative insight to inform strategic decisions.
• Directed administration of council’s core grant allocation from central Scottish Government, delivering statistical analysis to senior finance colleagues to support forecasting and spending proposals together with recommendations to close any deficit.
• Deliver additional financial analysis in support of council projects and key annual accounts submissions.
• Contribute to compiling council budget and preparing grant claim returns.

• Career break after c. 10 years of continuous employment to relocate to the UK. Utilised time progressing CIMA qualification & returned to university study to enhance employment knowledge.
• Managed day-to-day operations of my own property and additional property on behalf of a client ensuring guest satisfaction and smooth check-in processes.
• Developed comprehensive marketing strategies to enhance property visibility and attract potential guests.
• Coordinated maintenance and repair services by liaising with contractors and vendors to uphold property standards.
• Implemented dynamic pricing strategies based on market trends to optimise occupancy rates and revenue.

Hired as Office Manager, responsible for a range of financial, executive, marketing and administrative duties for 2 entities, utilising robust problem-solving skills and technical knowledge to resolve systems, accounting and billing discrepancies, oversee website management, brochures and general office template design with Excel, and plan and coordinate travel itineraries and scheduling.

• Accountable for processing all sales and purchase invoices, expense receipts, sales income and international multi-currency purchase payments, reconciling order forms with invoices and recording necessary information to ensure accuracy.
• Operated Sage Accounting System to record, store and analyse key financial and operational data and perform all reconciliation of income and expenses.
• Responsible for stock inventory and procurement.
• Collaborated with Production Manager, researching key project information and coordinating new projects with responsibility to deputise where necessary.
• Responsible for coordinating logistics for global and US military shipping, including B13 (CAED) and various international customs documentation.

• Assisted Project Manager with research and proposal, document review, preparing and monitoring schedules, coordinating subcontractors and establishing general maintenance plans. Acted as Executive Assistant for CEO, delivering effective diary management, scheduling and preparing travel itineraries.
• Acted as trusted advisor and main point of contact for translating classified and critical documents/reports and coordinating relevant documents in line with budgetary requirements and time-frames.
• Responsible for coordinating and overseeing ad-hoc and general maintenance work, liaising with mechanics to ensure phase completion in line with requirements and time-frame.
• Responsible for financial and administrative duties, including resolving any accounting discrepancies, payroll processing, processing invoices and purchase orders, maintaining purchase inventory and tracking global purchasing, and creating and managing supplier accounts.
• Developed and implemented computerised inventory system to record and monitor products/parts scheduling and supplies to ensure accuracy and time and cost efficiency.