Assistant Accountant

Ofwat; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Pension contributions

Professional development

Job summary

Ofwat is recruiting an Assistant Accountant in Birmingham with hybrid working. The role provides essential support across purchase and sales ledgers, fixed assets, reconciliations, VAT, and audit processes, reporting into the Financial Accountant.

The ideal candidate has solid accounting experience, strong Excel and ERP/Oracle skills, and a proactive approach to improving finance controls. This is a fixed-term appointment until 31 December 2027, offering a collaborative gov­ernment‑style finance

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a financial accounting environment with month-end tasks.
• Strong Excel skills including V-lookups and pivot tables.
• Experience reconciling balance sheet accounts from ERP systems.
• AAT or an equivalent finance/accounting qualification.
• Familiarity with Oracle Fusion or similar ERP systems for reporting.

Responsibilities

• Assist with purchase ledger and sales ledger processing.
• Manage capital and fixed assets reconciliations and staff expenses.
• Support VAT and tax reporting, and government data returns.
• Maintain Oracle finance system and support audits.
• Contribute to the Annual Report & Accounts production.
• Collaborate with Finance Business Partners and internal/external auditors.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Month-end reporting

Balance sheet reconciliations

Attention to detail

Clear communication

Data analysis

Auditing support

Education

AAT or equivalent

Finance/accounting degree

Tools

Oracle Fusion

Job description

Join Ofwat’s Finance Team as an Assistant Accountant

This is a Fixed Term Appointment running until 31st December 2027.

*Office Location: Birmingham (B5 4UA) with hybrid working*

About Us

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

The water sector is entering a new chapter. Following the Independent Water Commission’s Final Report and subsequent White Paper - 'New Vision for Water', the UK government has set out a bold new direction - one that brings together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Ofwat is working in collaboration with the government and other regulators to help establish a new body for England, combining our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, and Natural England. We’re also continuing to engage with the Welsh Government to support future decisions for Wales.

While these changes take shape, our mission remains the same: to hold water companies to account, drive performance, and ensure the sector delivers real value for customers, communities, and the environment. If you’re passionate about making a difference, this is a unique moment to join us and help shape the future of water, and together we can continue to make a positive impact.

The Role

The Assistant Accountant role is varied and involves providing essential support in financial operations and assisting in the effective management of financial resources.This role will report into the Financial Accountant and will work with other team members to ensure accuracy, compliance, and transparency in financial activities.

As an Assistant Accountant, you will predominantly support the financial control and accounting functions including purchase ledger; sales ledger; capital and fixed assets; staff expenses; reconciliations; VAT and tax; government data returns; maintenance of the Oracle finance system; internal and external audit; and the production of the Annual Report & Accounts. You will also develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders e.g. Finance Business Partners, Internal and External Auditors, and HM Treasury.

This opportunity will be particularly interesting to candidates with an interest in government and public sector accounting.

About You

Below are some of the key essential experience, skills & knowledge required for this post:

• Lead criterion 1: Proven experience in a financial accounting environment, with a solid understanding of core accounting principles and their application in month-end reporting and reconciliation tasks.
• Lead criterion 2: Proficient Excel skills including V-lookups and pivot tables, with the ability to analyse and present data with attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Proven capability in reconciling balance sheet accounts using data from ERP financial systems, with a focus on maintaining precise and reliable records while ensuring full compliance with financial policies and audit standards.
• Qualified to AAT or equivalent e.g. finance/accounting university degree.
• Familiarity with financial software and ERP systems used for financial reporting and ledger management e.g. Oracle Fusion, including system administration.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present financial information clearly and confidently to various audiences and putting complex financial issues into layman's terms for non-specialist audiences.
• Experience of supporting the preparation of financial statements and audit requirements, with a proven ability to improve finance processes and strengthen financial controls.

Why You Should Join Us

• People Centric: Our people are at the heart of Ofwat and everything we do - we ensure all voices are heard and treat each other with respect; you'll be given the autonomy and the support to do your role in the best way.
• Innovative Work Environment: We embrace agile and new ways of working and have a culture build on trust, flexibility, and collaboration.
• Development Opportunities: Gain valuable experience and develop your skills in a supportive and dynamic setting.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home combined with the benefits of in person collaboration in our Birmingham and London offices.
• Good employer pension contributions.
• 25 days’ annual leave, increasing to 30 with each year of service, plus bank holidays and an extra 2.5 days of privilege leave.
• Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership.
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
• Generous shared parental leave and pay supporting your family life.

Closing date: 23.55 on 6th September 2026