Chief Group Accountant - Holding Company

IVC Evidensia; Bristol; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

IVC Evidensia seeks a Chief Group Accountant to lead the financial operations as the Group embarks on exciting strategic changes. You will ensure compliance across multiple territories, manage audits, and present financial results to senior management. The role demands strong analytical and interpersonal skills, as well as ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification.

Benefits

Work-life balance

26 days annual leave

Cycle to Work scheme

Wellbeing initiatives

Pension

Discretionary Bonus

Discounted staff pet care

Dog Friendly office

Free Parking available

Qualifications

• Ability to meet month-end deadlines and navigate tight schedules.
• Experience reviewing statutory accounts and leading audit queries.
• Strong communication skills for effective relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Lead in interim and year-end audits and assist in statutory accounts preparation.
• Manage intercompany reconciliations, payroll control, and provisions.
• Serve as the primary audit contact for external auditors.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Commercial Acumen

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Chief Group Accountant - Holding Company

Chief Group Accountant - Holding Company

At IVC Evidensia, we are a leading veterinary services provider in Europe and North America with more than 2,500 clinics and hospitals across 20 countries and around 41,000 employees. We aim to have an extraordinary impact on animal lives, supporting in the region of 25,000 animals every single day across our international network. IVC Evidensia exists to champion the long-term health and welfare of animals and deliver our purpose of Healthy Animals, Happy Owners.

Due to the Group embarking on a period of exciting and challenging strategic change, this is a newly created role within the Group Finance team, reporting to the Senior Group Finance Manager. Ultimately the Group's aim is to establish a new statutory entity (the IVC Evidensia Holding Company (UK) ('the Company')) which will be the Group's Strategic Partner, holding the investments in the Group's operating entities and recharging the Group's central management activities to the operating entities.

As a result, the role will play a lead in both the interim and the year-end audits and will fully assist EY in the preparation of the company's statutory accounts. They will be fully responsible for ensuring full Transfer Pricing accounting compliance across all 19 territories alongside the Group Transfer Pricing and Tax teams.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

* Detailed review of the monthly financial performance and the Management commentaries for the Company.

* Detailed and full control review of the Company's Balance Sheet, with a particular focus on multi-currency Intercompany reconciliations, Payroll Control and Provisions.

* Presentation and detailed explanation of the monthly financial results and Balance Sheet movements to Senior Management and Department Heads.

* Ensuring reconciliation of the 'Below The Line' Group's Strategic Project expenditure.

* Being the primary contact in the audit relationship with Deloitte, the Group and the Company's External Auditor, both during the year and at the year end.

* Ensuring timely resolution of all Deloitte audit queries at the year-end, for both the Group audit and the local audit of the Company.

* Working closely with EY to respond to all statutory accounts and Corporate Tax queries in a timely manner.

* Detailed review and sign-off of the Company statutory accounts, as prepared by EY to ensure accurate, consistent and compliant figures as well as fully compliant statutory disclosures.

* Developing and maintaining the Group Transfer Pricing recharge model to ensure the timely, accurate and tax compliant recharging of the Company's SOC costs to the operating entities.

* Updating the Group Transfer Pricing recharge model for Group SOC changes, as well as hived up/merged IVCE Group entities.

* Ensuring the accurate and timely accounting for the Group quarterly management recharge for the Group SOC costs, including ensuring that accurate intercompany invoices are raised and posted across all Group entities.

* Ensuring full reconciliation of the quarterly management recharge across the Group.

* Preparation of the variance analysis commentary for the quarterly management recharge.

* Supporting the annual Transfer Pricing interviews with the Department leads.

* Ensuring that entity pass through costs are accounted for correctly.

* Accounting for management recharges across the two separate accounting systems which will be operating until early 2026.

* Managing the setting up of IVC Evidensia Holding Company (UK) and the transfer of activities from IVC Acquisition Limited and Independent Vetcare Limited following incorporation.

* Preparing and finalising papers together with Group Tax to support Transfer Pricing activities and projects.

* Engaging with the Oracle ERP implementation Finance Business Partner to ensure all costs have been accurately accounted for and recharged correctly across the Group.

* Providing support on the re-build of the quarterly management recharge model in line with expected ERP timelines for Group companies.

* Ad hoc queries from a range of stakeholders (Group Tax, Group Treasury, Group FP&A, Group M&A, Group Legal, Management Accountants, Accounts Payable).

Experience/Qualifications:

* ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

* Experience of Holding Company accounting desired

* Ability to work to month end deadlines and tight timetables

* Experience of reviewing statutory accounts and leading on audit queries

* Strong business knowledge and commercial acumen

* Strong interpersonal skills with a confident, enthusiastic attitude and a proactive approach to accountancy

* Excellent analytical skills (Excel, Power BI) with the ability to convert complex data into useful information

* Excellent communication skills, incorporating written, verbal, presentation, and reporting at all levels

* Relationship building skills

Following receipt of your application, you will be contacted by one of our experienced hire recruitment team.

At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

What We Offer:

At IVC Evidensia we recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from

* Work-life balance

*26 days annual leave

* Cycle to Work scheme

* Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing

* Pension

* Discretionary Bonus

* Discounted staff pet care

* Dog Friendly office

* Free Parking available at Head Office

At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.