Contract Accountant

Wincanton; Chippenham; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading logistics company is seeking a Contract Accountant to support defence contracts in Chippenham. This role involves financial analysis, compliance, and budget management. The ideal candidate is newly qualified or QBE in accounting and possesses strong IT and communication skills. Opportunities for career development and training are provided. A competitive package including a company car/allowance and benefits is offered.

Benefits

Company car/allowance

Generous holidays

Company pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in large scale reconciliations.
• Ability to work accurately under pressure.
• Flexibility during key reporting periods.

Responsibilities

• Produce internal monthly reporting packs.
• Collaborate with operational teams to understand budget requirements.
• Prepare monthly customer reporting packs.

Skills

Self-motivated

Strong IT skills (Excel, Oracle)

Strong communication skills

Education

Newly qualified/Qualified Accountant or QBE (CIMA/ACCA/ACA)

Job description

Overview

We are recruiting a Contract Accountant to support one of our leading defence contracts, which includes both open and closed book elements across Warehousing and Transport operations. This role is ideal for a candidate looking to take their first step into a customer-facing finance role, offering exposure to commercial finance and being the site’s key finance contact. The role reports to the Commercial Finance Manager within the P&I Sector. The contract accountant will be responsible for the financial insight, analysis, control, and suggesting and implementing improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting

• Produce internal monthly reporting packs
• Perform general ledger and balance sheet reconciliations
• Conduct cost analysis (e.g. purchase orders, payroll, internal recharges)
• Producing and posting monthly journals - recharges/reallocations/ prepayments/accruals/revenue recognition with appropriate back up
• Review all balance sheet accounts periodically to ensure reconciliation, SOX compliance, and appropriate provisioning

Budgets & Forecasts

• Collaborate with operational teams to understand requirements and build corresponding budgets
• Understanding of open and closed book budgets and where operational costs sit, reallocating costs as appropriate
• Develop bottom-up budgets and provide variance analysis
• Support the Finance and Commercial Manager in preparing budgets and forecasts

Customer Focused

• Prepare monthly customer reporting packs and supporting documentation
• Raise sales invoices and resolve related queries
• Assist with customer queries regarding monthly accounts and invoicing on a monthly an ad-hoc
• Support monthly management meetings and attend customer meetings as required
• Contribute to the preparation of customer change requests and updating budget/reporting files accordingly

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor and control site purchase ledger spend, ensuring authorisation and budget compliance
• Prepare journals, accruals, and prepayments for ledger posting
• Establish and maintain financial controls in line with company guidelines
• Track and coordinate site continuous improvement and cost-saving initiatives
• Act as a key partner to the site management team in delivering financial performance and strategic initiatives
• Understand the operational requirements and how this directly impacts the financials - working closely with operational teams, account management and other members of the finance team

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will:

• Be self-motivated and proactive and be able to work accurately under pressure
• Experience in large scale reconciliations
• Newly qualified/Qualified Accountant or QBE (CIMA/ACCA/ACA)
• Demonstrate flexibility during key reporting periods
• Possess strong IT skills (Excel, Oracle, etc.)
• Embrace change with a forward-thinking mindset, actively identifying and proposing improvements to enhance processes and reporting
• Strong communication skills
• Willingness to develop customer relationship (but not expected)
• Work effectively both independently and as part of a team

Our Culture & Benefits

In addition to generous remuneration, company car/allowance, we really value our people and offer a friendly, safety-first working environment, along with other benefits including company pension scheme, generous holidays, cycle to work scheme, employee benefits include, online discount platform, onsite parking and much more.

Our people are at the core of our business and what makes Wincanton great. That's why we also provide significant opportunities for career development and progression, as well as training enrichment and multi-skilling, in a dynamic working environment.

Be a part of our values; We're Thoughtful, We're Aiming High and We're Prepared.

Our Commitment

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all employees. We strive for an environment where all colleagues feel included, supported and valued, whilst feeling they can be their whole selves within our workplaces. We are proud that our colleagues represent us and our successes and we welcome your application.