Contract Accountant

Wincanton PLC; England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading logistics firm in the UK is seeking a Contract Accountant to support key defence contracts. The role focuses on financial insight, reporting, and cost analysis while offering opportunities for career development in a collaborative environment. Ideal for candidates looking to step into customer-facing finance roles, this position offers a friendly work culture with several employee benefits.

Benefits

Company car/allowance

Pension scheme

Generous holidays

Cycle to work scheme

Onsite parking

Qualifications

• Experience in large scale reconciliations.
• Self-motivated and proactive worker under pressure.
• Willingness to develop customer relationships.

Responsibilities

• Produce internal monthly reporting packs.
• Conduct cost analysis including payroll and purchase orders.
• Collaborate with operational teams for budget preparation.
• Act as a key finance contact for the site.

Skills

Financial analysis

Cost analysis

Strong IT skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

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

Tools

Excel

Oracle

Job description

Overview

Job Description: 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.

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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, 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