Cost Accountant

Royal London Group; Alderley Edge; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mutual life and pensions company in Alderley Edge is looking for a Cost Accountant to join their Group Finance team. This role involves ensuring the integrity of operating costs through effective financial management and reporting. The ideal candidate will be a newly qualified accountant with strong Excel skills, and experience in cost accounting is beneficial but not necessary. The company offers a hybrid working model and excellent workplace benefits including 28 days annual leave and a generous pension scheme.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Up to 14% employer matching pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of accounting principles is required.
• Experience in cost accounting is beneficial but not essential.
• Ability to improve spreadsheet documents.

Responsibilities

• Ensure integrity of costs with month-end reporting.
• Engage with stakeholders to enhance cost reporting quality.
• Support improvements through documentation and review.

Skills

Strong Excel skills

Communication skills

Financial management

Organizational skills

Proactive attitude

Education

Newly qualified accountant

Job description

Job Title: Cost Accountant

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Alderley Park

Working style: Hybrid 50% home / office based

Closing date: 5th January 2026

Join our Group Finance team as a Cost Accountant, where you’ll play a key role in ensuring the integrity of the UK Trading company’s operating cost position. This is an exciting opportunity to support our business with high-quality cost reporting, drive improvements in group-wide accounting, and act as a key point of contact for finance enquiries. You’ll be at the heart of initiatives to enhance cost reporting quality and support strategic projects that make a real impact across Royal London.

About the role

• Provide financial management and integrity of costs (BAU and Change), ensuring fit‑for‑purpose month‑end reporting and continuous improvement in group‑wide accounting and reporting.
• Oversee appointed cost areas, working closely with Cost Accounting and Business Finance teams to ensure accurate accounting and effective reporting.
• Proactively engage with stakeholders to improve the quality of cost accounting and reporting, offering guidance and education on cost processes.
• Support and direct team resources to deliver improvements, including documentation, benefit realisation, and post‑implementation reviews.
• Develop strong working relationships across Group Finance, Group Programme Office, and supported business areas.
• Ensure business risks are understood, controlled, and mitigated, supporting senior leaders in embedding risk management practices.
• Recognised as a subject‑matter expert (SME) in cost accounting.

About you

• Newly qualified accountant with a solid understanding of accounting principles.
• Previous experience in cost accounting is beneficial but not essential.
• Strong Excel skills, including formulas and pivot tables, with the ability to improve spreadsheet documents.
• Flexible, self‑motivated, and proactive, with a drive to challenge the status quo and make improvements.
• Confident communicator with strong relationship management skills, able to work effectively with finance and non‑finance colleagues.
• Organised and able to prioritise to meet tight deadlines in a complex environment.

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We’ve always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance. You can see all our benefits here - Our Benefits

Inclusion, diversity and belonging

We’re an Inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.