Cost Accountant

Royal London Group; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mutual life and pensions company in the UK seeks a Cost Accountant to join their Group Finance team. This role plays a vital part in ensuring the integrity of operating costs and improving cost reporting. Responsibilities include managing financial integrity, overseeing cost areas, and engaging with stakeholders to enhance reporting quality. Ideal candidates will be newly qualified accountants with strong Excel skills. This position offers a dynamic work environment with opportunities to drive improvements across the organization.

Qualifications

• Newly qualified accountant with a solid understanding of accounting principles.
• Strong Excel skills, including formulas and pivot tables.
• Flexible and self-motivated, able to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial management and integrity of costs.
• Oversee appointed cost areas and ensure accurate reporting.
• Proactively engage with stakeholders to improve cost accounting.

Skills

Financial management

Cost accounting principles

Strong Excel skills

Stakeholder engagement

Relationship management

Education

Newly qualified accountant

Job description

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.

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