Financial Accountant

Wessex Water; Bath; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Wessex Water seeks a qualified Financial Accountant to join their dynamic team. In this pivotal role, you will lead the financial controls framework, oversee financial statement preparation, and collaborate closely with various entities within the group. This role promises engaging challenges, opportunities for professional development, and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Combined pension contribution of up to 20%

Career progression opportunities

25 days' holiday rising to 28

Opportunity to buy/sell holiday days

Healthcare package

Life assurance up to eight times salary

Electric car option

Cashback and discounts from retailers

Paid volunteering day each year

Enhanced family leave arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar finance role or relevant audit experience.
• Preferred knowledge of the Utilities industry.

Responsibilities

• Leading the preparation of financial statements in line with deadlines.
• Managing key roles in external audits and financial controls testing.
• Providing technical accounting support and ensuring compliance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Technical mindset

Education

Qualified Accountant (ACCA or ACA)

Tools

UNIT4

Job description

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An exciting and newly created opportunity has become available for a Financial Accountant to join Wessex Water.

Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, you will be responsible for leading the controls framework of the Wessex Water group, performing reviews of financial controls, presenting results, and suggesting improvements to management.

In addition, you will own the preparation of the financial statements & technical accounting policies across Wessex Water, currently 10 active entities, across utilities, energy generation, waste management, and asset operations.

You will work closely with the YTL UK Group, including YTL Land & Property, to ensure consistency across the group and be the first point of contact for technical accounting queries.

Wessex Water group currently has forecast annual revenues of £1.0bn and an asset base of £4.5bn.

What you'll do

As an experienced finance professional, your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• preparing and maintaining all Wessex Water financial statements in line with deadlines
• taking a key role in the external audit, liaising with the auditors on financial requirements, & managing responsibility within the finance team for deliverables
• taking the lead for financial controls testing
• providing technical accounting papers to aid with audit and general accounting queries that arise
• creating, improving, and managing the control framework
• monitoring and updating the fixed Asset Registers for UK based companies
• maintaining a full suite of process notes
• ensuring compliance with all finance processes, controls and regulatory frameworks
• supporting the maintenance and updates of the financial systems (UNIT4, OneSource and ViaReport) and assisting in their development from a controls and risk perspective
• providing general support to Finance and the wider business as and when required to increase capacity and improve business reporting.

What you'll need

In this important role, you will be a qualified Accountant (ACCA or ACA) and will have previous experience of working in a similar role, or demonstrable audit and controls experience from a practice environment.

Knowledge of the Utilities industry would be preferred, however, alternative industry sectors will be considered.

You will ideally have experience of UNIT4 (our ERP system) or similar, and can work to tight deadlines, have a keen technical mindset, with attention to detail, and with both communication and interpersonal skills.

What you'll receive

• A combined pension contribution of up to 20%.
• Career progression and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
• The opportunity to buy up to ten days' holiday and sell up to five every year.
• A healthcare package that allows you to claim back healthcare costs.
• Life assurance of up to eight times your salary.
• A new electric car in exchange for part of your gross salary, subject to conditions.
• Cashback and discounts from more than 3,000 retailers.
• One paid volunteering day each year.
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements.
• An interactive health and wellbeing platform.
• Support from mental health first aiders.
• A £1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone to work for us.

Who we are

YTL UK is part of the international YTL Group based in Kuala Lumpur. The UK companies include:

• Wessex Water – one of the top-performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West.
• YTL Developments – a major UK developer currently redeveloping a 350 acre former airfield into an award winning, exciting mix of houses, apartments, schools, commercial space, restaurants and hotels, to make a truly sustainable new community.
• YTL Construction UK – a top 20 UK contractor providing fully integrated services to infrastructure, residential, commercial, industry, energy and environmental sectors.
• YTL Arena – the development and operation of an entertainment complex that includes a 19,000 capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space.
• Plus a number of other retail,environmental and specialist businesses.

Our people tell us that YTL UK is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have a unique opportunity to develop and progress your career within such a diverse group.

We are passionate about diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please inform a member of our Recruitment team.