Financial Accountant

National Express Group PLC; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the transportation sector is seeking a Financial Accountant for their Coach business in Birmingham. This role involves managing financial operations, preparing insightful reports, and contributing to strategic decision-making while ensuring compliance with UK standards. Candidates should have a strong accounting background, ideally ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified, along with excellent analytical abilities. The company offers a supportive environment, opportunities for growth, and various employee benefits including free travel on their network.

Benefits

Free Bus & Coach travel for yourself

Complimentary travel for a Nominated Person

Life Assurance

Company pension

Employee Assistance programme

Private online GP service

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a similar role.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to manage large data sets.
• In-depth knowledge of UK and international accounting standards.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and analyse financial statements including balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow.
• Manage month-end close procedures and reconciliations.
• Support tax return compilation and statutory account preparation.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)

Tools

Jedox

Job description

Financial Accountant – Coach

Department: Finance

Salary - £40,000 - £45,000 per annum

Reports To: Head of Finance – Coach

About the Role

Are you an experienced accountant who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment? We’re looking for a Financial Accountant to support the Coach business by managing daily financial operations, preparing insightful reports, and helping shape financial strategy.

In this role, you’ll play a key part in maintaining accurate and timely financial data, driving process improvements, and ensuring compliance with UK and international standards. You’ll work closely with the Head of Finance and the wider finance team to deliver strong month-end results and support strategic decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and analyse financial statements including balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow.
• Lead the preparation of weekly 13-week cash flow forecasts, providing insightful analysis and commentary.
• Ensure accurate data processing within Jedox for comprehensive UK cash flow reporting.
• Manage month-end close procedures, including reconciliations, journal entries, and group uploads.
• Maintain the fixed asset register, including IFRS 16 adjustments and asset lifecycle accounting.
• Develop and manage budgeted and forecasted cash flows and balance sheets across all Coach entities.
• Support tax return compilation and statutory account preparation.
• Contribute to external audit preparation and compliance.
• Identify and implement improvements in financial processes and reporting.
• Review ad hoc payments and provide technical accounting advice as needed.
• Document financial processes and contribute to the UK Finance Manual.

What You’ll Bring

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA). Part-qualified candidates with a clear path to qualification will also be considered.
• 3+ years of experience in a similar role.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to manage and interpret large data sets.
• Confidence in using financial software (Jedox experience a plus).
• In-depth knowledge of UK and international accounting standards.
• Clear communicator with a collaborative mindset and proactive approach.

Nice to Have

• Experience in a similar industry.
• Proven track record in change management or finance transformation projects.

Why Join Us?

We’re a team that values precision, collaboration, and continuous improvement. As part of a well-established finance function, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your skills, work on exciting projects, and make a real impact in a supportive, people-first environment.

Ready to Apply?

We’d love to hear from you! Click apply and let’s start the conversation.

What we offer in return for your hard work and commitment...

• Free Bus & Coach travel for yourself on the National Express network
• Complimentary coach travel for a Nominated Person or complimentary bus travel for a Spouse or Partner on the National Express network
• Life Assurance
• Company pension
• Employee Assistance programme
• Private online GP service

National Express is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer and should you require any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process please let us know.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications before the advertised closed date.

At National Express, we are really proud of our health and safety record and as a result, we operate a Drugs and Alcohol Policy which is applicable to all employees.

As part of your initial assessment, we will complete Drug and Alcohol testing and you may be subject to random tests during your employment.