Financial Accountant

Ofwat; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work pattern

Pension scheme

25 days annual leave

Volunteer days

Job summary

Ofwat is seeking a skilled Financial Accountant in Birmingham for a fixed-term appointment until 31 December 2027, with hybrid working options. You will prepare financial statements, coordinate with auditors, and support WGA and Estimates submissions, applying IFRS, FReM and government guidance.

You will manage day-to-day AP/AR activities, oversee reconciliations, and build team capability in a collaborative, improvement-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant with post-qualification experience in financial accounting and audit.
• Experience with IFRS and public sector reporting.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Oracle Fusion Cloud.

Responsibilities

• Prepare Ofwat's financial statements and liaise with external auditors to ensure timely publication of annual reports.
• Prepare the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) and contribute to Main and Supplementary Estimates submissions.
• Provide technical accounting advice in line with IFRS, FReM and government guidance.
• Oversee accounts payable/receivable and ensure timely reconciliations and statutory returns.
• Lead and develop the accounts team, driving financial controls and process improvements.

Skills

IFRS expertise

Public sector reporting

Oracle Fusion Cloud

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Coaching & mentoring

Professional accounting qualification

Education

Professional accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA)

Tools

Oracle Fusion Cloud

Job description

Join Ofwat's Finance Team as a Financial Accountant

This is a Fixed Term Appointment running until 31st December 2027 (with possibility to extend)

*Office Location: Birmingham (B5 4UA) with hybrid working*

About Us

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

The water sector is entering a new chapter. Following the Independent Water Commission’s Final Report and subsequent White Paper - 'New Vision for Water', the UK government has set out a bold new direction - one that brings together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Ofwat is working in collaboration with the government and other regulators to help establish a new body for England, combining our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, and Natural England. We're also continuing to engage with the Welsh Government to support future decisions for Wales.

While these changes take shape, our mission remains the same: to hold water companies to account, drive performance, and ensure the sector delivers real value for customers, communities, and the environment. If you're passionate about making a difference, this is a unique moment to join us and help shape the future of water, and together we can continue to make a positive impact.

The Role

We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented finance professional to join our team as a Financial Accountant. You'll play a vital part in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of our financial reporting and operations.

You will be responsible for preparing Ofwat's financial statements and act as a key liaison with external auditors, facilitating a smooth audit process to ensure timely publication of the Annual Report and Accounts. Additionally, you will prepare the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) and contribute to the Main Estimate and Supplementary Estimate submissions.

As a subject matter expert, you will provide technical accounting advice in line with International Financial Reporting Standards, (IFRS), the Financial Reporting Manual (FReM), and other relevant Government guidance documents. Your expertise will be crucial in managing the day-to-day operations of the accounts payable and accounts receivable functions, including oversight of the team and ensuring timely completion of reconciliations and statutory and transparency returns.

About You

1. Lead Criterion 1: Strong technical accounting knowledge, including IFRS and public sector reporting frameworks, with experience preparing statutory reporting and supporting audits.
2. Lead Criterion 2: Strong experience of ERP systems, preferably Oracle Fusion Cloud, including financial reporting, reconciliations, process improvement, system optimisation and the implementation of automated solutions to improve efficiency and strengthen financial controls.
3. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial, operational and systems information, challenge constructively, and identify practical solutions.
4. Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate technical accounting and systems information into clear, practical business solutions for a range of audiences.
5. Experience of coaching, mentoring and developing colleagues, including onboarding, knowledge sharing and building team capability within a collaborative and continuous improvement environment.
6. Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA) with significant post-qualification experience within financial accounting, audit and financial control.

Why You Should Join Us

• People Centric: Our people are at the heart of Ofwat and everything we do - we ensure all voices are heard and treat each other with respect; you'll be given the autonomy and the support to do your role in the best way.
• Innovative Work Environment: We embrace agile and new ways of working and have a culture build on trust, flexibility, and collaboration.
• Development Opportunities: Gain valuable experience and develop your skills in a supportive and dynamic setting.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home combined with the benefits of in person collaboration in our Birmingham and London offices.
• Good employer pension contributions.
• 25 days' annual leave, increasing to 30 with each year of service, plus bank holidays and an extra 2.5 days of privilege leave.
• Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership.
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
• Recognition vouchers scheme rewarding your hard work.
• Generous shared parental leave and pay supporting your family life.

Closing date: 23.55 on 12 October 2026