Financial Accountant

Foresters Financial UK; Bromley; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Flexible hybrid working (2 days per week in the office)

Contributory pension scheme

Access to wellbeing resources

Job summary

Foresters Financial UK is seeking an experienced Financial Accountant to join its Financial Control team in Bromley, England. The role focuses on ensuring the accuracy of financial data, month-end and year-end close processes, and the preparation of essential financial reports.

The ideal candidate will be part-qualified or fully qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) and will have solid experience in financial accounting roles, with hands-on experience in journal posting and reconciliations.

The position offers competitive salary, hybrid working arrangements, and opportunities for career development.

Qualifications

• Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant with ACA, ACCA, or CIMA.
• Solid experience in financial accounting or financial control roles.
• Hands-on experience in journal posting and reconciliations.

Responsibilities

• Support month-end and year-end close ensuring all financial journals are posted.
• Maintain monthly bank, balance sheet, and income statement reconciliations.
• Prepare quarterly VAT returns and regulatory submissions.

Skills

Financial accounting experience

Journal posting

Reconciliations

Hands-on financial operations

Process improvement

Education

Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)

Tools

Power BI

Excel automation

Python

Job description

We have a rare opportunity for an experienced Financial Accountant to join our Financial Control team. As a team of 5 the Financial Control team are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of all general ledger postings and key financial operations processes such as employee expenses, invoicing, supplier payments, daily banking activities, VAT returns, and other regulatory reporting.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Support month-end and year-end close which includes ensuring accruals, prepayments, fixed assets and other financial accounting journals are posted in line with reporting timetables.
• Assume accountability for key financial accounting inputs such as fixed asset maintenance, prepayments, accruals, lease accounting, intercompany postings and intangible assets.

Technical accounting

• Support the financial reporting team with quarterly IFRS17 processes in accordance with the group reporting timetable.

Finance operations

• Maintain monthly bank, balance sheet and income statement reconciliations – investigating differences and preparing ageing analysis for inclusion in the Financial Controls pack.
• Review and approve invoice coding, supplier payment runs, employee expenses and provide other ongoing support to the Finance operations function as needed.

Reporting

• Prepare quarterly VAT returns, PAYE Settlement Agreement returns and Pension Relief at Source and related regulatory submissions.

Expenses

• Provide a qualitative review of expenses posted as part of the month end review as a completeness check on accruals.
• Respond to queries from suppliers, employees, and internal stakeholders including FP&A queries on expenses.

Controls

• Ensure robust controls and documentation are maintained and drive a culture of continuous improvement.

Process improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline, automate, and improve existing processes.
• Explore and implement technology solutions, including Excel automation, Power BI (or MIBI equivalents), and scripting tools such as Python.
• Lead or contribute to defining ‘target state’ processes and develop implementation plans to track progress through to delivery.
• Act as a catalyst for continuous improvement and control enhancements for processes and workflows across the Financial Control team.

What We’re Looking For

• Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
• Solid experience in financial accounting or financial control roles.
• Hands‑on experience with journal posting, reconciliations, and core financial accounting processes.
• Financial operations experiences (invoice coding, supplier payments, expenses, payments)
• Ideally you will have experience in financial services or similar industry but this is not essential.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, show initiative, challenge existing processes, and drive meaningful change.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible hybrid working (2 days per week in the office)
• Contributory pension scheme and life assurance
• Career development and learning opportunities
• Access to wellbeing resources and volunteering initiatives