Financial Accountant

Foresters Financial; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in the City of London is seeking an experienced Financial Accountant to join their Financial Control team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of financial operations, posting journal entries, and maintaining reconciliations. This role offers competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for career development in a collaborative culture.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible hybrid working

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Contributory pension scheme

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Solid experience in financial accounting or financial control roles.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and drive meaningful change.

Responsibilities

• Support month-end and year-end close including financial accounting journals.
• Maintain monthly bank, balance sheet and income statement reconciliations.
• Prepare quarterly VAT returns and related regulatory submissions.

Skills

Financial accounting

Excel skills

Financial operations

Hands-on experience with journal posting

Education

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

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Python

Job description

The Vacancy

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

Financial accounting:

• 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)
• Strong Excel skills
• 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)
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Contributory pension scheme and life assurance
• Career development and learning opportunities
• A collaborative, values-driven culture
• Access to wellbeing resources and volunteering initiatives

About us

Foresters Financial is not your typical financial services provider. Those who join our purpose-driven organisation enjoy a culture of collaboration, creativity, and mutual respect and are challenged to do their best to make a difference every day. We help everyday families achieve their financial goals and make a lasting difference in their lives and communities.

What we do

We help everyday families achieve their financial goals and make a lasting difference in their lives and communities. We will continue to do this by employing enthusiastic and talented Financial Advisers working across the country and equally talented people to be based at our Head Office in Bromley.

Our Benefits

• Work/life balance
• Competitive benefits
• Flexible/Hybrid working
• Pension plan
• Bonus
• Staff savings

Testimonials

Myra O'Neil

"I've been supported by Foresters in both my professional and career development for over 30 years, from Administrator to Manager. I feel all employees have a strong sense of belonging and take pride in providing excellent customer service."

Andrew Jones

"Foresters Financial is a special place to work because of the people and their passion to deliver our purpose. I love the fact that the customer is at the heart of everything we do, and I am proud of the charity work Foresters do in the communities that we serve."

Pattern N'Guessan

"I am surround by positive and mindful people; whilst regular social activities promote good dynamics amongst staff. There is also ample opportunity for professional development in the form of training as well as exciting projects."