Financial Accountant

Smart Pension; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial technology firm in London is seeking a Financial Accountant to support their Finance team with daily accounting tasks and the financial close process. Ideal candidates should have started ACCA or ACA studies, possess strong attention to detail, and be self-motivated. The role offers a hybrid working environment and various opportunities for development and improvement in financial practices.

Benefits

25 days holiday per year

£500 annual training budget

Extensive private healthcare

Enhanced sick leave

Death in service insurance cover

Fully-paid five-week sabbatical

In-office wellbeing services

Qualifications

• Minimum of 18 months experience in audit or industry.
• Intellectually curious and keen to take on new challenges.
• Confident to ask questions when unsure.

Responsibilities

• Support the monthly and annual financial close process.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual management accounts.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and financial governance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Self-motivated

Strong communication skills

Adaptability

Education

ACCA or ACA studies

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

Overview

At Smart, our mission is to transform retirement, savings and financial wellbeing across all generations, around the world.

The Role

The Financial Accountant will provide support to the Finance team by managing daily accounting tasks. As an introductory role, you will be developed to become competent in supporting the delivery of the monthly and annual financial close process (FCP) for the UK Finance Team. Over time—as you progress and study—you will gain an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, in particular IFRS, and be able to work comfortably with numbers. You should have a keen eye for detail, a determined mindset to get things right, and an appetite to learn. You should not be afraid to question or challenge when things do not make sense.

As you learn the role, you will be encouraged to suggest improvements for documentation and efficiency in the financial tasks you are responsible for. You will be relied on to offer insights for the day-to-day use of our ERP (NetSuite) and identify opportunities for optimisation. You will be a present member of the team and actively contribute to team discussions, from weekly catchups to collaboration sessions. You will uphold and champion the Finance team\'s policies and control environment to support Smart\'s global scaling.

What you Could be Doing

Within this role we will give you responsibility for various areas of our financial statements and reporting. As you progress through your studies you can expect more complexity in the areas that you have ownership of. At all stages you will be fully supported by your managers and peers.

Transactional Finance

• Record and process accounting transactions in the general ledger
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts regularly and accurately
• Ensure proper documentation and justification for all postings

Financial Reporting

• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual management accounts
• Prepare basic accounts and assist with the analysis of financial statements
• Prepare management reports for internal stakeholders to support decision-making

Systems & Process Improvement

• Actively use and improve our ERP system (NetSuite), identifying automation or efficiency opportunities
• Contribute to continuous improvement and financial governance across business functions
• Help document finance procedures and strengthen internal controls

As well as day-to-day accounting and reporting, there is also the opportunity to be involved in project work that will support the business in developing its financial practices.

Who We Are Looking For

The skills, experience, and aptitudes we are looking for are listed below, but please don\'t be discouraged from applying if you don\'t meet every single criterion—having a can-do attitude is sometimes more important than ticking every box:

• As this role is a training contract, we\'re happy to consider candidates with qualifications at all educational levels; however, we do ask that you have already started your studies (ACCA or ACA) and that you have a minimum of 18 months experience in audit or industry.
• Intellectually curious and keen to take on new challenges
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative
• Strong attention to detail
• Confident to ask questions when unsure, and suggest changes to documentation and processes
• Resilient and adaptable
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, comfortable with building relationships across other teams within the business

Who We Are

We work in partnerships with governments and financial institutions in the UK and internationally. Our cloud-native digital platform is revolutionising how people around the world think about, and save for, their retirement. At heart, we\'re a financial technology business focused on innovation and using digital change to put the customer first. Our engineers will tell you that working at Smart gives you the opportunity to contribute to world-class technological solutions, learning from like-minded colleagues. Our culture is valued across the business, and we believe what we do means better financial outcomes for savers.

Benefits

At Smart, one of our eight principles is to keep our people happy and supported. Our benefits include:

• 25 days\' holiday per year, increasing with length of service
• £500 annual training budget for professional development
• Extensive private healthcare, including dental, eyecare and EAP
• Enhanced sick leave (three months\' pay per year)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity (maternity: 6 months fully paid; paternity: 3 weeks fully paid)
• Death in service insurance cover
• Fully-paid five-week sabbatical after five years of employment
• In-office wellbeing services (manicures, massages and barbers)
• 50% discount on orders from Arena Flowers, our sister company

We think Smart is an awesome place to work. If it sounds like somewhere you would like to work, we would love to meet you.

Department: Finance | Locations: London | Remote status: Hybrid