Group Financial Accountant

Smedley Group; Bicester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing sports organisation in Bicester is seeking a Group Financial Accountant to transform finance and drive operational efficiency. This role encompasses month-end processes, revenue recognition, and audit compliance. Ideal candidates will be part-qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or possess equivalent experience and have expertise in multi-entity accounting. Join us to shape processes in a data-driven and tech-enabled finance environment, making significant contributions to our ambitious growth plans.

Qualifications

• Strong experience with multi-entity accounting or high-growth businesses.
• Strong technical knowledge of revenue recognition, tax compliance, and intercompany accounting.
• Exceptional organisational skills with high attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Execute the month-end process and prepare entity financials.
• Perform revenue recognition checks across various sales channels.
• Prepare audit-ready working papers for UK and US entities.

Skills

Multi-entity accounting

Revenue recognition

Tax compliance

Excellent Excel skills

Attention to detail

Education

Part-qualified or newly qualified (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)

Tools

Xero

Sage Intacct

Job description

About FAT Karting League

FAT Karting League is disrupting the pathway from karting to F1, and you’ll be part of the team turning a transformative idea into a worldwide movement. FAT Karting League has taken the UK & US by storm with our electric karting series, a community driven sports brand breaking down barriers to entry, removing 95% of the traditional costs, and redefining racing culture for a new generation. With plans to expand to 50+ markets in the next five years, we’re moving fast and looking for a Group Financial Accountant who shares our ambition.

Role Summary

This isn’t a traditional accounting role. Finance at FAT Karting League is being built as a data and automation-first engine - scalable, global, and designed for high volume and high speed. As Group Financial Accountant, you will sit at the core of this engine: executing the month-end process, preparing entity financials, managing the bookkeeping function, and building the operational accounting foundations for a multi-entity global group.

You’ll be hands‑on with the numbers, but equally focused on process design, controls, accuracy, and automation. This role blends technical accounting discipline with systems thinking - perfect for someone who wants to help reinvent what a finance function looks like in a fast‑scaling, tech-enabled sports organisation.

Month‑End Close & Reporting

• Prepare month‑end journals (accruals, prepayments, deferred revenue, payroll, intercompany).
• Produce first‑draft entity‑level management accounts across multiple UK and US entities.
• Own and maintain all balance sheet reconciliations with full supporting schedules.
• Ensure month‑end tasks follow the close timetable and internal control framework.
• Support the Head of Finance with group consolidation schedules and elimination support.

Revenue, Cost & Operational Accounting

• Perform revenue recognition checks across ticketing, events, POS and online sales channels.
• Reconcile high‑volume sales feeds (Stripe, ticketing platforms, POS systems).
• Maintain deferred revenue, refund, discount and promotional schedules.
• Validate event‑related costs and prepare first‑pass event margin reporting.

Audit & Tax Compliance

• Prepare audit‑ready working papers and PBC schedules for UK and US entities.
• Support statutory accounting and corporation tax filings.
• Assist with LLC/partnership accounting (capital accounts, allocations, K‑1 support).
• Maintain fixed asset registers, lease schedules, and associated technical accounting files.

Financial Process and Efficiencies

• Line‑manage and develop the bookkeeping team, ensuring consistently high‑quality output.
• Review transactional processing performed by the bookkeeping team and offshore resources.
• Identify areas for automation and workflow redesign to eliminate manual work.
• Work with the CFO, Head of Finance and Software Engineers to design scalable, data‑driven financial processes for a multi‑entity, multi‑market organisation.

Qualifications & Experience

• Part‑qualified or newly qualified (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or equivalent experience.
• Strong experience with multi‑entity accounting or high‑growth businesses.
• Strong technical knowledge of revenue recognition, tax compliance, and intercompany accounting.
• Excellent knowledge of accounting software (Xero and/or Sage Intacct are preferable) and strong Excel skills. Experience in ERP implementation is a plus but not required.
• Exceptional organisational skills with high attention to detail.

Personal Attributes

• Data‑driven mindset – approaches accounting as an information system, not just compliance, and thrives on turning raw data into clear insight.
• Tech‑curious and automation‑focused – looks for opportunities to eliminate manual work through tools, integrations, and process design.
• Builder’s mentality – sees the finance function as a product to be codified, scaled, and continuously improved, not just maintained. Comfortable designing and enforcing processes that are robust, auditable, and repeatable across a growing group.
• Change agent – thrives in an environment where the finance team is evolving into a tech‑enabled operation, and is excited to shape that journey.

Why Join Us?

Join us at a pivotal moment of growth, where finance is central to how we operate and expand. You’ll play a hands‑on role in shaping processes, driving accuracy, and building the foundations of a scalable global group. Your work will have a direct impact on decision‑making, operational efficiency, and our ability to grow at speed.

Smedley Group is committed to attracting, recruiting, and retaining the most talented individuals, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion, belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We strive to be a team that supports diversity in the workplace and promotes an inclusive culture in which all team members are respected, empowered, and valued.