Group Financial / Regulatory Accountant

Thames Water; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Group Financial Regulatory Accountant. The successful candidate will lead financial regulatory reporting, manage audits, and provide expert advice across business units. Qualified chartered accountants are encouraged to apply, particularly those experienced with SAP and regulatory frameworks. This role offers a competitive salary, great benefits, and the chance to impact operational excellence through effective financial reporting.

Benefits

Competitive salary

26 days annual leave

Contributory pension plan

Personal medical assessments

Various health and well-being benefits

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage relationships with key stakeholders.
• Experience working in a team towards common goals under tight deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial sections for Annual Performance Report.
• Manage external audit deliverables and queries.
• Support monthly and quarterly regulatory reporting.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Relationship management

Ability to learn financial systems

Education

Qualified chartered accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Tools

SAP

SAC

HFM

Job description

As a Group Financial Regulatory Accountant, you will be primarily responsible for the development of first‑class financial regulatory reporting within our Annual Performance Report (APR). This includes segmental business unit analysis and reporting across the whole company. You will project manage year‑end and month‑end deliverables, refine reporting processes, optimise our use of financial systems and provide expert advice to the business.

This is a demanding role in a large organisation that will give you the opportunity to engage and work alongside stakeholders from across the business and to fully understand all our service lines.

In addition to your core role, you will join your friendly external financial reporting colleagues on site visits to Waste and Water treatment works, have access to a range of training courses and enjoy team social events. You will be a highly valued and pivotal team member as we increase our focus on best‑in‑class external reporting.

What you will be doing as a Group Financial Regulatory Accountant

• Leading and project managing the delivery of the financial sections and associated documentation for our Annual Performance Report
• Main lead for external audit deliverables and queries
• Central support for monthly regulatory reporting
• Central support for quarterly reporting on Return of Regulatory Equity (RORE)
• Developing best‑practice processes and procedures around our external regulatory reporting, including using a range of financial tools such as SAP, HFM and SAC
• Building up an expert knowledge of our business units and their financial performance
• Becoming an expert in and advising stakeholders on financial reporting requirements set by our regulator, Ofwat, as set under Regulatory Accounting Guidelines (RAGs)
• Providing training and guidance to the supporting Finance teams
• Supporting projects to support the wider Finance team
• Key contact for Ofwat and External Audit queries

The role will report into the Financial Reporting manager and will be supported by the wider financial accounting team.

What should you bring to the role?

To effectively perform this role, the successful candidate must be a qualified chartered accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent). The ideal candidate will have the ability to learn and become an expert in the water sector, have a change mindset and the ability to work with a range of financial systems.

Strong communication and relationship management skills will be essential, as maintaining and building robust relationships with a variety of key stakeholders is vital within this position. You will have strong experience working in a team towards a common objective within tight deadlines. Experience using company IT systems, including SAP, SAC and HFM, would be desirable.

What's in it for you?

This is a fantastic opportunity to make an impact in a high‑profile role, working with senior stakeholders and shaping regulatory outcomes.

• Competitive salary of £60,000 – £65,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual leave – 26 days holiday per year.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution, maximum of 12% – 2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Access to a range of benefits to support health, well‑being and finances – including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate, skilled people who are committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know – we’re here to help and support.

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.